• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1270-1279
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• 2011

Bealmijang is a short-term aged paste made from meju, which is a brick of fermented soybeans and other ingredients. Different types of bealmijang are available depending on the geographic region or ingredients used. However, no study has clarified the microbial diversity of these types. We identified 17 and 14 fungal species from black soybean meju (BSM) and buckwheat meju (BWM), respectively, on the basis of morphology, culture characteristics, and internal transcribed spacer and ${\beta}$-tubulin gene sequencing. In both meju, Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oryzae, Penicillium polonicum, P. steckii, Cladosporium tenuissimum, C. cladosporioides, C. uredinicola, and yeast species Pichia burtonii were commonly found. Moreover, A. flavus, A. niger, P. crustosum, P. citrinum, Eurotium niveoglaucum, Absidia corymbifera, Setomelanomma holmii, Cladosporium spp. and unclassified species were identified from BSM. A. clavatus, Mucor circinelloides, M. racemosus, P. brevicompactum, Davidiella tassiana, and Cladosporium spp. were isolated from BWM. Fast growing Zygomycetous fungi is considered important for the early stage of meju fermentation, and A. oryae and A. niger might play a pivotal role in meju fermentation owing to their excellent enzyme productive activities. It is supposed that Penicillium sp. and Pichia burtonii could contribute to the flavor of the final food products. Identification of this fungal diversity will be useful for understanding the microbiota that participate in meju fermentation, and these fungal isolates can be utilized in the fermented foods and biotechnology industries.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 1974

62 specimens of deteriorated rice which were collected all over Korea, were classified according to their color outlooks, and the causitive microorganisms were isolated and identified. The following results were observed; 1. 62 specimens of deteriorated rice were classified according to color outlooks into 7 types; reddish yellow, light reddish yellow, light gray yellow, light reddish yellow, light gray yellow, light red, ligt gray, dark gray and rice weevil type. 2. The isolated microorganisms from 62 specimens of deteriorated rice were 44 species, 5 genera of molds, 1 species of yeast, and 14 species, 4 genera of bacteria. 3. The frequently observed microorganisms which caused the deterioration were Asp. glaucus group, Asp. oryzae, Asp. candidus, and Asp. versicolor. Among bacteria, Bacillus was dominant. 4. The relationship between color outlook types and the deterioration causing microrrganisms was not definite, but Pen. islandicum from reddish yellow, Asp. candidus and Asp. clavatus from light reddish yellow, Asp. glaucus group, Asp. candidus, Asp. versicolor and Asp. fumigatus from light red, Asp. oryzae from light gray yellow, and Asp. glaucus group and Pencillium species from light gray and dark gray were chiefly isolated. 5. As mycotoxin producing fungi, Asp. fumigatus, Pen. citrinum, Pen. islandicum, Asp. flavus, and Asp. ochraceus were detected, but their growth frequencies were not very high to be problems except Pen, islandicum which infected an imported rice sample heavily.