Antibiotics from Kimchi

[Guest guest]

Well, some of us already figured this out<G>. Actually there seem to be

several antibiotics and food preservatives that they've isolated

from kimchi (and kefir). The antibiotic won't be available for 5 years

or so, but in any case it seems like one could just eat the kimchi ...

............................................

Tech Developed to Extract Antibiotics From Kimchi

By Park Chung-a

Staff Reporter

Korean scientists have developed technology that can extract an antibiotic from

kimchi, the nation's well-known side dish of pickled cabbage.

Kang Sa-ouk, a microbiology professor at Seoul National University, and his

research team on Monday announced they have found a method that enables mass

production of antimicrobial peptides by cultivating Pediococcus pentosaceus,

lactic ferments from kimchi, in vegetable containers. The research was sponsored

by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Professor Kang's research team completed a draft of the genome of pentosaceus

separated from kimchi, with venture companies such as Cellbiotech and Green Gene

Biotech. The research team explained that in the process of analyzing genetic

information of the lactic ferments (Pediococcus pentosaceus) from kimchi, they

could discover the existence of a unique antibiotic called Pediocin, an

antimicrobial peptide secreted by Pediococcus pentosaceus.

The research team claimed that the culture fluid of pentosaceus can prevent and

eliminate harmful bacilli, including Helicobacter, the cause of gastritis, and

Listeria, and Shigella sonnei, which cause food poisoning.

``As the antibiotic substance from the food is nontoxic and safe for human

bodies, the antibiotics extracted from kimchi heightens the possibility of

inventing a new medical cure that can replace the current antibiotics which have

the problems of being toxic and resistant,'' said the professor Kang.

``This will help solve major problems of the food industry regarding food

poisoning and the handling of antiseptic substances and antibiotics,'' he added.

However, according to the research team, it will take some time for the new

antibiotic to be approved for medical use for the general public.

``We will go through additional research in order for people to use the

substance for medical purposes. It is expected to take at least five years,''

professor Kang said.

The germ-killing agent can also be used to produce safer preservatives for foods

and animal feed.

The research team will file for a patent on the technology with the government.

They will apply for an international patent after obtaining domestic protection.

Copyrightc Hankooki.com

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200408/kt2004083019012511810.htm

Heidi Jean