We isolated Lactobacillus plantarum LBP-K10 from the traditional Korean fermented food kimchi. When organic acids were removed, the culture filtrate of this isolate showed high antiviral activity (measured using a plaque-forming assay) against the influenza A (H3N2) virus. Two fractions that were active against influenza A virus were purified from the culture filtrate using a C18 column with high-performance liquid chromatography. These active fractions were crystallized and identified to be the cyclic dipeptides cis-cyclo (l-Leu-l-Pro) and cis-cyclo(l-Phe-l-Pro) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; this identification was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. These cyclic dipeptides were identified in the culture filtrate of other lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacillus spp., Leuconostoc spp., Weissella spp., and Lactococcus lactis.

Lactobacillus plantarum LBP-K10 was identified to be the most potent antifungal strain from Korean traditional fermented vegetables. The culture filtrate of this strain showed remarkable antifungal activity against Ganoderma boninense. Five fractions from the culture filtrate were observed to have an inhibitory effect against G. boninense. Also, the electron ionization and chemical ionization indicated that these compounds might be cyclic dipeptides. Of the five active fractions, two fractions showed the most significant anti-Ganoderma activity, and one of these fractions inhibited the growth of Candida albicans. These compounds were identified to be cis-cyclo(l-Val-l-Pro) and cis-cyclo(l-Phe-l-Pro), as confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

This research empirically tested a theoretical model by defining senior customers’ intentions to use robot service restaurants emerging in South Korea. Non-face-to-face services have become increasingly important for seniors. Therefore, restaurant marketers should cater to senior customers’ needs by sustaining robot service restaurants. The study analyzed 243 questionnaires to verify the reliability and validity of the measurement items. The research hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The suggested model comprised three stages: motivated consumer innovativeness (MCI), perceived value, and planned behavior (attitude, intention to use). The results revealed that senior customers’ perceived values positively influenced attitude and were enhanced by hedonically MCI (hMCI) and socially MCI. Moreover, the hedonic and social elements of motivation improved the attitude and usage intentions of robot service restaurants for senior customers. However, these relationships differed in terms of the income level of the customer groups. For the low-income senior-level group, hMCI was more influential on the perceived value. This study is meaningful because it analyzes the effect of MCI of seniors on the perceived value of robot service restaurants, which are growing rapidly in South Korea. It has empirically proved the moderating effect of different income groups, providing practical implications.

Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides play a prominent role as functional starters and predominant isolates in the production of various types of antimicrobial compound-containing fermented foods, especially including kimchi. In the case of the bioactive cyclic dipeptides, their racemic diastereomers inhibitory to bacteria and fungi have been suggested to come solely from Lactobacillus spp. of these strains. We previously demonstrated the antifungal and antiviral activities of proline-based cyclic dipeptides, which were fractionated from culture filtrates of Lb. plantarum LBP-K10 originated from kimchi. However, cyclic dipeptides have not been identified in the filtrates, either from cultures or fermented subject matter, driven by Ln. mesenteroides, which have been widely used as starter cultures for kimchi fermentation. Most importantly, the experimental verification of cyclic dipeptide-content changes during kimchi fermentation have also not been elucidated. Herein, the antibacterial fractions, including cyclo(Leu-Pro) and cyclo(Phe-Pro), from Ln. mesenteroides LBP-K06 culture filtrates, which exhibited a typical chromatographic retention behavior (tR), were identified by using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Based on this finding, the proline-based cyclic dipeptides, including cyclo(Ser-Pro), cyclo(Tyr-Pro), and cyclo(Leu-Pro), were additionally identified in the filtrates only when fermenting Chinese cabbage produced with Ln. mesenteroides LBP-K06 starter cultures. The detection and isolation of cyclic dipeptides solely in controlled fermented cabbage were conducted under the control of fermentation-process parameters concomitantly with strong CDP selectivity by using a two-consecutive-purification strategy. Interestingly, cyclic dipeptides in the filtrates, when using this strain as a starter, increased with fermentation time. However, no cyclic dipeptides were observed in the filtrates of other fermented products, including other types of kimchi and fermented materials of plant and animal origin. This is the first report to conclusively demonstrate evidence for the existence of antimicrobial cyclic dipeptides produced by Ln. mesenteroides in kimchi. Through filtrates from lactic acid bacterial cultures and from fermented foods, we have also proved a method of combining chromatographic fractionation and mass spectrometry-based analysis for screening cyclic dipeptide profiling, which may allow evaluation of the fermented dairy foods from a new perspective.