• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.96-105
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Asparagus cochinchinensis (AC) and fermented AC (fAC) on microorganisms and efficacies. Methods: AC was fermented for four weeks without using any bacterial strains. Then we investigated fermentation characteristics including potential of hydrogen (pH), total sugar, microbial profiling and antioxidant compound contents such as total polyphenol and total flavonoid. The anti-obesity effects of AC and fAC were evaluated by using Oil Red O staining in 3T3-L1 adipocyte. Also anti-diabetic effects of them were evaluated by using 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-NBDG) uptake in C2C12 skeletal muscle cell. Results: Both pH and total sugar of fAC were decreased significantly compared to unfermented AC. And the abundance of total bacteria and lactic acid bacteria increased during fermentation, especially Lactobacillus plantarum. Also fermentation of AC increased the content of total polyphenol. On the metabolic aspects, we found that AC and fAC suppressed fat accumulation. Conclusions: After four weeks of fermentation, AC increased concentrations of active compounds, altered microbial composition, and inhibited fat accumulation such as triglyceride. These results indicate that fermentation of AC might be a beneficial therapeutic approach for obesity.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2018

Objectives: We investigated about the microbial properties and changes in the efficacy of the Codonopsis lanceolata (CL) by natural fermentation. Methods: CL was fermented for four weeks in a well-ventilated place with 2.5% salt. pH, total sugar, total polyphenol, and total flavonoid were measured to determine fermentation characteristics according to fermentation period and salt treatment. Polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and random amplification of polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction were carried out for microbial analysis during fermentation. In addition, HepG2 cell was cultured to check the lipid accumulation through oil red O staining and the glucose uptake was analyzed by measuring the 2-NBDG at C2C12 cell. Results: The pH level and the total sugar decreased with the CL fermentation. Total polyphenol and flavonoid increased after CL fermentation. It was confirmed that Leuconostoc mesenteroides were maintained continuously during fermentation. In the salt treatment CL, there was a sharp increase in Rahnella aquatilis. Lactobacillus plantarum matrix was observed in fermented CL. In addition, Lactococcus lactis, Weissella koreensis, R. aquatilis, L. plantarum, Leu. mesenteroides have been added to the salt treatment. Glucose uptake were significantly increased after fermentation with salt for four weeks. Lipid accumulation in the HepG2 cells was observed that there was difference (P<0.01) between free fatty acid group (100%) and decreased 4 weeks after fermentation (90.38%) at $800{\mu}g/mL$. Conclusions: Total polyphenol and flavonoid were increased after CL fermentation. Especially, percentage of the glucose uptake and lipid accumulation inhibition increased in CL fermentation with salt. It is expected that fermentation of salt treated CL will be more effective in diabetes and fatty liver.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1653-1659
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• 2015

Epothilone, which is produced by the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum, contributes significant value in medicinal development. However, under submerged culture conditions, S. cellulosum will accumulate to form bacterial clumps, which hinder nutrient and metabolite transportation. Therefore, the production of epothilone by liquid fermentation is limited. In this study, diatomite-based porous ceramics were made from diatomite, paraffin, and poremaking agent (saw dust). Appropriate methods to modify the porous ceramics were also identified. After optimizing the preparation and modification conditions, we determined the optimal prescription to prepare high-performance porous ceramics. The structure of porous ceramics can provide a solid surface area where S. cellulosum can grow and metabolize to prevent the formation of bacterial clumps. S. cellulosum cells that do not form clumps will change their erratic metabolic behavior under submerged culture conditions. As a result, the unstable production of epothilone by this strain can be changed in the fermentation process, and the purpose of increasing epothilone production can be achieved. After 8 days of fermentation under optimized conditions, the epothilone yield reached 90.2 mg/l, which was increased four times compared with the fermentation without porous ceramics.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.343-348
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• 2011

