• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1126-1131
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• 2010

The antiobesity effect of soymilks fermented with Bacillus subtilis KC-3 (KCCM 42923) from cheonggukjang was compared with other sources of B. subtilis KCCM 11316 and B. subtilis MYCO. The antiobesity effect was investigated by measuring the release of leptin, Oil red O staining, glycerol secretions and adipogenic transcription factor by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Fermented soymilk with B. subtilis KC-3 (F-KC) led to decrease levels of leptin secretion and increase levels of glycerol secretion in the cells. In addition, F-KC reduced contents of Oil red O dye in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Also, mRNA expression levels of both SREBP-1c (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1-c) and PPAR-$\gamma$ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-$\gamma$), which are adipogenic transcription factor, in cells treated with F-KC were markedly down regulated. These results demonstrate that the Bacillus subtillis fermented soymilk (F-KC) decreased lipid content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by inhibiting lipogenesis. All B. subtilis fermented soymilks had shown antiobesity activities, however, F-KC exhibited the strongest antiobesity effect in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our study suggests that especially F-KC increased the potential of antiobesity effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1113-1118
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• 2010

The antioxidative activities and growth inhibitory effects of fermented soymilk (FS) by Bacillus subtilis KC-3 (KCCM 42923) in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells were studied during fermentation at pH 5.5, 5.25 and 5.0. The pH of B. subtilis KC-3 from Cheonggukjang, decreased from 6.8 to 5.0 during the fermentation. The acidity decreased, but amino and ammonia type nitrogen contents increased significantly as pH decreased. FS at pH 5.0 (FS 5.0) exhibited the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activities among other samples. The hydroxy radical scavenging activity of FS 5.0 was found to be approximately 2.5 times higher than that of the non-fermented soymilk (NFS). The SOD-like activity of FS 5.0 was 32.1% at 1.0 mg/mL and 50.6% at 2.0 mg/mL compared to the NFS of 9.1% and 17.3%, respectively. FS, especially FS 5.0, showed increased anticancer effect in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. These results suggest that soymilk fermented by B. subtilis KC-3 has increased antioxidative activities and anticancer effects during fermentation (pH 6.0 to pH 5.0).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.488-494
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• 2013

The anti-diabetic effect of green tea fermented by cheonggukjang was evaluated using KK-$A^y$ mice, an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Over a 90 day testing period, food and water intake decreased significantly in the group fed fermented green tea (FGT) and a group fed commercially available health functional food (PC), when compared with a diabetic control group (DC). The blood glucose levels of FGT mice were lower than in DC mice throughout the test period and were similar to the levels in PC after 60 days. Levels of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and insulin resistance were lower in mice of the FGT group than in mice of the DC group. DNA microarray analysis showed that administration of FGT increased the abundance of 12 mRNA transcripts related to diabetes. Whereas FGT increased hexokinase transcripts related to glycolysis more than 37 fold, levels of Pdx1 (pancreatic and duodenal homeobox1) and Cacna1e (calcium channel) transcripts increased more than 1.8 fold.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2008

Enterobacter sakazakii is implicated in severe forms of neonatal infections such as meningitis and sepsis. This organism has been isolated from a wide range of foods, including cheese, vegetables, grains, herbs, and spices, but its primary environment is still unknown. Generally, dried infant milk formula has been epidemiologically identified as the source of E. sakazakii. Sunsik (a powdered mixture of roasted grains and other foodstuffs) is widely consumed in Korea as a side dish or energy supplement. Sunsik is consumed without heat treatment; thus, lacking an additional opportunity to inactivate foodborne pathogens. Therefore, its microbiological safety should be guaranteed. In this study, the prevalence of E. sakazakii was monitored in 23 different sunsik component flours, using FDA recommended methods; but E. sakazakii medium (Neogen) and Chromogenic E. sakazakii medium (Oxoid) were used as the selective media. In total, presumptive E. sakazakii strains were isolated from 8 different sunsik powders. Subsequently, an API 20E test was conducted, and 15 strains from 5 different sunsik flours (sea tangle, brown rice, non-glutinous rice, cheonggukjang, dried anchovy) were confirmed as E. sakazakii. Fifteen strains were again confirmed by PCR amplification, using three different primer sets (tDNA sequence, ITS sequence, 16S rRNA sequence), and compared to ATCC strains (12868, 29004, 29544, 51329). They were once again confirmed by their enzyme production profiles using an API ZYM kit. Finally, RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA)-genotyping was carried out as a monitoring tool to determine the contamination route of E. sakazakii during processing.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2014

