The fermentation characteristics of pH, acidity and lactic acid bacterial counts in kimchi and further chemopreventive activity of the kimchi were studied when the kimchi prepared with different kinds of salt (Chunil salt (C), Bamboo salt (B), Gueun salt (G) and KCl) and fermented at 15^oC. In the change of pH and acidity of the kimchi, compared to the C-C kimchi (C used for salting the cabbage and then C added again to the premixture of kimchi) B-KCl kimchi (B used for salting the cabbage and then KCl added to the premixture of kimchi) and G-KCl kimchi (G used for salting the cabbage and then KCl added to the premixture of kimchi) changed slowly, indicating increased preservation period. The counts of Leuconostoc sp. were high in C-C kimchi, B-B kimchi (B used for salting the cabbage and then B added again to the premixture of kimchi) and G-G kimchi (G used for salting the cabbage and then G added again to the premixture of kimchi) at 4 day, but in B-KCl kimchi and G-KCl kimchi at 6 day. KCl added kimchis maintained same or slightly higher level of Leuconostoc sp. compared to the other kimchis. Lactobacillus sp. counts increased gradually in C-C kimchi, B-B kimchi and G-G kimchi but the increase in B-KCl kimchi and G-KCl kimchi was low. The antimutagenic activities of the kimchi juices were studied by Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA100. Among the kimchi samples, B-KCl kimchi and G-KCl kimchi significantly reduced (p＜0.05) the mutagenicities induced by aflatoxin B1(AFB1). Anticancer effect of the kimchi juices was also investigated in MTT assay by using AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. B-KCl kimchi and G-KCl kimchi showed the highest anticancer effect (p＜0.05). In this study KCl added kimchis, B-KCl kimchi and G-KCl kimchi using processed salts for salting the cabbage increase preservation period of the kimchi and specifically inhibit the growth of Lactobacillus sp. and increase chemopreventive effect of the kimchi.

Keywords: Kimchi, Salt, KCl, Ames test, MTT assay