• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.288-295
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• 2010

Ginsenosides are the principal components responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities of ginseng. Ginsenoside Rd was transformed into compound K using cell-free extracts of food microorganisms, with Lactobacillus pentosus DC101 isolated from kimchi (traditional Korean fermented food) used for this conversion. The optimum time for the conversion was about 72 h at a constant pH of 7.0 and an optimum temperature of about $30^{\circ}C$. The transformation products were identified by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, and their structures were assigned using nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Generally, ginsenoside Rd was converted into ginsenoside F2 by 36 h post-reaction. Consequently, over 97% of ginsenoside Rd was decomposed and converted into compound K by 72 h post-reaction. The bioconversion pathway to produce compound K is as follows: ginsenoside Rd$\rightarrow$ginsenoside F2$\rightarrow$compound K.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.12
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• pp.1835-1842
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• 2014

Various microorganisms are involved in the fermentation of Mageoli, Korean traditional liquor. Among them, the most predominant microorganism is yeast, including Saccharomyces cerevisae. This study investigated the effects of crude polysaccharides separated from Mageoli mash (CP-M) on activation of peritoneal macrophages in cell culture medium. Four types of yeasts, S. cerevisae 89-1-1, 98-2, 268-3, and 113-4, were used. When peritoneal macrophages were treated with $10{\mu}g/mL$ of CP-M fermented with S. cerevisae 113-4, the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in the medium was highest ($33.3{\mu}M$). The concentrations of IL-6 and -12 were also highest at 116.3 pg/mL and 59.8 pg/mL, respectively. In the case of CP-M cultured at 15, 20, and $30^{\circ}C$ after inoculation with S. cerevisae 113-4 and fermented at different temperatures, production of NO and IL-6 by peritoneal macrophages did not change compared to the control. For CP-M obtained after fermentation at $25^{\circ}C$, however, NO concentration increased 2.7~3.3 fold and IL-6 concentration by 5.7 fold compared to the control. Furthermore, the effect of fermentation period on expression of CP-M functionality was examined. NO production by CP-M of the 5th day mash was highest, increasing 2.2 fold compared to 0-day CP-M. However, there were no significant differences in concentration of IL-6 or -12 according to different fermentation periods, although CP-M showed a large decrease after 10 days. The results show that fermentation conditions with the highest activity were observed in CP-M inoculated with S. cerevisae 113-4 and fermented at $25^{\circ}C$ for 5 days. CP-M consisted of 78.6% neutral sugar, 11.6% acidic polysaccharide, and 9.8% protein. In particular, the sugar composition of neutral sugar consisted of mannose (47.8%), glucose (29.6%), and galactose (12.7%). Based on the results, CP-M is assumed to be an extracellular polysaccharide originating in yeast with high mannose content.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.196-201
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• 2012

Microorganisms, having the lower decarboxylase activity, among the isolated strains from $cheonggukjang$ and rice-straw in this study were selected by using biogenic amine (BA) media. The selected strains were identified as $Bacillus$ $subtilis$ HH12, $B.$ $subtilis$ HR254, and $Paenibacillus$ $barcinonensis$ KR97, by using 16S rRNA analysis. PCR analysis showed that the histidine decarboxylase ($hdc$) gene was absent in the HH12, HR254, and KR97 strains. However, PCR analysis showed that the tyrosine decarboxylase ($tdc$) gene was present in the HH12, HR254, and KR97 strains. Quantitative analysis of the selected strains by using high-performance liquid chromatography showed that histamine was absent in the HH12, HR254, and KR97 strains. However, these 3 strains showed tyramine concentrations of 6.09, 3.68, and 6.30 mg/L, respectively. These strains produced lower concentrations of amines (approximately 7.9, 0, and 9.3% amines in the HH12, HR254, and KR97 strains, respectively) than the $B.$ $subtilis$ MC138 strain, which showed the higher protease activity.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.603-610
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• 2006

