• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 1997

Monascus anka produces biologically active materials, and liquid M. anka koji was employed for preparing fermented hot pepper soybean paste (kochujang). Three kinds of koji (M. anka, Aspergillus oryzae and mixed koji) were used to prepare kochujang, and changes of physicochemical characteristics were examined during fermentation. A. oryzae koji showed the highest ${\alpha}-amylase$ and protease activities; whereas, M. anka koji showed the highest ${\beta}-amylase$ activity in liquid koji. Water content of kochujang continuously decreased, whereas viscosity increased during fermentation. The water content and viscosity was 46% and $1.4{\times}10^5\;cP$, respectively after 40 days of fermentation. The pH of kochujang with M. anka and/or A. oryzae koji was $4.63{\sim}4.65$ in the beginning and was between 4.53 and 4.67 after 40 days of fermentation. L-, a- and b-values decreased rapidly during fermentation until 20 days of fermentation. After 40 days, L- and b-values of kochujang prepared with M. anka koji showed lower values than A. oryzae, and a-value showed higher values as the amount of M. anka koji increased. Ammoniacle nitrogen content continuously increased during fermentation. Amino nitrogen content was the highest, 241.2 ㎎%, and ammoniacle nitrogen was the lowest, 97.2 ㎎%, in kochujang prepared with A. oryzae. However, amino and ammoniacle nitrogen content showed no difference between M. anka and A. oryzae koji kochujang. Kochujang prepared with M. anka koji showed a potential that kochujang can be manufactured lower level of red pepper than previously used.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.267-277
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• 2022

This study investigated changes in the physicochemical and microbiological properties of fermented fish sauces based on the pacific sand lance Ammodytes personatus during fermentation according to rice koji treatments and salt contents. In total, six fish sauces were prepared, with rice koji treatment for 24 or 72 h before salt addition, and salt contents of 10 or 20%, including two controls to compare the response to different salt contents without koji treatment. The initial pH values of the sauces with koji treatments were notably lower than those of the controls. Over the 10 months of fermentation, the amino nitrogen contents of the sauces with 10% salt were higher than those with 20% salt, while the volatile base nitrogen value was also increased. In the microbial community, the initial numbers of lactic acid bacteria and mold were higher in the sauces with koji treatment than in the controls. After 8 months of fermentation, the free amino acid and organic acid contents were higher in the sauces with koji treatment than in the controls. Although the fermentation rate was affected to a greater extent by salt contents, the rice koji treatment also exerted a positive effect on the acceleration of fermentation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2001

Alpha-amylase and glucoamylase activities were higher in koji with 40% water than that with 30 and 50% water, and A. oryzae exhibited very high alpha-amylase and glucoamylase activities compared to A. sojae and A. niger. Acidic, neutral and alkaline protease activities also showed higher activities in koji prepared with flour, Korean wheat powder and soybean powder with 40% water based on the weight of the sample. Alpha-amylase, acidic, neutral and alkaline protease activities of all the koji samples according to incubation periods increased until 3~4 days of incubation and maintained nearly the same level or slightly decreased after 5 days of incubation. The protease activities of A. oryzae and A. sojae showed nearly the same trend regardless of differences in substrate conditions and koji materials, but those of A. niger showed a lower activity than those of A. oryzae and A. sojae. These results suggest that the preparation of koji is possible with Korean wheat powder and soybean powder and A. sojae can be utilized as a new strain for fermented foods using soybean as the main materials to increase functional properties and produce products having a new taste and flavor.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.869-874
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of various types of fermented red ginseng marc with red koji to laying hens on eggshell and egg yolk quality characteristics. A total of 240 Hy-line Brown laying hens (40 wk of age) were randomly allotted to 24 pens (6 replicates per treatment and 10 laying hens per replicate). Experimental diets consisted of 4 treatments containing basal diet (control), 1% fermented red ginseng marc powder with red koji, 1% fermented red ginseng marc pelleted with red koji and 1% fermented red ginseng marc coated with red koji. During the 8-wk feeding trial, there were no significant differences in eggshell strength, eggshell thickness and eggshell color among the treatments, except for eggshell strength at 4 and 8 wk and eggshell thickness at 0 wk. In addition, no differences in egg yolk color and egg yolk index were found for all treatments throughout the 8-wk feeding period, except for egg yolk color at 0 wk. Thus, using various types of fermented red ginseng marc with red koji to laying hens did not improve eggshell and egg yolk quality characteristics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1971-1981
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated the altered enzymatic activities and metabolite profiles of koji fermented using varying permutations of Aspergillus oryzae and/or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Notably, the protease and ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities were manifold increased in co-inoculated (CO) koji samples (co-inoculation of A. oryzae and B. amyloliquefaciens). Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolite profiling indicates that levels of amino acids, organic acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, fatty acids, nucleosides, and vitamins were distinctly higher in CO, SA (sequential inoculation of A. oryzae, followed by B. amyloliquefaciens), and SB (sequential inoculation of B. amyloliquefaciens, followed by A. oryzae). The multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) plot based on GC-MS datasets indicated a clustered pattern for MA and MB (koji samples inoculated either with A. oryzae or B. amyloliquefaciens) across PC2 (20.0%). In contrast, the CO, SA, and SB metabolite profiles displayed segregated patterns across PLS1 (22.2%) and PLS2 (21.1%) in the partial least-square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model. Intriguingly, the observed disparity in the levels of primary metabolites was engendered largely by higher relative levels of sugars and sugar alcohols in MA, SA, and CO koji samples, which was commensurate with the relative amylase activities in respective samples. Collectively, the present study emphasizes the utility of integrated biochemical and metabolomic approaches for achieving the optimal permutation of fermentative inocula for industrial koji preparation.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2021

