• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 1999

This study was carried out to clarify the microorganisms which participated in the fermentation of kanjang. The changes in the viable cell counts of total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts for raw soybean, soybean during cooking, meju during cultivation, and kanjang mash during maturing were investigated along with the changes in components during those periods. Lactic acid bacteria that were found to be $6{\times}10^2\;CFU/g$ in raw soybean were disappeared after cooking process, but total aerobic bacteria were diminished from $1.9{\times}10^6\;CFU/g$ to $10^2\;CFU/g$. Aerobic bacteria of inner and outer parts of meju increased to more than $10^9\;CFU/g$. The higher viable cell counts of lactic acid bacteria in the inner parts of meju were observed than those in outer ones. On the contrary, significantly higher viable cell counts of yeasts in the outer parts of meju were found. Total nitrogen content and color density of kanjang increased by using meju with extended cultivation periods. No significant differences were observed in microbial counts between kanjang mash with aeration and non-aeration during kanajng mash maturing.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 1970

Five samples of Korean native Maeju(fermented soy-bean mash) loaves which were collected each from Kyunggi, Chungchung, Kangwon, Cholla and Kyungsang-Do were examined for their fermenting microorganisms. The results of taxonomic and ecological studies of fermentation microorganisms in these Maeju loaves were as the fellows. (1) The fungus flora grew only is the outer layer of Maeju loaves. Miscellaneous molds, 3 species of Mucor, 2 species of Pericallium., one species each of Scopulariopsis and Aspergillus, were isolated. None of them seemed exclusively predominant to be able to designate as the ecologically significant. (2) The bacterial flora which consisted of two species, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus were distributed uniformly in th a entire Maeju loaves. The inner parts of Maeju loaves were especially inhabited solely by these bacterial flora. Probably the Korean native Maeju fermentation could be characterized by these bacterial flora. A Staphylococcus species was also isolated probably as a casual contaminant. (3) The yeasts, Rhodotorula flava and Torulopsis dattila, were isolated from Maeju loaves though their ecological significance was not clear. (4) The ecological aspects of fermentation microbes in the outer and inner parts of Maeju loaves were apparently different, consequently different fermentation processes might have occurred in these two parts and it brought quite different final outlooks in the final matured Maeju loaves. The outer part, rather rigid and dry, retained the light brown color of boiled soy-bean; whereas the inner part, soft and sticky, showed dark brown color indicating severe chemical changes. (5) The aflatoxin producing mold, Aspergillus oryzae was isolated from one sample among 5 of Maeju loaves. In addition to the low probability of isolability from Maeju loaves samples, since this mold grew only in the outer layer of Maeju loaves with such a low population density, about $10^4/g$, perhaps the aflatoxin problem in Korean native soysauce may not be critical.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.174-180
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• 2000

This work was carried out to investigate the effects of mashing proportion of meju(as wet weight basis of raw soybean) to 20% salt brine on the chemical compositions and sensory characteristics of kanjang. By increasing the salt brine proportion in the kanjang mash, total nitrogen, TCA soluble nitrogen and total free amino acid content in kanjang were decreased accordingly, but although pH values and organic acids content were not different noticeably, the major organic acids in kanjang, lactic acid, pyroglutamic acid and acetic acid were increased up to the mashing proportion of 1:2 from 1:1 and pH values decreased up to that of 1:2.5. Residual sugar content in 1:1 kanjang was exceptionally high. The major free amino acids in kanjang were glutamic acid, lysine, alanine and leucine. The acceptability scores of kanjang tested by sensory evaluation were decreased in inverse proportion to the salt brine proportion of kanjang mash, but those of kanjang samples with $1:1{\sim}1:2.5$ mashing proportions were not significantly different but that of 1:3 different from 1:1 statistically at 5% level. The major chemical compositions, significantly effective to the acceptability of kanjang, were found to be glutamic acid and free amino acid by statistical analysis.