• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.132-135
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• 2013

Black Aspergillus is important fungus for oriental fermentation industry. Black Aspergillus was frequently isolated from Korean traditional Meju, a fermented soybean starting material for soy sauce and soybean paste. Thirty three strains were isolated from 98 finished Meju collected in various regions of Korea from 2008 to 2011, and 21 strains were isolated from in-process Meju at various farms from 2010 to 2011. The isolated black Aspergillus were identified using DNA sequences of partial ${\beta}$-tubulin and calmodulin genes. Of 54 black Aspergillus strains, 14 strains were identified as A. luchuensis and the others were composed of A. niger (n = 21), A. tubingensis (n = 10), and A. welwitschiae (n = 9).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.370-376
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• 2015

In this study, we compared the organoleptic and other qualities of fermented milk containing 10 or 15% purple carrot extract that had either been previously fermented with Aspergillus oryzae or not fermented. Fermentation characteristics, pH, chromaticity, viscosity, viable cell counts, and sensory evaluations were measured. The pH and acid values did not differ between purple carrot extract fermented with Aspergillus oryzae and non-fermented extract. Viable cell counts were significantly higher in 15% purple carrot extract fermented with Aspergillus oryzae compared to the control after fermentation. Regarding characteristic changes, purple carrot extract fermented with Aspergillus oryzae group showed a lower red value but higher yellow value compared with non-fermented purple carrot extract due to heat-sterilization. Both fermented and non-fermented extract groups showed significantly increased viscosity compared to control. In the sensory evaluation, 15% purple carrot extract fermented with Aspergillus oryzae showed the highest score. In conclusion, addition of 15% purple carrot extract fermented with Aspergillus oryzae resulted in a superior fermented milk product.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1842-1848
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• 2015

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) has been known to be more bioavailable than cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C3R), the most abundant anthocyanin in black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis). The aim of this study was to enhance the bioavailability of anthocyanins in black raspberry by cleaving ʟ-rhamnose in C3R using crude enzyme extracts (CEEs) from Aspergillus usamii KCTC 6956, A. awamori KCTC 60380, A. niger KCCM 11724, A. oryzae KCCM 12698, and A. kawachii KCCM 32819. The enzyme activities of the CEEs were determined by a spectrophotometric method using ρ-nitrophenyl-rhamnopyranoside and ρ-nitrophenyl-glucopyranoside. The CEE from A. usamii had the highest α-ʟ-rhamnosidase activity with 2.73 U/ml at 60℃, followed by those from A. awamori and A. niger. When bioconversion of C3R to C3G in black raspberry was analyzed by HPLC-DAD, the CEEs from A. usamii and A. awamori hydrolyzed 95.7% and 95.6% of C3R to C3G, respectively, after 2 h incubation. The CEEs from A. kawachii and A. oryzae did not convert C3R to C3G in black raspberry.

• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 2007

The prevalence and population density of the mycobiota of 50 samples belonging to 10 kinds of spices (anise, black pepper, red pepper, black cumin, peppermint, cardamom, clove, cumin, ginger and marjoram) which collected from different places in Jeddah Governorate were studied. The natural occurrence of mycotoxins in those samples was also investigated. Fifteen genera and thirty-one species of fungi in addition to one species variety were isolated and identified during this study. The most common genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. Aflatoxins ($12{\sim}40\;{\mu}g/kg$) were detected in the extract of 5 samples of each of anise seeds and black pepper fruits; three samples of black cumin seeds and on sample only of each of peppermint and marjoram leaves out of 5 samples tested of each. Sterigmatocystin ($15{\sim}20\;{\mu}g/kg$) was detected in some samples of red pepper, cumin and marjoram. The inhibitory effects of 10 kinds of powdered spices were tested against 3 toxigenic isolates of fungi (Aspergillus flavus, A. versicolor and Penicillium citrinum). Clove proved to be antimycotic compounds. It inhibited the growth of the tested toxigenic fungi. Black pepper, peppermint, cardamom, cumin and marjoram completely inhibited aflatoxins production, while black pepper and cardamom also completely inhibited sterigmatocystin production.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2019

In order to elucidate the fungal diversity and community structure in freshwater environments, numerous fungal strains were isolated from freshwater, submerged soils, twigs, dead insects, etc. Among them, the present study has focused specifically on Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces species, which produce diverse useful metabolites in general. Twelve strains of Aspergillus isolated were identified as A. japonicus (n = 5), A. tubingensis (3), A. niger (2), and A. flavus (2), 10 strains of which belong to Aspergillus section Nigri, named black Aspergillus. Eight strains of Penicillium were identified as P. brasilianim (n = 3), P. oxalicum (2), P. crustosum (1), P. expansum (1), and P. piscarium (1). Two different strains of Talaromyces were identified as T. pinophilus and T. versatilis. Thus far, Penicillium piscarium and Talaromyces versatilis have been unrecorded in Korea, for which we provide detailed morphological and molecular characteristics.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.25-25
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• 2014

