• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.442-445
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• 2008

Meju, a major ingredient of doenjang which is a popular Korean traditional fermented soyfood, was manufactured by fermenting steamed soybeans in natural environment in which steamed soy was exposed to airborne microorganism, in particular, fungi. Total isoflavone content was reduced from 1,849 mg/kg of cooked soy to 816 mg/kg of meju at the $90^{th}$ day of fermentation. Total glycosides and aglycones of isoflavones in meju were 1,827 and 22 mg/kg at 0 day and changed into 487 and 329 mg/kg at the 90th day of fermentation, respectively. Meanwhile, the ratio of glycosides to aglycones of isoflavones was not changed during aging of doenjang but remained relatively constant with 592 and 644 mg/kg aglycones at the 0 and $160^{th}$ day, respectively. When cooked soy was fermented with Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus flavus, isoflavone profiles were significantly different from each other while A. oryzae caused more extensive metabolism of isoflavones than A. flavus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1270-1279
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• 2011

Bealmijang is a short-term aged paste made from meju, which is a brick of fermented soybeans and other ingredients. Different types of bealmijang are available depending on the geographic region or ingredients used. However, no study has clarified the microbial diversity of these types. We identified 17 and 14 fungal species from black soybean meju (BSM) and buckwheat meju (BWM), respectively, on the basis of morphology, culture characteristics, and internal transcribed spacer and ${\beta}$-tubulin gene sequencing. In both meju, Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oryzae, Penicillium polonicum, P. steckii, Cladosporium tenuissimum, C. cladosporioides, C. uredinicola, and yeast species Pichia burtonii were commonly found. Moreover, A. flavus, A. niger, P. crustosum, P. citrinum, Eurotium niveoglaucum, Absidia corymbifera, Setomelanomma holmii, Cladosporium spp. and unclassified species were identified from BSM. A. clavatus, Mucor circinelloides, M. racemosus, P. brevicompactum, Davidiella tassiana, and Cladosporium spp. were isolated from BWM. Fast growing Zygomycetous fungi is considered important for the early stage of meju fermentation, and A. oryae and A. niger might play a pivotal role in meju fermentation owing to their excellent enzyme productive activities. It is supposed that Penicillium sp. and Pichia burtonii could contribute to the flavor of the final food products. Identification of this fungal diversity will be useful for understanding the microbiota that participate in meju fermentation, and these fungal isolates can be utilized in the fermented foods and biotechnology industries.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2008

Fermented soybeans contain microorganisms, diverse enzymes, and bioactive compounds. Few studies on cellulase in Chungkookjang exist. Oligosaccharides play diverse roles of bioactivity. Through Congo red test and activity staining, it was confirmed that the enzyme solution contained cellulase. Optimal pH and temperature of the cellulase produced by Bacillus licheniformis B1 were 10 and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. Through TLC analysis, it was demonstrated that the enzyme solution degraded carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), whose main products contained dimer and trimer oligosaccharides. Cellulase activity of barley-Chungkookjnag fermented by the strain increased, compared with that of Chungkookjang. The cellulase was found to be a ${\beta}$-1,4-glucanase through the analysis of the cloned gene, showing polymorphism at 32 amino acid sites in the coding range of amino acid 10 and 460.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2008

This study was performed to investigate the anti-microbial activity of extract from Korean fermented soybean paste (doen-jang) against 16 types of oral microbes, and to determine the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of the extract for three major microbes causing human oral diseases (Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Candida albicans). The extract was prepared using ethyl acetate and it was treated with the oral microbes at a concentration of 5.00 mg/ml (0.5%). The anti-microbial activity and MIC were measured using broth dilution method. Significant reduction of microbial activities of 16 types of oral microbes occurred when the soybean paste extract was added to the broth compared to the control (p<0.01), and striking inhibition (more than 99%) was observed in ten types. S. mutans, which causes dental caries, showed MIC at a concentration of 1.25 mg/ml for the extract. P. gingivalis, which causes adult periodontal disease, showed MIC at a concentration of 2.50 mg/ml for the extract. C. albicans, which causes denture stomatitis and angular stomatitis, showed MIC at a concentration of 20 mg/ml for the extract. These results indicate that ethyl acetate extract of doen-jang showed strong anti-microbial effect against 16 types of oral microbes, and the anti-microbial effect of the extract against oral microbes was stronger against bacteria than against fungi. The anti-microbial effect might be possibly enhanced by the fermentation of soybeans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.671-680
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• 2017

