Understanding the targeted metabolites and molecular structure of starch in Kimchi according to glutinous rice paste content during fermentation

This study identified and quantified the sugar-related metabolites and analyzed the structural features of starch in kimchi added with various concentrations of glutinous rice paste during fermentation. The pH values and total bacterial counts indicated that the fermentation of kimchi with 10% glutinous rice paste progressed more quickly than that of kimchi with other rice paste concentrations. The addition of glutinous rice pastes to kimchi resulted in increased glucose and decreased fructose contents during fermentation compared to the control kimchi. Maltose content increased significantly with increasing glutinous rice paste concentrations. The average chain length distribution of starch in kimchi decreased with increasing proportions of short chains as fermentation progressed. However, the average chain length distribution of starch increased with increasing glutinous rice paste concentration in kimchi. Our results confirmed that the sugar-related metabolites and starch structural changes were highly influenced by the added starch paste concentration.