Koji molds are comprised of yellow, black and white. Black and white koji molds were recently re-visited by this author and it is concluded that they consists of Aspergillus luchuesnsis, A. niger and A. tubingensis, and the most important species for alcoholic beverage production is A. luchuensis. In the case of yellow koji mold, it is comprised of Aspergillus oryzae, A. sojae and A. tamari. In the case of A. sojae, the species is scarcely isolated from nature and rarely used for industry in Korea. Aspergillus tamari is often isolated from traditional Korean Meju, a fermented soybean product, and the classification of the species is clear. However, in the case of A. oryzae, differentiation between A. oryzae and A. flavus is still in controversy. In this study, we collected 415 strains of Aspergillus flavus/oryzae complex from air, rice straw, soybean, corn, peanut, arable soil and Meju in Korea and we examined the aflatoxin producing capacity of the strains. The norB-cypA, omtA and aflR genes in the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster were analyzed. We found that 367 strains (88.4%) belonged to non-aflatoxigenic group (Type I of norB-cypA, IB-L-B-, IC-AO, or IA-L-B- of omtA, and AO type of aflR), and only 48 strains (11.6%) belonged to aflatoxin-producible group (Type II of norB-cypA, IC-L-B+/B- or IC-L-B+ of omtA, and AF type of aflR). In the case of A. flavus/oryzae strains from Meju, almost strains (178/192, 92.7%) belonged to non-aflatoxigenic group and only 14 strains (7.3 %) belonged to aflatoxin-producible group. It is proposed in this study that non-aflatoxigenic strain from Meju is classified as A. oryzae, considering that Meju is food material.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.269-276
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• 2016

Aspergillus luchuensis is known as an industrially important fungal species used for making fermented foods such as awamori and shochu in Japan, makgeolli and Meju in Korea, and Pu-erh tea in China. Nonetheless, this species has not yet been widely studied regarding mating-type genes. In this study, we examined the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 gene ratio in black koji molds (A. luchuensis, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus tubingensis) and in Aspergillus welwitschiae isolated from Meju, a fermented soybean starting material for traditional soy sauce and soybean paste in Korea. The number of strains with the MAT1-1 locus was 2 of 23 (A. luchuensis), 6 of 13 (A. tubingensis), 21 of 28 (A. niger), and 5 of 10 (A. welwitschiae). Fungal species A. tubingensis and A. welwitschiae showed a 1 : 1 ratio of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-type loci. In contrast, A. luchuensis revealed predominance of MAT1-2 (91.3%) and A. niger of MAT1-1 (75%). We isolated and identified 2 A. luchuensis MAT1-1 strains from Meju, although all strains for making shochu in Japan are of the MAT1-2 type. These strains may be a good resource for breeding of A. luchuensis to be used in the Asian fermented-food industry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1486-1493
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• 2017

Doenjang is a traditional korean fermented soybean paste made from meju (fermented soybean), which are fermented by diverse microorganisms including Bacillus subtilis and molds such as Rizopus, Mucor, and Aspergillus species The purpose of this study was to investigate the antiobesity effect of the black soybean doenjang (Korean fermented soybean pastes) in C57BL/6 mice. The anti-obesity effect was determined by measuring the release of adiponectin, leptin and adipogenic transcription factors by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Weight gain was significantly reduced in the mice fed high fat diets (HFD) plus black soybean doenjang (HBD) compared to HFD mice. The HBD were also effective in improving the lipid profile. They significantly decreased the levels of serum triglyceride and cholesterol. In addition, they had a significantly down regulated impact on antiobesity factors; leptin level and increased adiponectin level. Also, mRNA and protein expression of two adipogenic transcription factors, SREBP-1c and $PPAR-{\gamma}$, in high fat with black soybean fed mice were markedly down regulated. These results indicate that the black soybean doenjang potentiates an anti-obesity effect by modulating lipid metabolism, thereby inhibiting adipogenic transcriptional activation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.364-371
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• 2019

The use of GRAS microorganisms isolated from fermented foods during amylase production using an economical food-waste medium provides more opportunities to produce amylase with a wider range of applications. Hence, this study aimed to isolate a good amylase-producing fungi from the traditional Indonesian fermented cassava, gatot, and to identify the amylase-producing capability of the isolate in a potato peel waste (PPW) medium. Black-colored fungi isolated from gatot was morphologically identified and the amylase produced was characterized using SDS-PAGE and Native PAGE. The isolate was then grown on PPW medium, and the amylase produced was further characterized. Morphological identification and enzyme characterization revealed that the Aspergillus niger aggregate F isolated from gatot secreted an active extracellular ${\alpha}$-amylase with an optimum pH of 5-6. In conclusion, Aspergillus niger aggregate F isolated from gatot can be used to produce ${\alpha}$-amylase using PPW as a medium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1412-1423
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• 2019

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus tubingensis that belongs to the black Aspergillus section has the capacity to produce high-value metabolites, for instance, naphtho-gamma-pyrones (NGPs). For these fungal secondary metabolites, numerous biological properties of industrial interest have been demonstrated, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-cancer capacities. It has been observed that production of these secondary metabolites is linked with fungal sporulation. The aim of this research was to apply osmotic and oxidative environmental stresses to trigger the production of NGPs in liquid cultures with CYB (Czapek Dox Broth). In addition, numerous parameters were tested during the experiments, such as pH value, incubation time, container geometry, and static and agitation conditions. Results demonstrate that the produced amount of NGPs can be enhanced by decreasing the water activity ($a_w$) or by adding an oxidative stress factor. In conclusion, this study can contribute to our knowledge regarding A. tubingensis to present an effective method to increase NGP production, which may support the development of current industrial processes.