Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and qualified presumption of safety (QPS)-designated Bacillus strains are widely applied to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of natural products. Green garlic (Allium sativum L.), a common Korean vegetable and recognized functional food, is valued for its antioxidant and immune-enhancing activities. In this study, we investigated the functional properties of green garlic fermented with LAB and QPS-designated Bacillus strains. A total of 450 strains were isolated from marine environments, livestock sources, and diverse agricultural and fishery products, including fermented derivatives, of which 191 originated from agricultural products. Enzyme assays identified 89 strains with strong protease and amylase activities. After excluding taxonomic duplicates, we obtained seven QPS-designated Bacillus strains and four LAB strains characterized by robust growth in media containing green garlic. Fermentation using Sacheon green garlic powder was conducted for 4 days, and compared with the control, we found that the antioxidant activity of green garlic fermented with Latilactobacillus curvatus GH-11-11 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JY-48-5 increased by 144.0% and 145.8%, respectively. In addition, relative to a non-fermented extract, a 2-day fermentation with JY-48-5 enhanced α-glucosidase inhibitory activity by over 189.4%. These findings indicate that cultures of selected LAB and QPS-designated Bacillus strains could serve as promising starters for enhancing the bioactive properties of foods, and also emphasize the importance of regional microbial resources.

Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
    Isolation and cultivation of LAB and QPSdesignatedbacillus strains
    Phylogenetic Analysis of 16S rRNA Gene Sequences
    Analysis of extracellular hydrolytic enzyme production
    Preparation of green garlic powder and fermentedgreen garlic
    Antioxidant activity
    Antidiabetic activity
    Statistical analyses
Results and Discussion
    Isolation and identification of LAB and QPSdesignatedbacillus strains
    Analysis of hydrolytic enzyme activities
    Physiological activity analysis of green garlicfermented products
References

• Mi Hwa Park(Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Busan 46958, Korea)
• Sondor Ganbat(Major in Food Biotechnology and Research Center for Extremophiles & Marine Microbiology, Silla University, Busan 46958, Korea)
• Ji Yeong Park(Major in Food Biotechnology and Research Center for Extremophiles & Marine Microbiology, Silla University, Busan 46958, Korea)
• Dariimaa Ganbat(Major in Food Biotechnology and Research Center for Extremophiles & Marine Microbiology, Silla University, Busan 46958, Korea)
• Sang-Jae Lee(Major in Food Biotechnology and Research Center for Extremophiles & Marine Microbiology, Silla University, Busan 46958, Korea) Corresponding author
• Yong-Jik Lee(Department of Bio-Cosmetics, Seowon University, Cheongju 28674, Korea) Corresponding author