• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.208-216
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• 2019

Leuconostoc spp. are generally utilized as kimchi starters, because these strains are expected to have beneficial effects on kimchi fermentation, including improvement of sensory characteristics. Here, we developed a detection method for verifying the presence of the kimchi starter Leuconostoc mesenteroides WiKim33, which is used for control of kimchi fermentation. A primer set for multiplex polymerase chain reaction was designed based on the nucleotide sequence of the plasmids in strain WiKim33, and their specificity was validated against 45 different strains of Leuconostoc spp. and 30 other strains. Furthermore, the starter strain consistently tested positive, regardless of the presence of other bacterial species in starter kimchi during the fermentation period. Our findings showed that application of a strain-specific primer set for strain WiKim33 presented a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for detection of this kimchi starter strain during natural kimchi fermentation.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.546-560
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• 2013

In this study, a natural fermentation starter formulation was developed for manufacturing Korean bread products by substituting baker's yeast with naturally fermented blueberry starters. As the incubation time of the blueberry extracts increased, the pH and total titratable acidity increased. The sweetness (brix%) of blueberry extracts containing various amounts of sugar were higher than the other sample. The result of alcoholicity for naturally fermented blueberry extracts, the fermented blueberry extract containing 20% sugar was highest. Lactic acid bacteria counts increased until the 4th day; however, it decreased from the 5th day, and viable yeast counts increased consistently until the 5th day. The volume for naturally fermented blueberry extracts increased as the incubation time increased. As the fermentation time of blueberry starters increased, the pH of bread dough decreased. The RVA analysis conveyed that wheat flour retrogradation was retarded by increasing the blueberry starter content. The weight of pan breads containing blueberry starters were higher than that of the control, while the volume, specific volume and baking loss rate were lower than those of the control. The moisture content of pan breads containing blueberry starter decreased as storage time increased. In analyzing the visible mold colony during 7 days of storage at $28^{\circ}C$, mold growth in pan breads containing the blueberry starter was retarded. The hardness of breads containing blueberry starters were significantly increased as storage time increased. The breads containing 50% naturally fermented blueberry starter have acceptable sensory properties. In conclusion, these results indicated that 50% of natural fermentation blueberry starter could be very useful as a substitute for yeast when making naturally fermented bread.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.559-568
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• 2015

Kimchi is a traditional Korean vegetable product that is naturally fermented by various microorganisms present in the raw materials. Among these microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria dominate the fermentation process. Natural fermentation with unsterilized raw materials leads to the growth of various lactic acid bacteria, resulting in variations in the taste and quality of kimchi, which may make it difficult to produce industrial-scale kimchi with consistent quality. The use of starter cultures has been considered as an alternative for the industrial production of standardized kimchi, and recent trends suggest that the demand for starter cultures is on the rise. However, several factors should be carefully considered for the successful application of starter cultures for kimchi fermentation. In this review, we summarize recent studies on kimchi starter cultures, describe practical problems in the application of industrial-scale kimchi production, and discuss the directions for further studies.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.234-241
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• 2019

In Korea, traditional doenjang is manufactured using the conventional method at home and by small-scale enterprises. Because this age-old process depends on natural inoculation of various microorganisms, it is difficult to reproduce or maintain consistency in the final product quality across batches. Moreover, doenjang occasionally prepared by this method raises safety concerns related to aflatoxin, biogenic amine, and Bacillus cereus contamination. To develop starters that can be conveniently used at home or in small industry settings for the manufacturing of safe and flavor-improved doenjang, autochthonous microbe starters were developed in dried forms as ready-to-use starters. Each starter powder prepared by heat- or freeze-drying methods remained stable even after 24-week storage. These ready- to-use starter powders were successfully applied to lab-scale fermentation for the production of safe and flavor-improved doenjang. We believe that these ready-to-use starter powders will benefit small-scale enterprises in the manufacturing of doenjang of good reproducible quality.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.427-434
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• 2016

Benzoic acid is occasionally used as a raw material supplement in food products and is sometimes generated during the fermentation process. In this study, the production of naturally occurring yogurt preservatives was investigated for various starter cultures and incubation temperatures, and considered food regulations. Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Bifidobacterium breve were used as yogurt starter cultures in commercial starters. Among these strains, L. rhamnosus and L. paracasei showed the highest production of benzoic acid. Therefore, the use of L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, S. thermophilus, and different incubation temperatures were examined to optimize benzoic acid production. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite design was performed for various incubation temperatures (35-44℃) and starter culture inoculum ratios (0-0.04%) in a commercial range of dairy fermentation processes. The optimum conditions were 0.04% L. rhamnosus, 0.01% L. paracasei, 0.02% S. thermophilus, and 38.12℃, and the predicted and estimated concentrations of benzoic acid were 13.31 and 13.94 mg/kg, respectively. These conditions maximized naturally occurring benzoic acid production during the yogurt fermentation process, and the observed production levels satisfied regulatory guidelines for benzoic acid in dairy products.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.699-704
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• 2013

Buckwheat Soksungjang (BS) is a bealmijang manufactured with buckwheat and soybeans. We manufactured BS using Bacillus subtilis HJ18-4 (HJ18-4), which has high enzyme activities and antibacterial effects. HJ18-4 was inoculated in a different process during the BS manufacturing, which was the meju-making time (Treat 1), and the salt water time was added (Treat 2). The physiochemical and microbial characteristics of the BS were analyzed. As a result, the total aerobic counts (7~8 log CFU/mL) in the BS increased after 15 days of fermentation. Especially, Treat 1 showed higher total aerobic counts and amino-type nitrogen (65.38~202.52 mg%) than Treat 2. During the BS fermentation, the reduction of the sugar contents and the enzyme (protease and amylase) activities decreased. In the relative quantitative expression level of PlcR, Treat 1 did not show toxin gene expressions at the end of the fermentation on Day 23. Treat 1 showed suitable B. cereus physiochemical quality characteristics and inhibition effects. When the modified-form type of fermented soybean paste was manufactured with a single starter, it could not reproduce the natural fermentation quality. These results suggest that the addition of a starter (HJ18-4) in the Meju manufacturing process could enhance the quality characteristics of the manufactured BS via natural fermentation and by suppressing B. cereus.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.491-502
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• 2014

