• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.1006-1015
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• 1997

Whole soybean meju was fermented with four Bacillus strains for 45 hr in its model system. The pH range of the product was $7.98{\sim}8.68$, the contents of amino nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen were $286{\sim}439\;mg%,\;0.11{\sim}0.23%$, respectively and that of reducing sugar ranged $0.65{\sim}2.24%$. During fermentation, the enzyme activities increased up to $30{\sim}40\;hr$ of fermentation and slightly decreased after 45 hr. Stachyose was special sugar components for B. licheniformis and raffinose was for B. natto. The components of the organic acid showed distinctive patterns among four products and the patterns of amino acids and fatty acids were almost similar to those of other reports. The main and common odor concentrates of meju were pyrazine components, 3-methyl-1-butanol, acetic acid and ethanol. Chunggukjang, mixed with B. natto and B. licheniformis showed more acceptabilities than other combinations. Soybean paste, mixed with B. megaterium and B. subtilis, soysauce, mixed with B. megaterium and A. oryzae showed excellent acceptability, respectively.

• 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.

• 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 Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.839-843
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• 2001

The effect of gamma-irradiation on the hydrolytic enzyme activities of some Koran soybean-based fermented foods was studied. Doenjang (soybean paste), kanjang (soy sauce), kochujang (red pepper paste), chungkukjang and meju were prepared and irradiated at 0, 5, 10 and 20 kGy. Then activities of protease, amylase, lipase and fibrinolytic enzyme were determined. Hydrolytic enzyme activities of meju, chungkukjang and doenjang were relatively higher than those of kanjang and kochujang. Amylase, protease and lipase activities were not affected by 10 kGy and were slightly (about 10%) inactivated by 20 kGy of gamma irradiation, with no statistical significance. Fibrinolytic enzyme was stable in all treatments.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-32
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• 1976

The laboratory Mejus as well as home-made Meju and improved Meju received from Korea were ripened in the brine for up to 8 months and the changes is the chemical composition during the process were determined and the differences between the types of Meju were compared. On the basis of the amino acid pattern, the changes in the protein quality of soybean during the process was evaluated. No significant changes in the general chemical composition of Meju were noticed during the ripening for 8 months. However, the nitrogen solubility of Meju increased for $13{\sim}29%$ to $66{\sim}78%$ during 8 month ripening of the Meju-brine mixture. The concentration of free amino-N to the total-N increased from $4{\sim}7%$ in Meju to $29{\sim}35%$ in the 8month ripened mixture. The concentration of amino-N to the total-N increased from $1{\sim}4%$ in Meju to $5{\sim}14%$ in the 8month ripened mixture and the changes varied with the type of Meju used. Remarkable changes in the amino acid pattern of soybean were occured during the ripening process. The concentration of methionine decreased to the half of original Meju during the first month of ripening. Arginine and histidine were destroyed rapidly by the ripening longer than 1 month. A considerable amount of ornithine was synthesized during the ripening. The amino acid pattern of Meju did change drastically during the ripening longer than 3 months and the changes varied with the type of Meju. The retention of the nutrients in soybean during 8 month ripening of the laboratory 3 month Meju in the brine was 49% for carbohydrates, 107% for crude fat, 93% for crude protein and 74% for the total amino acid. Histidine, arginine and methionine and 74% for the total amino acid. Histidine, arginine and methionine were the most damaged during the process, retaining only 25%, 27% and 49% of the contents in raw soybean, respectively, whereas lysine retained 79%. By the separation of the 8 month ripened mixture, approximately 60% of crude protein, all of crude fat and 80% of carbohydrates in the mixture were retained in soypaste. Soypaste contained higher concentrations of amino acids per 16gN compared to soysauce, except for lysine. The most limiting amino acid of the protein was the S-containing amino acids in all cases studied, whereas the second limiting amino acid varied from valine in soybean to threonine in most of Mejus and the brine mixtures, lysine in most of soypastes and tryptophan in some of soysauces. According to the protein quality evaluation made by the reference of the FAO provisional pattern of amino acid, the chemical score of raw soybean was 82, which was reduced to 77 by cooking and further reduced to $71{\sim}74$ by Meju fermentation. At the eighth month of ripening the chemical score of the Meju-brine mixtures were reduced to $51{\sim}66. After the separation, the chemical score of soypaste ranged from 60 to 71, whereas that of soysauce varied from 45 to 57. Generally, the products made from improved Meju recorded the highest score, whereas those made from homemade Meju showed the poorest protein quality. The essential amino acid index(EAAI) of the samples was similar to the chemical score, but it appeared to fit the overall changes in the amino acid pattern during the process better than the chemical score.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2011