Korean traditional soy paste (Doenjang) was fermented using Meju prepared by the culture of wild microorganisms in steamed soy beans. During the fermentation, changes in the physicochemical and several functional properties were monitored. Total acidity and amino acidity increased from 0.09 to 0.96, and 2.24% to 3.28% respectively, Amylase and protease activities increased and showed the maximal level after 60 days of fermentation, which were 4.03 and 7.29 units/ml, respectively. However, both enzyme activities decreased after then. The inhibitory activities against tyrosinase and angiotensin converting enzyme increased and reached 20.57 and 38.18% respectively. Antimutagenic activities against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitiosoguanidine and 4-nitro-O-phenylenediamine (NPD) increased for 90 days and roached 70.21 and 60.01% in S. enterica serovar Typhimurium TA100, respectively. Against NPD and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, the antimutagenic activities also increased and reached 50.91 and 46.35% in the strain TA98, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.515-520
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• 2013

Bacterial communities derived from cheonggukjang and raw rice straw collected from a Mireuksan farm and a Heungup cheonggukjang in Gangwon province were investigated using both culture-based method and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. Pure cultures, which were isolated from raw rice straw and cheonggukjang and cultured on tryptic soy agar plates (53-76 colonies per plate), were identified by analysis of 16S rRNA sequences. The traditional culture-based method and analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA by DGGE revealed that for samples collected from the Mireuksan farm, Pantoea agglomerans and Bacillus subtilis were the predominant species in the raw rice-straw and cheonggukjang, respectively. For samples collected from the Heungup cheonggukjang, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was the predominant species in both raw rice straw and cheonggukjang. Other microorganisms, including members of Pantoea, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Acinetobacter, were also present in the raw rice-straw and cheonggukjang, as were bacteria that could not be cultured.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.254-263
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• 2024

Korean jang is a food made using fermented soybeans, and the typical products include gochujang (GO), doenjang (DO), cheonggukjang (CH), and ganjang (GA). In this study, 16S rRNA metagenome analysis was performed on a total of 200 types of GO, DO, CH, and GA using next-generation sequencing to analyze the microbial community of fermented soybean foods and compare taxonomic (biomarker) differences. Alpha diversity analysis showed that in the CHAO index, the species richness index tended to be significantly higher compared to the DO and GA groups (p<0.001). The results of the microbial distribution analysis of the GO, DO, CH, and GA products showed that at the order level, Bacillales was the most abundant in the GO, DO, and CH groups, but Lactobacillales was most abundant in the GA group. Linear discriminant analysis effect (LEfSe) analysis was used to identify biomarkers at the family and species levels. Leuconostocaceae, Thermoactinomycetaceae, Bacillaceae, and Enterococcaceae appeared as biomarkers at the family level, and Bacillus subtilis, Kroppenstedtia sanguinis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Tetragenococcus halophilus appeared at the species level. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the microbial community structure of the GO, DO, CH, and GA groups (p=0.001), and the microbial community structure of the GA group showed the greatest difference. This study clarified the correlation between the characteristics of Korean fermented foods and microbial community distribution, enhancing knowledge of microorganisms participating in the fermentation process. These results could be leveraged to improve the quality of fermented soybean foods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.1051-1059
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• 2020

Overproduction and accumulation of melanin in the skin will darken the skin and cause skin disorders. So far, components that can inhibit tyrosinase, a melanin synthase of melanocytes, have been developed and used as ingredients of cosmetics or pharmaceutical products. However, most of existing substances can only inhibit the biosynthesis of melanin while melanin that is already synthesized and deposited is not directly decomposed. Thus, their effects in decreasing melanin concentration in the skin are weak. To overcome the limitation of existing therapeutic agents, we started to develop a substance that could directly biodegrade melanin. We screened traditional fermented food microorganisms for their abilities to direct biodegrade melanin. As a result, we found that a kimchi-derived Pediococcus acidilactici PMC48 had a direct melanin-degrading effect. This PMC48 strain is a new strain, different from P. acidilactici strains reported so far. It not only directly degrades melanin, but also has tyrosinase-inhibiting effect. It has a direct melanin-decomposition effect. It exceeds existing melanin synthesis-inhibiting technology. It is expected to be of high value as a raw material for melanin degradation drugs and cosmetics.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.210-224
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• 2018

