• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.347-356
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• 2006

It is reported that a fermented soybean food, Doenjang, has srong antimutagenic and cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. This study investigated the effect of Chungkookjang, another traditional popular Korean soybean fermented food, on growth of cancer cells: HL-60, SNU-638 and MCF-7, and also its in vivo antitumorigenic effect in DMBA-induced mammary tumor rat model. For the in vitro study, Chungkookjang and steamed soybeans were extracted with ethanol and sequentially fractioned with 5 kinds of solvents differing in grades of polarity such as hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, butanol and water. Almost all Chungkookjang extracts significantly inhibited the growth of HL-60 (human leukemic cancer cell), SNU-638 (human gastric cancer cell) and MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell) when compared to steamed soybean extracts. Butanol fraction of Chungkookjang extract especially showed a remarkable inhibitory effect in all the three kinds of cancer cells. To induce a mammary gland tumor, DMBA (50 mg/BW) was administered to 50 day-old female rats and followed by Chungkookjang or steamed soybean supplemented diets. Freezedried Chungkookjang powder (20% of diet in wet weight) was added to AIN-93G based diet for the Chungkookjang group of rats. Likewise, steamed soybean powder containing equal protein content to that of Chungkookjang powder was supplemented to soybean group of rats. At 13 weeks later, the mammary tumor incidence, average tumor number and tumor weight a rat were lower in Chungkookjang group compared to the control or soybean group. In conclusion, Chungkookjang showed a strong inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth in vitro, as well as a more preventive effect against chemically induced mammary tumorigenesis in vivo, while steamed soybeans did not. Therefore, these results suggest that Chungkookjang acquire its anticancer activity through the fermentation process.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.745-750
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• 1998

Soybean isoflavones known as an anticarcinogenic factor were evaluated in some Korean soybean foods by high performance liquid chromatography. Unfermented soybean foods contained predominantly isoflavone ${\beta}-glycosides$ (genistin and daidzin), but in the fermented soybean foods isoflavones were present mainly as aglycones (genistein and daidzein). Average contents of isoflavones of tofu, soymilk and soy sprout were 1, 151, 676 and 424 mg/kg, respectively. Among the fermented soybean products, soybean paste (Chongkukjang) was highest in the isoflavone content (920 mg/kg) and the degree of hydrolysis of ${\beta}-glycosidic$ bonds was ranged from 30 to 100%. Doenjang, Chunjang and Kanjang contained lesser amounts of isoflavones and their contents were 627, 291 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Korean traditional fermented foods, Chongkukjang and Doenjang could be regarded as the excellent sources of soy isoflavone aglycones.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1030-1034
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• 2009

A fermenting microorganism involved in formation of ortho-dihydroxyisoflavones (ODIs) during aging of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) has been investigated. Microorganisms in ODI-containing doenjang were isolated by cultivating on yeast mold (YM) agar medium containing 0-7% NaCl. ODI formation of the isolated strains was examined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis after cultivation in modified YM broth or soybean extract medium. An ODI-producing microbe was identified as Bacillus subtilis HS-1 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The strain has produced 8-hydroxydaidzein as a major product during growth in the modified YM broth or soybean extract medium. Therefore, it was concluded that one of the microorganisms involved in the formation of ODIs in doenjang was B. subtilis HS-1.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.565-570
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• 2013

This study investigated the detection of naturally occurring preservatives in fermented soybean products. Benzoic acid was identified in all of the analyzed samples (gochujang, ganjang, doenjang, and cheonggugjang). The amounts of benzoic acid were in the range of 0.85-11.69 ppm in gochujang, 1.13-7.95 ppm in ganjang, 0.74-17.77 ppm in doenjang, and 1.03-7.64 ppm in cheonggugjang. Propionic acid was found in 24 of 29 gochujang samples, 21 of 30 ganjang samples, 31 of 33 doenjang samples, and 28 of 30 cheonggugjang samples. The amounts of propionic acid ranged from N.D. (not detected) to 49.29 ppm in gochujang, N.D. to 144.67 ppm in ganjang, N.D. to 309.14 ppm in doenjang, and N.D. to 113.07 ppm in cheonggugjang. Among the fermented soybean products, doenjang had the highest average benzoic acid content whereas cheonggugjang had the highest average propionic acid content.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.863-870
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• 2024