Since 2005, food waste has been separately collected and recycled to animal feed or aerobic compost in South Korea. However, the conventional recycling methods discharge process wastewater, which contain pollutant equivalent to more than 50% of food waste. Therefore, anaerobic digestion is considered as an alternative recycling method of food waste to reduce pollutant and recover renewable energy. Recent studies showed that hydrogen can be produced at acidogenic stage in two-stage anaerobic digestion. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of pretreatment time and pH low set value on continuous mesophilic hydrogen fermentation of food waste. Food waste was successfully converted to $H_2$ when heat-treated at $70^{\circ}C$ for 60 min, which was milder than previous studies using pH 12 for 1 day or $90^{\circ}C$. Organic acid production dropped operational pH below 5.0 and caused a metabolic shift from $H_2/butyrate$ fermentation to lactate fermentation. Therefore, alkaline addition for operational pH at or over 5.0 was necessary. At pH 5.3, the result showed that the maximum hydrogen productivity and yield of 1.32 $m^3/m^3$.d and 0.71 mol/mol $carbohydrate_{added}$. Hydrogen production from food waste would be an effective technology for resource recovery as well as waste treatment.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2009

Objectives : Consumption of fermented foods has been known to alleviate some of the symptoms of atopy and may limit allergy development, while there are also many medicinal herbs proved to be effective for immunologically-mediated diseases. In this study, we introduced modern zymology to ferment some herbs to see if fermentation has the possibility of increasing the anti-inflammatory effects of medicinal herbs. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma $(INF-\gamma)$ have been demonstrated to be the main factors in the pathology of allergic diseases. Methods : We measured the levels of IL-4 and $INF-\gamma$ on concanavalin A-induced BALB/c mice spleen cells, which were subsequently treated with fermented and unfermented herbs. We then compared the fermented groups with unfermented groups to see if the anti-inflammatory effects of the herbs were influenced by fermentation. Results and Conclusions : Our results showed that fermentation had the potential to increase the anti-inflammatory effects of some medicinal herbs, and Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza would be the most suitable medicinal herbs for fermentation among the herbs in this study.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.234-241
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• 2019

In Korea, traditional doenjang is manufactured using the conventional method at home and by small-scale enterprises. Because this age-old process depends on natural inoculation of various microorganisms, it is difficult to reproduce or maintain consistency in the final product quality across batches. Moreover, doenjang occasionally prepared by this method raises safety concerns related to aflatoxin, biogenic amine, and Bacillus cereus contamination. To develop starters that can be conveniently used at home or in small industry settings for the manufacturing of safe and flavor-improved doenjang, autochthonous microbe starters were developed in dried forms as ready-to-use starters. Each starter powder prepared by heat- or freeze-drying methods remained stable even after 24-week storage. These ready- to-use starter powders were successfully applied to lab-scale fermentation for the production of safe and flavor-improved doenjang. We believe that these ready-to-use starter powders will benefit small-scale enterprises in the manufacturing of doenjang of good reproducible quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.201-207
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• 2019

This review summarizes the studies on a wide variety of yeast found in kimchi and the effects of yeast on kimchi fermentation, and discusses the direction for further research. Yeast belongs to the genera Trichosporon, Saccharomyces, Sporisorium, Pichia, Lodderomyces, Kluyveromyces, Candida, Debaryomyces, Geotrichum, Kazachstania, Brassica, Yarrowia, Hanseniaspora, Brettanomyces, Citeromyces, Rhodotorula, and Torulopsis have been identified using culture-dependent methods and metagenomics analysis. The application of yeast as a starter into kimchi has resulted in an extension of shelf life and improvement of sensory characteristics due to a decrease in the amount of lactic acid. On the other hand, some yeast cause kimchi spoilage, which typically appears as an off-odor, texture-softening, and white-colony or white-film formation on the surface of kimchi. In contrast to lactic acid bacteria, there are limited reports on yeast isolated from kimchi. In addition, it is unclear how yeast affects the fermentation of kimchi and the mechanism by which white colony forming yeast predominate in the later stage of kimchi fermentation. Therefore, more research will be needed to solve these issues.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1257-1267
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• 2023

