Buffering Effects of Calcium Salts in Kimchi: Lowering Acidity, Elevating Lactic Acid Bacterial Population and Dextransucrase Activity

This study investigates the buffering effects of calcium salts in kimchi on the total acidity, microbial population, and dextransucrase activity. Calcium chloride or calcium carbonate was added to dongchimi-kimchi, a watery radish kimchi, and the effects on various biochemical attributes were analyzed. The addition of 0.1% calcium chloride produced a milder decrease in the pH after 24 days of incubation, which allowed the lactic acid bacteria to survive longer than in the control. In particular, the heterofermentative Leuconostoc genus population was 10-fold higher than that in the control. When sucrose and maltose were also added along with the calcium salts, the dextransucrase activity in the kimchi was elevated and a higher concentration of isomaltooligosaccharides was synthesized when compared with the control. Calcium chloride was determined as a better activator compound of dextransucrase than calcium carbonate, probably because of its higher solubility. Therefore, the results of this study confirm the ability of the proposed approach to modulate the kimchi fermentation process and possibly enhance the quality of kimchi based on the addition of dietary calcium salts.