Antibiotic Susceptibility and Technological Properties of Leuconostoc citreum for Selecting Starter Candidates

Antibiotic susceptibilities, hemolytic activities, and technological properties of 46 <i>Leuconostoc citreum</i> isolates from kimchi were evaluated to select starter candidates. All strains were susceptible to clindamycin and erythromycin, while some exhibited resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, streptomycin, and tetracycline; all were resistant to kanamycin based on the EFSA breakpoint values for <i>Leuconostoc</i> species. PCR analysis did not detect resistance genes for these six antibiotics in any strain. None of the strains demonstrated clear α- or β-hemolytic activity. All strains thrived in a medium supplemented with 6% NaCl, displaying protease activity and acid in media containing 6% and 3% NaCl, respectively. Consequently, five strains, AK5T17, AK5T19, AK10M04, DMLC16, and YK10T20, were identified as starter candidates, with <i>L. citreum</i> strain DMLC16 emerging as the top choice due to its elevated protease and acid production capacities. These findings support the safe application of <i>L. citreum</i> strain DMLC16 as a starter candidate in fermented food production.