Culture-dependent and -independent analysis of bacterial community structure in Jiangshui, a traditional Chinese fermented vegetable food

The bacterial community structure of Jiangshui, a traditional Chinese fermented vegetable food, was investigated using a culture-dependent method combined with culture-independent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from Jiangshui were closely related (>99% 16S rDNA sequence similarity) to three Lactobacillus species—L. brevis, L. plantarum, and L. parabuchneri. DGGE analysis revealed that diverse LAB species belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Weissella are the dominant bacteria involved in Jiangshui fermentation and that the bacterial community varied between Jiangshui samples fermented with or without starter culture at different locations. Potential pathogenic species were detected in Jiangshui samples fermented without starter culture, suggesting the necessary of using starter culture for Jiangshui fermentation to improve food safety. Furthermore, the Jiangshui bacterial community was clearly distinct from that of Suancai and Paocai, showing that unique bacterial community is involved in Jiangshui fermentation. The study identified diverse, previously undetected species in Jiangshui. These findings advance the current understanding of the microorganisms present in Jiangshui and provide a theoretical basis for improving the safety and quality of Jiangshui fermentation.