A bacterium producing antimicrobial substance was isolated from cheonggukjang. The bacterium was identified as a strain of Bacillus subtilis by 16S rDNA sequencing and designated as Bacillus subtilis HH28. The antimicrobial substance produced from Bacillus subtilis HH28 was purified by 0-80% ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-sepharose FF column chromatography, and Sephacryl S-200 HR gel chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified antimicrobial substance was estimated to be approximately 3,500 Da using Tricine sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and direct detection analysis. Antimicrobial substance from B. subtilis HH28 not only inhibited B. cereus, but also Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The purified antimicrobial substance was stable at $40-80^{\circ}C$, and between pH 2 and 8. Antimicrobial activity of the purified substance was completely destroyed by treatment of protease, proteinase K, and pronase E, indicating that it is proteinaceous.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2014

We have screened Bacillus strains suitable for the fermentation of soybean products with respect to the control of Bacillus cereus and the reduction of biogenic amines. Of 26 isolates, a strain named as the SCK A08 carried antimicrobial activity against B. cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, major food poisoning species in soybean products. PCR analysis revealed that the SCK A08 strain did not contain genes for Bacillus cereus toxins including nonhemolytic enterotoxin, hemolytic enterotoxin, cytotoxin K, cereulide and certrax. The SCK A08 strain could degrade histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine by 67.41%, 76.59%, 57.32%, and 50.69%, respectively, during fermentation in cooked soybeans containing 0.5% (w/w) of each biogenic amine. The morphological and biochemical properties and phylogenetic relationships based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate was most closely related to Bacillus licheniformis. Use of the strain SCK A08 would be a potential measure to overcome two hygienic problems that were frequently faced during manufacture of traditionally fermented soybean products.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.49-57
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• 2022

Objective : This study was conducted to investigate antidiabetic effects of chunggugjang with medicinal herbal complex (CJ) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced animal models. Method : STZ (65 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to induce diabetes. Then rats were divided into 5 groups ; NG (normal diet + 0.9% saline), COS (STZ +saline 5 mL/kg), COB (STZ + fermented soybean(100 mg/kg), CJ 100/200 (STZ+CJ(100 and 200 mg/kg), CJ 300/600 (STZ+CJ(300 and 600 mg/kg). 4 weeks later, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. After sacrificing rats, serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) were measured and histological changes were observed. Result : Body weight change and food efficiency ratio (FER) were decreased in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. But, there was no change in water intake. Serum levels of glucose, AST, ALT and BUN were lower in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. Also, TG, TC, and creatinine were decreased in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. According to OGTT, 120 minutes postprandial glucose levels were lower in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. In addition, administration of CJ extracts restored histopathological damage. Conclusion : The results suggest that CJ can be used as a functional material for diabetes treatment as it has the effect to improve pathological symptoms in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2006

