Microbial proteases are more economical than plant- and animal-derived proteases due to their ease of production and high activity. This study aimed to optimize the production of proteases from fermentative food-derived microorganisms. Five strains with proteolytic activity among 50 Bacillus sp. were first screened. Two strains with high protease activity were identified: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SRCM 102139 and Bacillus subtilis SRCM 104999. SRCM 102139 strain and SRCM 104999 strain had the highest protease activity in 0.8% glucose and 0.3% yeast extract, and in 0.8% starch and 0.1% soy peptone, respectively. The production of protease for two strains was optimized by the Central Composite Design (CCD) under response surface methodology. The optimal conditions for protease production in SRCM 102139 were 0.5% and 0.347%, pH 6.0, for carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (yeast extract springer 0202) sources, respectively, with a predicted value of 0.929 U/mL. Additionally, the optimal conditions for protease production in SRCM 104999 were 0.5% and 0.5%, pH 6.7, for carbon (starch) and nitrogen (soy peptone HSP-349) sources, respectively, with a predicted value of 0.431 U/mL. The actual protease activities of SRCM 102139 and SRCM 104999 under the established conditions were 0.926 U/mL and 0.428 U/mL, respectively, closely matching the predicted values.

Dongchimi is one of the most representative types of watery kimchi in Korea. Although the scope of application of dongchimi has been expanded, research on the quality of dongchimi is insufficient compared to that of baechu kimchi. This study aimed to find the optimal manufacturing condition of high-acidity dongchimi and investigate the effects of potassium citrate (P) and sugar (S) on quality. Different dongchimi samples (Control, S, P) were prepared and stored at 15oC for 15 days. Among the various sugars, sucrose made the highest acidity of dongchimi. When potassium citrate was added as a pH buffer, the acidity was 2.2 times higher than the control group. In the PS group, where sucrose and potassium citrate were added, the acidity and organic acid content were 3-fold and 3.7-fold higher, respectively, than those in the control group. As a result of the analysis of the free sugar content, the metabolism of lactic acid bacteria was expected to be relatively more activated in the PS group. Therefore, this study could be utilized in the dongchimi manufacturing industry or as primary data for other dongchimi research.