Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of solar salt brined kimchi.

Salt is an essential ingredient in the kimchi fermentation process. Solar salt has antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity properties. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of solar salt brined kimchi. Purified salt (PS), dehydrated solar salt (DSS), 1-year aged solar salt (SS1), and 3-years aged solar salt (SS3) were investigated. Anti-inflammatory effects were determined by analyzing cytotoxicity, nitric oxide (NO) production, and inflammation-related gene expression in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 cells. Antioxidant activities of DSS, SS1, and SS3 were higher than that of PS. Solar salt significantly inhibited NO production with low cytotoxicity and decreased inflammation-related gene expression. Kimchi containing solar salt (DSSK, SS1K, and SS3K) showed higher antioxidant activity than PSK. Additionally, DSSK, SS1K, and SS3K significantly inhibited NO production and decreased the expression of inflammation-related genes. Owing to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, using solar salt in kimchi preparation could have potential health benefits.