• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.76-81
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• 2007

Inhibitory effects of methanol extracts and several solvent fractions from meju on mutagenicity in vitro genotoxicity (SOS chromotest) and growth of human cancer cells (AGS gastric adenocarcinoma and Hep 3B hepatocellular cancinoma cells) were studied. The treatment of meju methanol extracts $(100{\mu}g/assay)$ to SOS chromotest system inhibited N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced mutagenicity by 36%. However, the ethylacetate and dichloromethane fractions from meju methanol extracts showed the stronger antimutagenic effects (91% and 91%, respectively) in SOS chromotest. In sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, the treatments of ethylacetate and dichloromethane fractions (2 mg/assay) significantly inhibited the growth of AGS and Hep 3B cancer cells by 64% and 71%, respectively. These results indicated that meju had inhibitor)r effects on MNNG in SOS mutagenic system and growth of human cancer cells, suggesting that its antimutagenic effect may be relative to activity of doenjang.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.94-99
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• 2001

Kochujangs(fermented hot pepper-soybean paste) were prepared either using traditional meju (koji for kochujang) or controlled meju fermented by pure isolates (P-1, P-2), which were screened from traditional meju collected at Sunchang area. The isolates were characterized for their superiority on amylase and protease activities, and overall flavor of the culture on cooked soybean. Bacterial cell counts were not different in all treatments of kochujang during fermentation. The mold counts of each treatment dropped to undetectable level after 40 and 60 days of fermentation, respectively. Heat treatment($60^{\circ}C$, 15 min) before fermentation stopped gas formation and had no effect on bacterial cell count, but the growth of yeast was depressed. Total accumulative volume of gas produced during kochujang fermentation was depended on load of yeast in kochujang and the kochujang using P-2 koji produced least amount of gas among all treatments. The amylase and protease activities of kochujang were not significantly different among traditional and controlled kochujangs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.256-263
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• 2001

Physicochemical characteristics of kochujang prepared with meju, koji and mixture of meju and koji were analyzed during fermentation in order to improve quality of traditional sikhe kochujang. Amino nitrogen content, an index of kochujang quality, was remarkably higher in kochujang prepared with p-2 koji, p-1 koji, mixture of p-2 koji and meju. Titratible acidity of kochujang slightly increased and pH of kochujang increased until 40 days of fermentation and then decreased there after. Citric acid was found as a major organic acid followed in decreasing order by malic, oxalic, succinic, acetic and lactic acids. As a free sugar, maltose, glucose and fructose were detected. Free sugar content was higher in kochujang prepared with p-1 koji than the others. The major free amino acids were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, phenylalanine and arginine, and total free amino acid content was higher in kochujang prepared with koji, and mixture of meju and koji than the one with traditional meju only. In sensory evaluation, all tested groups did not show a significant difference. This result indicates that addition of koji to sikhe kochujang influences on taste components like free sugars and free amino acids, but decisively not on the sensory properties.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1405-1409
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the isoflavone contents of soybeans, Meju, and Doenjang. $The\;{\beta}-glucosidase$ activities were also determined and characterized in soybeans, Meju, and Doenjang. The total concentration of daidzein was 406 mg/kg of soybeans, 433 mg/kg of Meju, and 538 mg/kg of Doenjang. Aglycones compose 26.03% of total isoflavones in soybeans, 61.96% in Meju, and 107.68% in Doenjang. The total concentration of genistein was 484, 200 and 538 mg/kg of soybeans, Meju and Doenjang, respectively. Aglycones compose 19.49% of total isoflavones in soybeans, 68.52% in Meju, and 85.26% in Doenjang. The ${\beta}-glucosidase$ activity was detected in soybeans (5.65 units/mg protein), Meju (2.04 units/mg protein), and Doenjang (0.69 units/mg protein). The optimal pH of ${\beta}-glucosidase$ activities were $6.5{\sim}7.0$ and the optimal temperature of ${\beta}-glucosidase$ activities was $50^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.536-539
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• 2002