The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception and the knowledge of the Korean traditional foods in elementary school students. For the investigation, 373 fifth-grade elementary school students in Incheon were surveyed by a questionnaire, and the data were analized by the SPSS 10.0 program. The result showed that 85% of the surveyed schoolchildren showed the interest in the Korean traditional foods. It also revealed that female students are more interested in the traditional food than male students and the children of the career woman are more interested than those of the housewives. As for the motive of their interest, 39.7% of the subjects answered 'through mass media'. Male students and the children of the housewives got the interest through their mother, and female students and the children of the career woman got the interest through their hobby of cooking food. Among the traditional foods, 76.4% of the children designated kimchi as the most proud traditional food. As for the reasons of reducing traditional food use, 39.9% of students responded because of 'not-tasty' and 28.7% of students replied because of 'not enough time to cook'. But 62.2% of the subjects thought the traditional foods should be more used in the future. As for the succession and development of the traditional foods, 33.8% of the subjects said it should be carried out by the family. The basic knowledge score of the traditional foods was 5.78 on a scale of 10, which showed relatively low level. The lower their basic knowledge, the less their interest in the traditional foods was. The samgyetang, ogokbap and bindaetteok were the most perceived traditional foods. The cheonggukjang, nabakgimchi and jindallaehwajeon were the foods they had seen, but the they didnot have heard or seen the others. Among the traditional foods, susugyeongdan, jindallaehwajeon and dasik were more perceived by the schoolchildren in the rural area than those in the urban area. The jindallaehwajeon and dasik were more perceived by female students than by male students. Therefore, in order to make elementary schoolchildren take the traditional foods with pride by increasing their perception and knowledge of them, the family should give them many opportunities to eat traditional foods. The school also should try to establish a cooperative relationship to the family of schoolchilderen and use more Korean traditional foods in the school's meal program. Furthermore, the society's concern and support are necessary and also the role of mass media, which have great influence on children, is important.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2013

AprE51 from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CH51 is a 27 kDa subtilisin-like protease with fibrinolytic activity. AprE51-6 showing increased catalytic activity was produced previously. To enhance the thermostability of AprE51-6, 2 residues, Gly-166 and Asn-218 based on B. subtilis subtilisin E were mutated by site-directed mutagenesis. The results of the mutational analysis showed that substitution of arginine for Gly-166 (AprE51-7) increased the fibrinolytic activity 1.8-fold. An N218S mutant (AprE51-8) also increased the fibrinolytic activity up to 4.5-fold in a fibrin plate assay. Purified AprE51-7 and AprE51-8 mutants had a 1.9- and a 2.5-fold higher $k_{cat}$, respectively, and a 2.1-1.9-fold lower $K_m$, respectively. This resulted in a 3.8- and a 4.7-fold increase in catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$), respectively, relative to that of wild-type AprE51. AprE51-8 had a broader pH range than AprE51-6 and nattokinase, especially at an alkaline pH value. In addition, AprE51-8 showed higher thermostability than AprE51-6 at $60^{\circ}C$. The half-lives of AprE51-7 and AprE51-8 at $50^{\circ}C$ were 21.5 and 27.3 min, respectively, which are 2.0 and 2.6 times longer, respectively, than that of the wild-type AprE51.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2010

As one of the mucous components of Cheonggukjang, traditional fermented soybean paste, $\gamma$-PGA is a natural substance with diverse functions. In this paper, an in-vivo experiment has been performed using NC/Nga mice in order to find out the efficacy of $\gamma$-PGA in human atopic dermatitis. The NC/Nga mice with BMAC-induced atopic dermatitis were administered $\gamma$-PGA (PGA-HM) with 300 kDa and low-molecular $\gamma$-PGA (PGA-LM), respectively. As a result, a significant decrease in clinical skin severity score was detected in the group that was administered PGA-LM. In terms of serum IgE levels, a significant decline was observed in PGA-LM, compared to the control group. The serum IgG1 levels also decreased more in PGA-LM than in the control group. However, no significant difference was observed in both groups. To witness the induction of $CD4^+CD25^+foxp3^+$ Treg cells, mRNA was sampled from the back of PGA-HM- and PGA-LM-administered NC/Nga mice with atopic dermatitis. In terms of the production amount of foxp3 mRNA, which was measured in real-time PCR, the group that was administered PGA-LM was twice as high as the control group. According to a biopsy on the skin on the backs of the mice, the experimental group was also far lower than the control group in terms of epidermis thickness, mast cell infiltration and the number of $CCR3^+$ cells. Therefore, it has been confirmed that the atopic dermatitis symptoms decreased more in the PGA-LM-administered NC/Nga mice than the PGA-HM-administered group by facilitating $CD4^+CD25^+foxp3^+$ Treg cells and suppressing the activity of eosinophils and production of IgE and pro-inflammatory cytokines.