ABSTRACT

Fermentation is one of the oldest and most economical techniques applied in food preservation and processing. Numerous previous studies have revealed a vast diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), being primarily Gram-positive lactic acid-producing bacteria, in naturally fermented foods made in different parts of the world (Altay et al. 2013; Anukam and Reid 2009; González et al. 2007; Murooka and Yamshita 2008; Satish Kumar et al. 2013; Xiong et al. 2013). To date, approximately 23 genera in bacterial taxonomy have been identied from the LAB, such as Bidobacterium, Diplococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leucomostoc, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Peptostreptococcus, and Streptococcus, of which Lactobacillus is the most important genus in food industry worldwide. In the Lactobacillus genus, diverse species and strains have been isolated and characterized in various Chinese traditional fermented products based on conventional phenotypic and biochemical properties and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, including Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bidus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus ker. This review is aimed to summarize the diversity of LAB in major Chinese traditional fermented foods and their benecial effects on human health.