This study was conducted to examine the effects and potential mechanisms of action of black soybean extracts and fermented black soybean extracts by Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Bifidobacterium animals subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12) on proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC). We examined changes in pH, total polyphenol, sugar, and reducing sugar contents according to fermentation period of black soybean extracts. Assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide was performed to determine cell toxicity levels of the four black soybean extracts [black soybean water extract (BWE), black soybean ethanol extract (BEE), fermented BWE (F-BEW), and fermented BEE (F-BEE)]. Changes in mRNA expression levels of hair growth promoting factors and hair growth inhibiting factors by the four black soybean extracts were measured by real-time PCR. In addition, phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase family proteins were measured by western blot analysis. As a result, fermentation of black soybeans significantly reduced pH, total polyphenols, and sugar/reducing sugar contents. All four black soybean extracts showed no cellular toxicity in HFDPC. In fact, BEE significantly enhanced cell viability of HFDPC at $100{\mu}g/mL$ compared to control. BWE, BEE, and BWE-F significantly increased mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, and all four extracts increased mRNA expression of fibroblast growth factor. However, mRNA expression levels of apoptosis-related genes were not affected by black soybean extracts in HFDPC. Furthermore, BWE, BEE, and BWE-F significantly increased phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase compared to control. Taken together, we demonstrated that black soybean extracts enhanced proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells partially via activation of hair growth promoting factors, although no particular significant effects on proliferation were observed by fermentation of black soybeans.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to improve the quality characteristics of soy ice cream supplemented with oligosaccharide, and to test its blood glucose lowering effect. Boiled soybean powder was compared to parched soybean powder and to milk, as an ingredient. The soybean powder base was prepared by incubating with fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and apple juice, along with Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. bulgaricus at $30-40^{circ}C$ for 24 hr. With the fermentation process, the fishy smell of the soybean was removed and the taste improved. The overrun and melt-down values of the boiled soybean ice cream were significantly higher than those of the parched soybean ice cream, although they were significantly lower than those of the milk ice cream. The sensory characteristics of the soy ice cream prepared with the fermented base of boiled soybeans were significantly improved, as compared to those of the ice cream made using parched soybeans, but they were not significantly different from those of the milk ice cream. The blood glucose level at 120 min after ingestion of the ice cream prepared with FOS and the fermented base of boiled soybean powder was significantly lower than that occurring with the milk ice cream made with sugar.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-18
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• 2018

In this study, soy-powder yogurt (SPY) with enhanced levels of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and isoflavone aglycone was produced from sprouting high-protein soybeans (HPSs). The fermented steam-HPS sprouts (0 to 4 cm) were fermented (72 h) with Lactobacillus brevis, and the total free amino acids (FAAs) of the formed mixtures were determined to be 79.53, 489.93, 877.55, 780.53, and 979.97 mg/100 mL in the fermented HPS (FHPS), and the fermented steam-HPS with 0 cm (FSHPS-0), 1 cm (FSHPS-1), 2 cm (FSHPS-2), and 4 cm sprouting lengths (FSHPS-4), respectively. The levels of glutamic acid (GA) and GABA were observed to be the highest, 100.31 and 101.60 mg/100 mL, respectively, in the unfermented HPS (UFSHPS-1, 1 cm) and FSHPS-1 sprouts, respectively. Moreover, the total contents of the isoflavone glycoside form decreased proportionally to the increasing total levels of isoflavone aglycones after fermentation in FSHPS-0, FSHPS-1, FSHPS-2, and FSHPS-4. The levels of isoflavone aglycones were detected as 350.34, 289.15, 361.61, 445.05, and $491.25{\mu}g/g$ in FHPS, FSHPS-0, FSHPS-1, FSHPS-2, and FSHPS-4, respectively. While FSHPS-1 exhibited the highest DPPH (63.28%) and ABTS (73.28%) radical scavenging activities, FSHPS-4 contained the highest isoflavone aglycone ratio (81.63%). All in all, the FSHPS-1 mixture prepared in this study exhibited high GABA content and functional prosperity, thereby making it suitable for potential applications in the soy-dairy industry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1711-1717
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• 2010