Warqe (Ensete ventricosum) has been traditionally fermented in an earthen pit to yield a carbohydrate-rich food product named kocho, for generations. A fermentation enhancer (gammaa) was added to this fermenting mass to enhance the fermentation process. The objectives of this study were to assess the physicochemical properties and microbiota of the kocho fermentation enhancer culture to reduce losses. Cross-sectional study design was implemented to collect 131 gammaa samples on the first day of fermentation. The samples were further classified into four groups according to the duration of fermentation (14, 21, 30, and 60 days) practised in various households traditionally. The results showed that the fermentation time significantly affected the physicochemical properties and microbial load of gammaa (p < 0.01). As the fermentation progressed from day 1 to 60, the pH decreased and the titratable acidity increased. The total coliform, Enterobacteriaceae, aerobicmesophilic bacteria (AMB), yeast, and mould counts were significantly reduced at the end of fermentation. In contrast, the number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) increased significantly until day 30 of fermentation, because of the ability of the LAB to grow at low pH. Lactobacillus species from LAB isolates and Enter obacteriaceae from AMB isolates were the most abundant microorganisms in gammaa fermentation. However, the Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacilli species count showed decreasing and increasing trends, respectively, as the fermentation progressed. These isolates must be investigated further to identify the species and strain, so as to develop gammaa at the commercial scale.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.583-588
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• 2002

Two microorganisms isolated from soybean curd residue (biji) were identified as Enterococcus faecium (51% homology) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (99.5% homology) by using gram positive identification (GPI) card and API 50 CHL kit, respectively. Ent. faecium grew well in micronized full-fat soyflour (MFS) milk, indicating pH 4.9, 0.38% acidity and 1.8$\times$10$^{9}$ CFU/$m\ell$ of viable cell counts after fermentation for 20 hr. L. rhamnosus LL showed pH 6.5 and 4.6$\times$10$^{8}$ CFU/$m\ell$ viable cell counts, but enhanced acid production in MFS milk mixture fortified with skim milk or by the addition of 1% of glucose and lactose. On the other hand, Ent. faecium LL did not show increased acid production in MFS/skim milk and MFS milk fortified with sugar. The MFS/skim milk fermented by L. rhmnosus LS and Ent. faecium LL showed 600 mg% and 350 mg% lactic acid, respectively.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.397-406
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• 2011

To industrialize meju, four kinds of meju (Korean-style soybean koji) were made with humidity-controlled fermentation for 12 days at $28^{\circ}C$ after they were inoculated with selected strains such as Aspergillus otyzae (AO meju), Aspergillus sojae (AS meju), combined Aspergillus sojae and Bacillus subtilis (ASBS meju), and combined Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis (AOBS meju) as starter microorganisms. The changes in the quality characteristics in the four kinds of meju were investigated during fermentation. Their enzyme activities were compared with those of the traditional meju that is made in Sunchang Folk Village according to the traditional method. In the meju that were inoculated with selective strains, the aerobic bacteria counts and mold counts exceeded 8 log cfu/g and 6 log cfu/g respectively, which were the highest fermentation values after 2 days. The aerobic bacteria counts were maintained from 2-day to the 12-day fermentation. The mold counts tended to decreased gradually after the 2-day fermentation. The amino-type nitrogen contents reached 430.5-577.5 mg%, which were the highest values after 2-day fermentation. The neutral protease activities of these mejus had the highest levels in the following order: traditional meju, $1,258.0{\pm}38.8$; AS meju, $1,238.3{\pm}38.6$; AO meju. $1,204.1{\pm}24.1$; ASBS meju, $1,040.6{\pm}10.6$; and AOBS meju, $1,033.5{\pm}11.2$ unit/g. The acidic protease activities of these meju had the highest levels in the following order: AO meju, $1,030.1{\pm}19.1$, traditional meju, $1,007.7{\pm}30.5$; AS meju, $990.9{\pm}25.0$; AOBS meju, $910.9{\pm}15.3$; and ASBS meju, $888.2{\pm}15.7$ unit/g.