To increase, antimutagenic and anticancer effects of Kimchi chitosan was used as an added subingredient to the kimchi. One % chitosanoligosaccharide added kimchi in seasonings (COS-SK), 1% chitosanoligosaccharide added kimchi in brine (COS-BK), 1% water soluble chitosan added kimchi in seasonings (WSC-SK) and 1% water soluble chitosan added kimchi in brine (WSC-BK) were prepared. Kimchis were fermented at 15^oC to reach optimum pH of 4.3. Chemopreventive effects of methanol extract from chitosan added kimchi were investigated in Ames test, SOS chromotest, MTT assay and in vivo micronucleus test. Water soluble chitosan and chitosanoligosaccharide added kimchi exhibited higher inhibitory activities against the mutagenicities induced by N-methyl- N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 than the standardized kimchi. Especially, COS-SK showed the highest inhibitory effect. MNNG- induced SOS response of the E. coli PQ37 was also blocked by chitosan added kimchi. COS-SK showed the highest antimutagenic effect against MNNG in the SOS chromotest. Anticancer effect of the chitosan added kimchi was also investigated in MTT assay by using AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. COS-SK and WSC-BK showed the highest anticancer effect (p＜0.05). To investigate anticlastogenic effect of chitosanoliogasaccharide and the kimchis in mice, supravital staining of micronucleus assay using mouse peripheral reticulocytes was performed. Chitosanoligosaccharide itself and chitosanoligosaccharide added kimchi revealed higer anticlastogenic effect than SK in mice against mitomycin C. These results indicated that chitosan addition increased chemopreventive effect of the kimchi.

Keywords: Kimchi, Chitosan, Chitosanoligosaccharide, Ames test, MTT assay, Micronucleus assay