This study was investigated for the preparation method of meju by three step fermentation. The steamed soybeans were fermented with nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IFO12007 to inhibit the growth of odor-producing Bacilli and promote of normal fermentation of meju. The lactie-fermented soybeans were further fermented with Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis. The produced meju by this method showed 54%moisture content and pH 7.0, respectively. The three step fermented meju was soaked in 20% (w/v) brine at $25^{\circ}C$ for 90days. After 30 days, the contents of total free amino acids revealed 4,015 mg% which were higher $3{\sim}5$ times than controls. Among the detected free amino acids, the contents of glutamic acid and leucine showed 925 mg% and 380mg%, respectively. Therefore, the new method of producing meju would be an excellent alternative to improve the quality of soybean fermented food, such as doenjang and kanjang.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.513-518
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• 2003

Three kind of apple kochujangs were prepared using different commercial meju (normal commercial product, two commercial product from Aspergilius sp. and Bacillus sp.) and investigated about characteristics. The contents of total free sugar were the highest, 22.43% in apple kochujang (II) after 10 week fermentation. The glucose was specially high ratio in apple kochujang (III). The contents of total amino acid were 107.53~401.52 mg% in apple kochujang (I), 108.69~441.19 mg% in apple kochujang (II) and 106.82~423.28 mg% in apple kochujang (III). From the sensory evaluation after 12 weeks, the scores for flavor preference and total acceptability were the highest in apple kochujang (III). There was no significant difference for taste and color in apple kochujangs.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.421-426
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• 1994

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of $CaCO_3$ on the Chungkookjang Meju fermentation. B. subtilis was cultured on the Meju added 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1% $CaCO_3$, respectively, and the chemical composition, protease activity, amino acid and vitamin B complex were examined with fermentation time. The inner temperature of the $CaCO_3$ treatments during fermentation was increased as compared with the control group. Titratable acidity in Meju decreased as $CaCO_3$ concentration increased. And protease activity and amino-nitrogen content were however high in same order. The content of amino acid was on the increase in every treatments, it made no difference between $CaCO_3$, treatments and the control. Vitamin B complex content in the $CaCO_3$ treatments was increased than in the control. The 0.01% added treatment showed the highest amount of vitamin B complex content in all the treatments.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2006

This study was carried out to examine the quality characteristics of soybean pastes made of Meju with mold-producing pretense isolated from traditional Meju. The changes in moisture content, enzyme activity (amylase, protease, lipase), reducing sugar, amino-type nitrogen contents and anti-oxidant activity were investigated during the aging period. The moisture contents decreased gradually with time. Amylase activity decreased during the aging period while pretense and lipase activities increased until 30-45 days of aging, but decreased thereafter, Especially pretense activity in soybean paste with mold was greater than that in the control. Amino-type nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents increased, but reducing sugar contents decreased with time. Amino-type nitrogen contents were greater in soybean paste made of Meju with isolated mold than those in the control. Antioxidative activity was also confirmed in soybean paste.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 1986

Changes in protein, amino acids composition and protein activity of native Meju were investigated at various time intervals over 6 weeks of fermentation by using, gel filtration, and amino acid analyzer. From the quantitative fractionation of native Meju proteins, albumin content (36.4%) was the highest at 4 weeks. During Meju fermentation, albumin increased gradually but glutelin decreased up to 4 weeks. Globulin and prolamin content did not change substantiantiall. When albumin was fractionated by Sephadex G-200, two main peaks were fractionated and a new peak appeared after 4 weeks. Its molecular weight was extimated to be 66,000 by the gel filtration method. Amino acid composition of albumin in native Meju appeared to be 17 kinds. Glutamic acid content (87.98-317.10) were the highest, followed by aspartic acid and glycine. The proleolytic enzyme activity increased when the native Meju was fermented and marked the maximum value at 4 week.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate various flavor components of barley meju during fermentation. The change of PH was $5.2{\sim}5.6$. L-value and b-value gradually decreased. a-value gradually increased until fifth day and then decreased. Among 75 flavor compounds identified in barley meju, 10 aldehydes and 10 ketones were most in number followed by 9 acids, 9 phenols, 7 hydrocarbons, 7 alcohols and 6 esters. The contents of ethyl acetate $(67.8{\sim}89.1%)$ was more than those of any ether component followed by hexadecanoic acid $(1.21{\sim}12.00%)$ and tetramethylpyrazine $(0.06{\sim}12.30%$).