Meju, a fermented soybean brick, is a key component in soybean foods like doenjang and ganjang, harboring a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms significantly contribute to the nutritional and sensory characteristics of doenjang and ganjang. Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing was applied to investigate how the microbial communities of meju fermented at low and high temperatures differ and how this variation affects the microbial communities of doenjang, a subsequently fermented soybean food. Our metagenomic data showed distinct patterns depending on the fermentation temperature. The microbial abundance in the bacterial community was increased under both temperatures during the fermentation of meju and doenjang. Weissella was the most abundant genus before the fermentation of meju, however, it was replaced by Bacillus at high temperature-fermented meju and lactic acid bacteria such as Weissella and Latilactobacillus at low temperature-fermented meju. Leuconostoc, Logiolactobacillus, and Tetragenococcus gradually took over the dominant role during the fermentation process of doenjang, replacing the previous dominant microorganisms. Mucor was dominant in the fungal community before and after meju fermentation, whereas Debaryomyces was dominant under both temperatures during doenjang fermentation. The dominant fungal genus of doenjang was not affected regardless of the fermentation temperature of meju. Strong correlations were shown for specific bacteria and fungi linked to specific fermentation temperatures. This study helps our understanding of meju fermentation process at different fermentation temperatures and highlights different bacteria and fungi associated with specific fermentation periods which may influence the nutritional and organoleptic properties of the final fermented soybean foods doenjang.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.704-709
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• 2006

The mucilage production and tyrosine content in soy milk cake (SMC) fermented by Bacillus firmus NA-1, Bacillus subtilis GT-D, and B. subtilis KU-A was improved by fortification with 10% defatted soybean flour. The fibrinolytic activity and consistency of the SMC were drastically increased by solid-state fermentation for 1 day. However, the consistency of the fermented SMC gradually decreased during fermentation for 3 days. Furthermore, the tyrosine content of the freeze-dried powder of SMC fermented by three Bacillus sp. was 9 times higher than that of unfermented SMC. The soybean proteins, including the 7S and 11S subunits, were partially digested during alkaline fermentation, producing lower molecular-weight peptides. The fibrinolytic enzyme produced in SMC fermented by B. firmus NA-l and B. subtilis KU-A exhibited higher thermal stability than that of B. subtilis GT-D fermentation. The powder obtained from B. subtilis GT-D fermentation had an ${\alpha}$-amylase activity and lower consistency compared to those of B. firmus NA-1 and B. subtilis KU-A. In addition, this powder contained 6.3% moisture content, 27% crude protein content and 9 units of fibrinolytic activity and proteolytic activity.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2002

The inductions of phase II enzymes, such as NAD(P)H : quinone reductase (QR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH) level and the inhibition of polyamine metabolism were tested for the chemopreventive potentials of the extracts from the soybean fermented with Agrocybe cylindracea (AC) or Phellinus igniarius (PI). The soybean fermented with AC or PI was potent inducer of QR activity in murine hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells. GST activities of the extracts from soybean fermented with AC or PI were higher than that of the extract from soybean not fermented with basidiomycetes. In addition, GSH levels of the extracts from soybean fermented with AC or PI were increased about 1.2 fold or 1.4 fold, respectively. In addition, proliferation of Acanthamoeba castellanii in a broth medium was inhibited by the extracts from soybean fermented with AC or PI at the both concentration of 20 and 40 mg/3 ml. These results suggest that soybean fermented with AC or PI may have chemopreventive potentials by inducing QR activity, increasing GSH and GST levels and inhibiting polyamine metabolism.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2003

