LAUSR

Abstract A total of 225 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from 11 types of kimchi in South Korea and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. They were assigned as members of Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides. The strains belonging to the same species were analyzed by RAPD-PCR, and only one among strains showing the same band pattern were selected. Finally, 15 strains were selected as representatives for further study. Lipid accumulation inhibitory effects were observed in the strains tested. Lactobacillus sakei ADM14 reduced significantly intracellular triglyceride content on 3T3-L1 adipocytes and decreased the expression of five adipogenic marker genes, PPARγ, C/EBPα, aP2, FAS and CD36. L. sakei ADM14 was able to survive a strong acidity of pH 2 to 3 and 1.0% bile salts and showed better adhesion to Caco-2 cells than two reference strains. As an additional feature, resistances of strain ADM14 to some antibiotics were assessed in accordance with two guidelines, and it was confirmed using API ZYM kit that strain ADM14 does not produce harmful enzymes. These results showed that L. sakei ADM14 isolated from kimchi has the ability to inhibit adipogenesis in adipocytes and also has potential as a probiotic and alternative therapeutic supplement.