Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable probiotic food. The use of high quality ingredients and predominant LAB (lactic acid bacteria)-whether it be ambient bacteria or adding starters, low temperature and facultative anaerobic condition for the fermentation are important factors for preparing kimchi with better taste and functionality. The predominated LAB genera are Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella in kimchi fermentation. The representative species are Leu. mesenteroides, Leu. citrium, Lab. plantarum, Lab. sakei, and Wei. koreensis. Kimchi, especially the optimally fermented kimchi, has various health benefits, including control of colon health, antioxidation, antiaging effects, cancer preventive effect, antiobesity, control of dyslipidemic and metabolic syndrome, etc.; due to the presence of LAB, various nutraceuticals, and metabolites from the ingredients and LAB. The kimchi LAB are good probiotics, exhibiting antimicrobial activity, antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticancer effects, as well as immunomodualatory effect, antiobesity, and cholesterol and lipid lowering effects. Thus, kimchi ingredients, LAB, fermentation methods, and metabolites are important factors that modulate various functionalities. In this review, we introduced recent information showing kimchi and its health benefits in Korean Functional Foods (Park & Ju 2018)

This study was conducted in order to determine the functionality of mineral-rich salt with lower NaCl and higher mineral contents on blood pressure and lipid metabolism in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. A 1% salt solution was administered to five-week-old male Dahl rats– one normal and three salt groups (Purified salt, sun-dried salt, and bamboo salt) for 15 weeks. On the basis of the salt production process, the sun-dried group was classified into two subgroups: SS1 (2-year) and SS2 (>5-year) depending on the storage period of the mineral-rich salt. The relationships between salt intake and changes in blood pressure, serum lipids, and serum mineral concentrations were then examined. The results showed that intake of SS2, which is stored for five years, and BS (bamboo salt) resulted in continuous delay of the increase in blood pressure and inhibited angiotensin–converting enzyme (ACE) activity. In addition, a significant decrease in the triglyceride level in serum lipids of approximately 30% was observed in the SS2 group compared to the PS (purified salt) group. However, all salt intake groups showed an increase in total cholesterol levels compared to the normal group. The results demonstrate that intake of mineral-rich salt is beneficial for the human body and results in reduced blood pressure and triglyceride levels in serum lipids, however, conduct of more research will be needed in order to explore other functions.

The antimutagenic effects of juices and methanol extracts from cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, red cabbage, Korean cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, radish root, leafy radish, rape leaves and shepherd's purse) on the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) were studied using Salmonella assay system. In the case of juices from the cruciferous vegetables, the juices of cabbage, kale, cauliflower and radish root in the concentrations of 50, 200 and 500 ul/plate considerably decreased the mutagenicity induced by AFB₁, and the juices of cabbage and broccoli in the concentrations of 200 and 500 ul/plate significantly reduced the mutagenicity induced by MNNG. The antimutagenic activities of the juices against AFB₁ were stronger than those against MNNG. In the case of methanol extracts from the cruciferous vegetables, the methanol extracts of kale, broccoli and shepherd's purse appeared to inhibit the mutagenicity induced by AFB₁ and MNNG in Salmonella typhim,urium test strains. The effects of the juices against mutagens quite different from ones of the methanol extracts. The juice of cabbage showed antimutagenicity, but its methanol extract was less effective. However, both juices and methanol extracts from kale and broccoli exhibited strong antimutagenic activities against the mutagens.

The removal of residual captan in carrot and kale by storage temperatures and the addition of condiments was investigated. The quantities of residual captan after sticking and drying of captan in carrot and kale were 0.958 and 26.12 ppm, respectively. During storage of 20 days at 15, 3 and -17℃, the levels of the residual captan in carrot decreased to 0.008 (removal rate: 99.2%), 0.228(76.2%) and 0.380 ppm (60.3%), and those in kale decreased to 1.21 (95.4%), 7.72 (70.5%) and 15.06 ppm (42.3%), respectively. The higher removal rate of residual captan was observed at the higher storage temperatures. When the condiments of soy sauce, green onion, garlic and vinegar added to the carrot which contaminated with the captan and then stored at 15℃ for 24hrs, the residual levels of captan decreased to 0.207 (removal rate: 78.4%), 0.196 (79.5%), 0.164 (82.8%) and 0.209 ppm (78.2%), respectively, showing the garlic was the most effective. However, the residual levels in kale were 2.27 (91.3%), 12.70 (51.4%), 16.42 (37.1%) and 13.70 ppm (47.5%), respectively under the same condition, indicating the soy sauce was the most effective. The removal rates of residual captan in carrot and kale were significantly higher with the addition of the condiments than those of the controls that without the condiments.