To develop a functional chungkookjang; the anticancer effects of chungkookjangs prepared with different varieties of soybeans, starters, fermentation periods and seasoning additive ratios; were studied against AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells using the MTT assay, at different stages chungkookjang processing. The chungkookjang samples exerted different antiproliferative effects according to the variety of soybeans used. The chungkookjangs manufactured with soybean var. manrikong exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against AGS human cancer cells. The chungkookjangs fermented with rice straw and B. licheniformis strongly inhibited the growth of the AGS human cancer cells. All fermented chungkookjangs had a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of the cancer cells; however, the non-fermented soybean (chungkookjang) showed a low inhibition rate. The fermented chungkookjangs mixed with red pepper powder (RPP) and garlic exhibited strong antiproliferative effect against the cancer cells, and chungkookjang prepaved with 1.1 % RPP and 1.1 % garlic showed the highest cytotoxicity against the cancer cells. The functional chungkookjang fermented with soybean variety of manrikong and B. licheniformis for 3 days at 4$0^{\circ}C$ and then mixed with 7.9% salt, 1.l% RPP and 1.1% garlic, exhibited a higher antiproliferative effect than the chungkookjangs prepared by traditional or modified methods, according to the MTT assay. The functional chungkookjang exhibited a similar anticancer effect to the traditional doenjang. These results indicate that the fermentation period and the ratio of seasoning additives, as well as the variety of soybeans and starter cultures may affect the degree of the anticancer effect of chungkookjang.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 2006

A bacterial strain, initially identified as B1-3, was isolated from cheonggukjang, a traditional Korean dish made from fermented soybeans. Using the Biolog system and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, we identified B1-3 as Bacillus mojavensis. We manufactured a quickly fermented soybean (QFS) food product using the B. mojavensis, and guided by their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging ability. We isolated substances with antioxidative activity from it. Using mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, we isolated 4 compounds from the ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-soluble neutral fraction of methyl alcohol (MeOH) extracts of the QFS food product (genistein, daidzein, 3R,4R-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroxy-2-pentanone, and 3S,4R-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroxy-2-pentanone) and 3 compounds from its acidic fraction (4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, genistin, and daidzein). Two compounds from the neutral fraction (3R,4R-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroxy-2-pentanone and 3S,4R-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroxy-2-pentanone) were not detected in nonfermented soybeans (NFS) or in the filtrate of the LB broth used to culture B. mojavensis. However, they were detected in the filtrate of the same broth when it contained 2% glucose. These results suggest that these 2 compounds were derived from glucose (or other saccharides) in the soybean during fermentation. One compound that was found in the acidic fraction (4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) was readily detected in NFS, but not in the culture broth. This suggests that 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid was derived from NFS. We concluded that the antioxidative activity of cheonggukjang is a result of the interactions between soybean components and the microorganisms used in the fermentation of cheonggukjang.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.648-660
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• 2014

Doenjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste, is made by mixing and ripening meju with high salt brine (approximately 18%). Meju is a naturally fermented soybean block prepared by soaking, steaming, and molding soybean. To understand living bacterial community migration and the roles of bacteria in the manufacturing process of doenjang, the diversity of culturable bacteria in meju and doenjang was examined using media supplemented with NaCl, and some physiological activities of predominant isolates were determined. Bacilli were the major bacteria involved throughout the entire manufacturing process from meju to doenjang; some of these bacteria might be present as spores during the doenjang ripening process. Bacillus siamensis was the most populous species of the genus, and Bacillus licheniformis exhibited sufficient salt tolerance to maintain its growth during doenjang ripening. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, the major lactic acid bacteria (LAB) identified in this study, did not continue to grow under high NaCl conditions in doenjang. Enterococci and certain species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the predominant acid-producing bacteria in meju fermentation, whereas Tetragenococcus halophilus and CNS were the major acid-producing bacteria in doenjang fermentation. We conclude that bacilli, LAB, and CNS may be the major bacterial groups involved in meju fermentation and that these bacterial communities undergo a shift toward salt-tolerant bacilli, CNS, and T. halophilus during the doenjang fermentation process.