Five types of meju were prepared from 100% defatted soybean (DFSG0), a mixture of 90% DFS and 10% glasswort (DFSG1), a mixture of 80% DFS and 20% glasswort (DFSG2), a mixture of 70% DFS and 30% glasswort (DFSG3), and a mixture of 60% DFS and 40% glasswort (DFSG4). Five types of kanjang were separately prepared from the 5 types of meju by ripening in brine for 6 months. The contents of certain minerals (Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn), organic acids (citric acid, malic acid) and the antioxidative effects in the kanjang were increased in proportion to the glasswort content in the meju. However, the free amino acid contents in the kanjang were reduced in proportion to the glasswort content in the meju. DFSG1- and DFSG2-kanjang did not show distinct differences from DFSG0-kanjang based on aroma, flavor, and taste that were compared simply by panel tests. The bacterial and fungal community in the fermented meju and kanjang was not affected by the addition of glasswort to the meju-making process. Bacteria belonging to the Lactobacillus and Bacillus genera and the Lactobacillus family predominated, and yeasts belonging to the Saccharomyces genus and fungi belonging to the Aspergillus genus predominated in the fermented meju and kanjang. In conclusion, the glasswort was a supplement that nutritionally improved the kanjang (except for free amino acid contents) but didn't influence the growth of microorganisms that are responsible for the fermentation of meju and kanjang.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the changes of amino nitrogen, total amino acids, free amino acids, and cole. of traditional Korean soybean paste (doen-jang) during the ripening and storage for 12 months. All of the preparation methods for soybean paste followed the recommendations of the Korea Food Research Institute. The components of soybean paste were analyzed at 0, 6, and 12 months. The content of amino nitrogen of soybean paste was significantly higher than that of soybeans or meju (soybean cakes) at the initial stage of storage (p〈0.05), and decreased during the storage. The composition of total and free amino acids and their ratios of soybean paste were changed during the storage. The ratios of free to total amino acids of soybeans, meju, and soybean paste were 0.8%, 17.3%, and 20.4∼32.9%, respectively. Glutamic acid, which represents the savory taste, was detected the most abundantly in soybean paste during the storage. The ratios of free to total amino acids of glutamic acid were 21.1∼41.5% in soybean paste. Lightness, redness and yellowness of Hunter color of soybean paste decreased over time (p〈0.05). The results of this study indicate that the ratios of fee to total amino acids of soybean paste were much higher than those of soybeans, although its contents of total amino acids were much lower than those of soybeans. The results also indicate that this comes from the preparation and fermentation of meju. It was suspected that the organoleptic quality of soybean paste derived from these three components might be inferior over 1 year of storage time.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 1977

This study was conducted to examine the changes of pH, proteolytic enzymic activity, and every kind of nitrogen compounds during their fermentation of the three groups of meju for 90days. Among the three groups, the first group was conventional Korean meju which was proved to be good quality (sample J), the second group was prepared with soybean paste using B. subtilis (sample K), and the third group was an improved meju which was fermented with the soybean and wheat (7 : 3) mixtured paste with Asp. sojae (sample L). These groups were analyzed at an interval of 10 day and the results are summarized as follows: 1) The pH of the all three groups was lowered from $6.45{\sim}6.75\;to\;4.85{\sim}5.20$ in just the 30 days and maintained the weak acidity during this fermentation. 2) The proteolytic enzymic activity was increased as soon as the three groups of meju were fermented and marked the maximum value in 30 days. The maximum value of the three groups of meju J.K. and L was 147, 112, and 52 respectively. The proteolytic enzymic activity of sample J and K was decreased to 23.5 and 20.5 in 20 days, while that of sample L was decreased to 18.0 in 40 days, and maintained the volues to the end of fermentation for 90 days. The conventional meju J and the improved meju K showed sparkling activity at the pH 7, while the activity of improved meju L was strong at the pH 10. 3) The PAA-N content of sample J and K was increased and reached to the peak point with 1.55% and 1.49% respectively in 60 days. But the sample L marked the maximum value with 1.28% after 80 days. 4) The amino-N content of sample J was increased and reached to 0.36% after 60 days, and that of sample K and L was increased and reached to 0.29% and 0.21% respectively after 40 days. After reaching to the peak point, the contents were decreased. 5) The content of ammonia-N was most abundant in sample K which was fermented with soybean paste using B. subtilis. 6) The peptide-N content of sample K and L was increased after decreasing in the middle of fermentation period, while that of sample J was increased gradually during fermentation. 7) The changes of nitrogen compounds were seemed to complete in 60 days of fermentation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.1854-1859
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• 2010

Three kinds of Korean traditional Meju were selected and the counts of microorganisms in these Meju were determined. The counts of total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts and molds were 107~108, 106~108 and 107~108 cfu/g, respectively in three Meju and lactic acid bacteria were important microorganisms in the fermentation of Meju. Therefore, we isolated three kinds of dominant lactic acid bacteria from these Meju. They were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides (98%, Lm-SMm), Lactobacillus plantarum (99%, Lp-SMm) and Lactococcus lactis (98%, Ll-GAm). Then, enzyme activities and physiological functionalities of three lactic acid bacteria were investigated. Protease, lipase and $\alpha$-amylase activities were detected in three lactic acid bacteria, Ll-GAm showed relatively higher activities than other two lactic acid bacteria. Lm-SMm, Lp-SMm and Ll-GAm showed 45, 48 and 60% of antioxidative activity to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH), and exhibited 45, 67 and 70% of inhibitory effects in HT-29 human colon cancer cells, respectively. These results indicate that three lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional Meju, especially Ll-GAm are applicable to Meju preparation for soybean paste industry.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.403-407
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• 1984

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of phytic acid content and phytase activity and the interactions between phytic acid and minerals in the preparation of Meju (fermented steamed soybean mash with molds). Meju contained significantly lower phytic acid and higher phytase activity than both raw and cooked soybeans. This seems to be the result of degradation of phytic acid by phytase produced during preparation of Meju by Aspergillus oryzae. Fe, Zn, Ca contents of soybeans were not changed either by cooking or fermentation. However, these minerals in the retentate of ultrafiltration were significantly lower in Meju than in raw and cooked soybeans. This result indicated that there are lower mineral-phytic acid complex in Meju than in raw and cooked soybeans, which might contribute to higher bioavailability of these minerals in Meju.