Although rational genetic engineering is nowadays the favored method for microbial strain improvement, building up mutant libraries based on directed evolution for improvement is still in many cases the better option. In this regard, the demand for precise and efficient screening methods for mutants with high performance has stimulated the development of biosensor-based high-throughput screening strategies. Genetically encoded biosensors provide powerful tools to couple the desired phenotype to a detectable signal, such as fluorescence and growth rate. Herein, we review recent advances in engineering several classes of biosensors and their applications in directed evolution. Furthermore, we compare and discuss the screening advantages and limitations of two-component biosensors, transcription-factor-based biosensors, and RNA-based biosensors. Engineering these biosensors has focused mainly on modifying the expression level or structure of the biosensor components to optimize the dynamic range, specificity, and detection range. Finally, the applications of biosensors in the evolution of proteins, metabolic pathways, and genome-scale metabolic networks are described. This review provides potential guidance in the design of biosensors and their applications in improving the bioproduction of microbial cell factories through directed evolution.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.100-110
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• 2000

Studies were conducted to know effects of the bulking agents (saw dusts, mushroom waste, wheat bran coconut meal, rice hulls) adding o moisture control, fermentation methods (aerobic and anaerobic) and periods (1 to 20 days) of food waste fermentation for animal feeds on chemical compositions and in vitro DDM (digestibility of dry matter). Experiment designs were focussed basically to obtain extension service data. The NDF (neutral detergent fiber) composition in the oak and pine saw dust were 93.5% and 95.4% (DM basis) in respectively. Thus, the fermented food waste feeds using saw dust (50%) increased NDF(12%), and decreased in vitro DDM(48%) compared to those of raw materials before aerobic fermentation. The oak saw dust showed higher DDM compared to pine. Mushroom wastes which is a residues of mushroom culture mixed originally willow saw dust (80%) and wheat bran (20%) showed quite higher feed value compared to both saw dusts. It was found that an in vitro DDM and NDF composition in fermented feeds appeared highly dependent or the NDF composition in bulking agents. With an increase wheat bran ratio substitute mushroom waste showed linearly decreased NDF, and increased in vitro DDM in the fermented food waste feeds. The fermented feeds added bottling agents composed higher NDF resulted in higher NDF and lower in vitro DDM with prolonged fermentation time. The feeds from anaerobic fermentation appeared lower NDF and higher in vitro DDM compared to those of aerobic fermentation.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.354-359
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the fermentation characteristics of kimchi treated with different methods of water extracts of powdered green tea(GT). Four different kimchis, the SB-kimchi(control) which was not treatment of the extracts, SG-kimchi prepared with Chinese cabbage(CC) salted in 1％ GT containing 10％ brine, DG-kimchi prepared with CC dipped in 1％ GT for 30 min after salting, MS-kimchi prepared with the salted CC mixed with 1％ GT containing seasonings. All kimchis was fermented at 10$^{\circ}C$. The pH of treated-kimchis were maintained higher than those of control products during fermentation, but it showed no big difference between each treated groups. Total microbe of SB-kimchi(6.27-9.37 cfu/mL) was higher than those of GT-treated kimchi(5.17-9.20) during fermentation. The ratio of lactic acid bacteria against total microbe was higher than the treated kimchis. Total polyphenol content of kimchi was 52.75 mg％ in DG-kimchi, 47.71 mg％ in MS-kimchi, 44.89 mg％ in SG-kimchi, 30.70 mg％ in SB-kimchi on the 5th days of fermentation. Scores of crispy taste of SG- and DG-kimchi on the 5th days of fermentation was 4.03 and 4.01 points, respectively which was higher than control products. Scores of fishy and hot taste of GT-treated kimchi were lower than those of control products during all fermentation periods.