The present study was conducted to investigate effective starter culture to improve biological activity of Asarum sieboldii. Antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity and reduction of enteric rumen methane production were used as criterions for biological activity. Ground A. sieboldii was added in MRS broth at 10% (w/v) and fermented by different starter cultures. Weissella confusa NJ28, Weissella cibaria NJ33, Lactobacillus curvatus NJ40, Lactobacillus brevis NJ42, Lactobacillus plantarum NJ45 and Lactobacillus sakei NJ48 were used for starter culture strains. Each starter culture was inoculated with 1% (v/v) ratio and fermentation was performed at $30^{\circ}C$ with agitation (150 rpm) for 48 h. MRS broth for the control was employed without starter culture. Then the fermentation growth was dried and extracted using ethyl alcohol. The growth of starter culture was detected at NJ40, NJ42, NJ45 and NJ48. And the highest cell growth was found in NJ40. Antibacterial activity against to Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogens, Mannheimia haemolytica and Salmonella gallinarum were observed in the extract fermented by NJ40 and NJ45. All treatments showed antioxidant activities, however, there were no significant differences (p>0.05). In in vitro rumen fermentation, negative control (NC) and positive control (PC) were assigned to without extract and with non-fermented A. sieboldii extract. Significant suppression of gas productions were detected in positive control and treatments compared to negative control (p<0.05). However, total volatile fatty acid production was not suppressed. Significant methane reduction per total volatile fatty acid productions were found in positive control and NJ45 treatment (p<0.05). The present study suggested a fermentation of A. sieboldii using NJ45 strain could improve its biological activity and make possible for its use in bio additive for enteric rumen methane mitigation without suppression of animal productivity.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2008

In this study, a nanatural fermentation starter formulation was developed for manufacturing bread products by substituting baker's yeast with naturally fermented raisin extract and sourdough. Four experimental groups containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10% naturally fermented raisin extract per 2,000 g of flour were compared based on quality characteristics, including the fermentation power on dough expansion, specific volume, baking loss, water activity, color, textural characteristics, and internal surface appearance. The activities of the naturally fermented raisin extract were examined in terms of pH changes, total titratable acidity, brix, and viable yeast counts. The raisin extract, which was cultured for 7 days at 30$^{\circ}C$, smelled of alcohol and produced $CO_2$. Yeast were also found in the extract after separation. As the incubation time of the raisin extract and sourdough increased, pH decreased, while total titratable acidity increased. The brix of the raisin extract increased until the $2^{nd}$ day of fermentation, and viable yeast counts increased until the $5^{th}$ day however, these gradually decreased by the $7^{th}$ day. The fermenting power on dough expansion increased in the bread with increasing incubation time. The bread samples containing 7.5% and 10% raisin extract had significantly higher specific volumes than the other samples. Baking loss was minimal with the 2.5% extract substitution. In analyzing the crumb, water activity, redness, and yellowness were highest in the 10.0% raisin extract bread samples, and lightness was maximal in the 5.0% group. In terms of textural characteristics, hardness was lowest with the 2.5% extract substitution. Gumminess, springiness, and chewiness were not significantly different among the bread samples. Cohesiveness was highest at the 7.5% extract substitution level, and resilience was lowest at the 10% level. In conclusion, based on the results, a natural fermentation starter formulated with 2.5% naturally fermented raisin extract (1 part raisins and 1.5 parts water) and 70% sourdough (1 part rye flour and 1 part water) has high potential as a baker's yeast substitute for making naturally fermented bread.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.461-467
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• 1996

Four strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), that lower the pH of sausage $\leq$ 4.2 within 24 h of incubation at $37^{\circ}C$, were screened from 57 bacteriocin producing LAB which were isolated from kajamie shikhae and natural fermented sausages. The proteinaceous nature of the bacteriocin was confirmed by losing antimicrobial activity after pronase treatment. Inhibitory activity against pathogens, times of bacteriocin production and sensory tests were compared between 4 isolates and 3 commercial starters. Especially, strain NFS #8-1, screened from natural fermented sausage and identified as Pediococcus acidilactici, antagonized a large number of foodborne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. Production of bacteriocin by strain NFS #8-1 was early in the growth phase (mid log phase) and its sensory acceptance was high. The feasibility of using strain NFS #8-1 as a starter for the production of microbiologically safe fermented sausage is envisaged.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.405-409
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• 1998

This work was carried out to investigate the behavior of sugars contained in raw soybean during cooking and meju preparation processes, and the effects of sugar addition to the raw kanjang digestion liquor made from G8 and SB meju on the lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation of kanjang. Sharp reduction in sugars content in soybean during cooking and meju preparation process was observed. Rapid lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation in the G8 and SB kanjang with 5% added glucose was observed but not in the corresponding kanjang without sugar addition after inoculation of Pediococcus halophilus, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Candida versatilis starter culture to the low-salted raw kanjang digestion liquor made respectively from G8 and SB meju. 0.46% and 0.88% of lactic acid and 1% and 2% of alcohol content in the G8 and SB kanjang respectively was observed 160 hours after the inoculation of the lactic acid bacteria starter culture.