Identification and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Korean Cabbage (Baechu)

In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from cabbage, and identification revealed the strain to be Pediococcus pentosaceus, designated as P. pentosaceus HK. Safety was confirmed through hemolytic activity testing, where no hydrolysis or green discoloration was observed around the colonies. To assess acid tolerance, P. pentosaceus HK was exposed to a medium adjusted to pH 2.0 and incubated at 37°C for 2 h. The surviving cell count was 5.74 Log CFU/mL, indicating strong acid resistance. The antibacterial activity of the culture supernatant from P. pentosaceus HK was also evaluated against pathogenic Escherichia coli strains (KCCM 11587, KCCM 11591, KCCM 11596, and KCCM 11600). Significant antibacterial activity was observed, with the effect increasing proportionally to the amount of culture supernatant used. This activity was detected at pH 3.73 but was absent when the pH was adjusted to 7.0. Additionally, the antibacterial activity of the culture supernatant remained stable under various heat treatments across all test conditions.