In this study, characteristics of solid-state fermentation distilled spirits with nuruk (fermentation starter) and sorghum were investigated. The starch digestion activity was highest in black koji (A. usamii) at 359.15 U/g dry base, white koji (A. luchuensis) at 306.98 and yellow koji (A. oryzae) at 15.31 was followed. The pH of the solid-state fermented mash in yellow, white and black koji showed 5.09, 4.46 and 4.50 respectively with significant differences (p<0.001). The total acid content of white and black koji was 0.73% as citric acid. The alcohol content of mash prepared with yellow, white and black koji was 4.34, 4.24, 3.89% respectively. The contents of reducing sugar showed 3.28, 3.23 and 2.64%. Total sugar were 14.88, 17.84 and 17.60% respectively. The alcohol content of each distillate ranged from 44.3 to 39.9%, and the furfural content in yellow koji was 1.25 times lower than the others.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.375-381
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• 1982

The studies are conducted on the changes of soybean lipids in terms of physicochemical characteristics, lipid classess and fatty acid composition during the fermentation process of soybean Koji preparation for daenjang (soybean paste) in a model system using cooked soybean inoculated by Aspergillus oryzae. The total lipids contents were increased during soybean Koji preparation, generally iodine values decreased but acid values increased. Total lipids of soybean Koji consisted of about 90.6% neutral lipids, 7.6% phospholipids and 1.8%, glycolipids indicating that phospholipids contents of soybean Koji was increased when compared to those of cooked soybean. The major components of nonpolar lipids in soybean Koji were free fatty acids(39.6%) and triglycerids(29.2%). Free fatty acids increased as the triglycerides decreased during soybean Koji preparation by the hydrolysis of lipase action. The major components of polar lipids in soybean Koji were phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Differences were observed in the composition of the polar lipids of cooked soybean and soybean Koji. A little changes also occurred in fatty acid compositions of total lipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids fractions in soybean Koji preparation. Especially a considerable increase of linoleic acid in free fatty acid fraction was observed in soybean Koji.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.466-473
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to develop a distilled soju with high quality and stable brewing technology by analyzing the changes of general components and volatile components in the production of distilled soju by the use of fermentation agent such as koji and nuruk. White rice flour was used as a main raw material. White koji, yellow koji, traditional nuruk, and improved nuruk were used as a fermentation agent respectively. Also, yellow koji, traditional nuruk, and improved nuruk were added at a certain ratio to prepare white koji. The distillate was prepared by vacuum distillation and the quality characteristics were compared and analyzed. When the fermentation agent was used alone, the alcohol content was higher in the order of white koji, improved nuruk, yellow koji, and traditional nuruk. The initial acidity was higher than that of other fermentation agents and the highest alcohol content was found to be helpful for stable brewing. The highest content of higher alcohol was found in the yellow koji mash, and ethyl acetate was the highest in the traditional nuruk. When the fermentation agents were mixed, there was no difference in the alcohol content between $1^{st}$ fermentation mash and $2^{nd}$ fermentation mash. On the other hand, the content of higher alcohol was increased with the increase of the input ratio of yellow koji, and it decreased with the increase of the ratio of traditional and improved nuruk. It is expected that it will be possible to manufacture various distilled soju with different flavor and aroma if the yellow koji and the traditional nuruk are appropriately used based on the white koji having excellent fermentation characteristics and it will be very helpful for improving the stability and quality of brewing.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.385-391
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• 1996

To produce low salt fermented anchovy by an accelerated method with Asp. oryzae and Bacillus sp. koji and change of physicochemical properties in the fermentation during 60 days were examined. The contents of moisture, crude protein, ash and salinity of salted anchovy changed little during the fermentation with 62.5~63.8%, 12.0~14.1%, 12.8~13.8%, and 12.8~13.8%, respectively. but crude lipid decreased from 15.5~15.8% initially to 13.1~13.9% finally. The p during the fermentation decreased slowly until day 50 and increased afterwards. Acidity increased remarkably on day 10 and changed little afterwards. This increase in acidity was particularly observed in the use of Asp. oryzae koji. Amino nitrogen contents sharply increased until day 20 wit 686.0~756.0mg% and then increased slowly. Ammonia nitrogen contents in the use of koji increased until day 40 or 50 and decreased after that ; while those without koji steadily increased until day 60. The TBA values for all the samples reached the highest point on day from 20 to 30 and decreased afterwards. The TBA values and ammonia nitrogen contents were higher in Bacillus sp. koji than in Asp. oryzae koji. The alcohol contents of anchovy paste a little decreased during 10 days, increased slowly after that until day 50, and then decreased. The content of alcohol was higher in the use of koji than in the non koji.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.464-468
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• 2003

The antihypertensive and cholesterol- lowering effects of Monascus koji (M. koji) prepared with Monascus ruber IFO32318 were examined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Control was fed a normal diet and groups I, II or III were fed diets containing 0.03%, 0.1% or 0.3% M. koji for 8 weeks, respectively. After 8 weeks, all animals were fed normal diets in the following 2 weeks. The blood pressure of rats fed M. koji added diets were significantly attenuated as compared with control and the diet containing high concentration of M. koji had a tendency of stronger antihypertensive effect. These differences lasted throughout the experimental period when they were fed experimental diet. For 2 weeks after the 8 weeks of experimental diet all groups were fed the same normal diet and the differences of blood pressure caused by M. koji disappeared. In rats fed the M. koji added diet, the serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) were not differed compared with control, but VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-C) was significantly lowered. M koji also significantly decreased serum risk factors, both TC/HDL-C ratio and non HDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Consequently, it is suggested that M. koji may play an important role to attenuate hypertension and to improve serum lipid Profiles.