In this study, fibrinolytic activities of fermented yellow agabean (FYA) and black agabean (FBA), and the antioxidation efficiencies of 70% ethanol extract of fermented yellow agabean (FYAE) and black agabean (FBAE) were investigated by selecting Bacillus sp. sm26 strain. Fibrinolytic activities of FYA and FBA were $6.38{\pm}0.5$ and $6.83{\pm}0.5\;U/ml$, which were 1.3 and 1.4 times higher than that of FSB, respectively. With regard to total phenolic contents, FYAE and FBAE were $3.40{\pm}0.44\;mg/g$ and $2.45{\pm}0.20\;mg/g$ respectively, suggesting that their contents were about twice as high as that of fermented soybean extract (FSBE) used as a control. In comparison with FSBE, total protein and sugar contents of FYAE were $0.56{\pm}0.11$ and $2.41{\pm}0.48\;mg/g$, respectively, and those of FBAE were $0.39{\pm}0.12$ and $2.72{\pm}0.63\;mg/g$, respectively. This result suggests that FYAE was 4.7 and 1.7 times higher than FSBE, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of FBAE was 79% at 1 mg/ml, which was highest among the fermented bean extracts, and was twice as high as FSBE in regards to activity. In addition, FBAE exhibited the highest reducing power at 1 mg/ml, which was higher than FSBE by two-fold. With regard to lipid peroxidation, FBAE and FYAE were 93% and 80% at 1 mg/ml, which were 3 and 2.5 times higher than FSBE, respectively. Of note, the hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities of FBAE and FYAE were 82% and 54% at 1 mg/ml, offering activity that was 4 and 2.5 times higher than FSBE, respectively. Based on these results, the fibrinolytic activity and antioxidation efficiency of the fermented agabeans were significantly higher than other soybeans. Therefore, these studies may suggest that the functional agabeans can be a potential candidate for a natural functional food.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.172-175
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• 2008

Two new fermentation products were separated from cheonggukjang by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tentatively identified as succinyl daidzin and succinyl genistin by HPLC-mass spectrometry (MS). Both succinyl daidzin and succinyl genistin were detected in all 4 commercially available and one laboratory prepared cheonggukjang and 1 commercially available natto. However, these compounds were not detected in commercially available 4 home-made and 4 factory-produced doenjang. Peak areas of succinyl genistin were about 1.95-2.45 times higher than those of succinyl daidzin in cheonggukjang, which may be due to the higher concentration of genistin derivatives than daidzin derivatives in soybeans. This is the first report on the succinyl derivatives as isoflavone metabolites from cheonggukjang and these 2 isoflavone derivatives could be characteristic indicators for cheonggukjang.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.308-311
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• 2015

Chungkookjang (fermented soybeans) contains diverse peptides. Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with peptide H derived from Chungkookjang, and $TNF{\alpha}$ expression in the cells was conspicuously repressed, suggesting peptide H's regulation of IL6 since IL6 is induced by $TNF{\alpha}$. The structure of peptide H was different from those of glucocorticoid and dexamethasone, suggesting different mechanisms of $TNF{\alpha}$ expression suppression. Peptide H which reduces $TNF{\alpha}$ expression can be developed as drugs for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, after more investigation.