LAUSR

Abstract Human norovirus causes gastroenteritis through a fecal-oral route. However, there are no effective therapeutic agents owing to the lack of culture systems. Alternatively, antiviral food extracts and beneficial microorganisms could be developed as antiviral agents. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of 142 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or LAB-free filtrate from kimchi products against murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1) in RAW264.7 cells. LAB strains were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Cells were pre-treated with LAB or LAB-free filtrate, and co-treated with LAB and MNV-1 at 5 °C for 21 days. Among the 56 coccus-shaped LAB, pre-treatment of Pediococcus pentosaceus (CAU170229-2 and CAU170230-3) and Weissella cibaria (CAU170231-1 and CAU170231-3) significantly reduced MNV-1 by 1.93 ± 0.21–3.49 ± 0.43 to log10 PFU/mL. Among the 86 rod-shaped LAB, pre-treatment of Lactobacillus sakei (CAU170208-2 and CAU170210-4) and Lactobacillus curvatus (CAU170210-2 and CAU170235-3) significantly decreased MNV-1 by 1.42 ± 0.26–1.70 ± 0.63 log10 PFU/mL. LAB-free filtrates decreased MNV-1 by 0.26 ± 0.07–0.50 ± 0.18 to log10 PFU/mL, and MNV-1 co-treated with LAB slightly reduced MNV-1 by 0.56 ± 0.07–0.60 ± 0.09 to log10 PFU/mL. Thus, W. cibaria, P. pentosaceus, L. curvatus, and L. sakei from kimchi are promising anti-noroviral candidates.