Effects of Different Salt Treatments on the Fermentation Metabolites and Bacterial Profiles of Kimchi

The effects of purified salt (PS) and mineral-rich sea salt (MRS), both with different mineral profiles, on kimchi fermentation were studied using a culture-dependent 16S rRNA sequencing technique and mass-based metabolomic analysis. The different mineral profiles in the fermentation medium caused changes in the bacterial profiles of the 2 kimchi products. An increase of Leuconostoc species in MRS-kimchi decreased the Lactobacillus/Leuconostoc ratio, which led to changes in metabolites (including sugars, amino acids, organic acids, lipids, sulfur compounds, and terpenoids) associated with kimchi quality. Although further studies on the relationship between these salt types and kimchi fermentation are needed, these results suggested that the MRS treatment had positively affected the changes of the kimchi mineral contents, bacterial growth, and metabolite profiles, which are linked to kimchi quality.