Abstract:To screen for excellent strains suitable for sauerkraut fermentation, 19 lactic acid bacteria were isolated and purified from traditional sauerkraut in Guizhou. Firstly, a preliminary screening was carried out based on acid production capacity and growth conditions, and then a secondary screening was carried out based on the nitrite degradation ability, acid tolerance, viscosity production and hydrogen sulfide production properties. The results showed that the overall performance of the strain RS11 exhibited the best: its nitrite degradation rate was 98.8%, it exhibited optimal tolerance at pH 3.50, and produced neither viscosity nor hydrogen sulfide. Safety evaluation showed that RS11 had no hemolytic activity; showed tolerance to streptomycin and kanamycin, showed moderate sensitivity to tetracycline, vancomycin and erythromycin, and was sensitive to chloramphenicol, ampicillin and gentamicin. It was identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum through 16S rDNA sequencing. It underwent homolactic fermentation, utilized all tested carbohydrates, exhibited rapid growth and acid production: It entered the logarithmic growth phase within 2 h, reached the stationary phase by 12 h, and reduced the pH to 3.98 within 12 h. The inoculation and fermentation results showed that compared with traditional natural fermentation, the fermentation cycle can be shortened from 7 days to 2 days by using RS11, and the peak nitrite content during the fermentation process is only 0.62 mg·kg-1. In summary, the local Lactobacillus plantarum RS11 screened from the traditional sauerkraut fermentation system has excellent fermentation characteristics and safe regulation functions, and is an excellent strain suitable for sauerkraut production.