The antimutagenic effects of 46 kinds of medicinal plants that have been used as traditional folk antitumor agents in Korea were studied by using Ames mutagenicity teat. Most of the methanolic extracts from the plants which were used in this experiment showed strong antimutagenic activity toward atlatoxin B₁(AFB₁) in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98. However, N-methyl-N'-vitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced mutagenicity was not blocked by adding the methanolic extracts of the plants except persimmon leaves (Diospyros kaki Thunberg) and Elaeagnus umbellata.

Gochujang, a traditional Korean food, is fermented by mixing red pepper powder, various grain, meju and salt. Changes in the kind of ingredients and fermentation method could increase health functionalities. In this study, in vivo anti-colitis effects of gochujang prepared with mixed grains, bamboo salt baked 3 times and meju starters on DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice were studied. We prepared gochujang prepared with mixed grains (MG), bamboo salt, and Aspergillus oryzae (A) and Baccillus subtilis (B) mixed starters (MG-AB) and gochujang prepared with MG, bamboo salt and A, B and Lactobacillus plantarum (L) mixed starters (MG-ABL). MG-AB and MG-ABL significantly increased body weight and colon length compared to the control (p<0.05). MG-ABL showed significantly decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in serum compared to the control and MG-AB group (p<0.05). MG-ABL also regulated mRNA and protein levels of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) in the mice colon tissue (p<0.05). Therefore, MG-ABL exhibited the increased anticolitis effects by inhibiting damage of colon tissue, probably by regulating a pro-inflammatory cytokine of IL-6 and regulated apoptosis related genes. These results indicated that gochujang changed with good ingredients and starters had colitis preventive effects and might be due to active compounds in mixed grain and bamboo salt, and produced by L during the fermentation of gochujang.

본 연구에서는 한국산 봄배추와 일본산 봄배추의 품질특 성과 기능성을 살펴보고, 이 배추를 이용하여 김치를 제조 한 후 5℃에서 4주 동안 발효하여 이화학적 특성 및in vitro 건강 기능성의 차이를 살펴보았다. 품질특성으로 수분함량, pH, 산도, 총균수, Lactobacillus sp.의 수, Leuconostoc sp.의 수, 조직감, 관능평가를 실시하였으며 적숙기에서의 항산화, in vitro 항암 기능성 실험을 하였다. 일본산 배추는 97.1%의 수분을 함유하였고 한국산 배추는 92.4%의 수분 을 함유한 것으로 나타나 일본산배추가 한국산 배추에 비해 높은 수분을 함유하고 있었다. 생배추와 절임배추에서 한 국산 배추가 일본산 배추보다 탄력성이 높았고 4주간 숙성 한 김치의 탄력성은 한국산 김치가 53.5%로, 일본산 김치 (41.4%)보다 월등히 높은 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 한국산 배추로 제조하여 발효한 김치는 총균수는 낮으면서 젖산균 인 Lactobacillus sp.와 Leuconostoc sp.의 수는 높게 나타났 다. 관능평가에서 한국산 배추로 제조한 김치의 관능적 만 족도가 높게 평가되었다. 발효 3주차의 김치를 이용하여 DPPH radical 소거능을 측정한 결과 한국산 배추로 제조한 김치는 83.2%, 일본산 배추로 제조한 김치는 46.1%로 한국 산 배추로 제조한 김치에서 약 2배 정도 높은 DPPH radical 소거효과를 나타냈다. AGS 인체 위암세포에 김치의 메탄 올 추출물을 1 mg/mL의 농도로 처리했을 때 한국산 배추로 제조한 김치는 45%, 일본산 배추로 제조한 김치는 26%의 암세포 성장 저해율을 나타냈고, 2 mg/mL의 농도에서는 각각 97%, 74%의 암세포 성장 저해율을 나타내어 한국산 배추로 제조한 김치에서 저해 효과가 높은 것으로 나타났 다. 결국 한국산 배추의 품질이 우수하고 이로 제조한 김치 가 일본산 배추로 제조한 김치보다 품질이 우수하고 더 높은 항산화 및 항암기능성(AGS 위암세포)을 나타내었다.