• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.262-269
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• 2013

The object of this study was to improve the quality of Cheonggukjang with new starter, Bacillus subtilis BC-P1. Twenty strains were isolated from the commercial cheonggukjang and 1 Bacillus strain (BC-P1) with protease activity was selected. The 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the BC-P1 was closely related to B. subtilis with 99% homology. The quality characteristics of chunggukjang fermented with B. subtilis BC-P1, Bacillus nato (PC) and commercial chunggukjang (NC) were investigated. The characteristics of fermentation were determined by protease, lipase, xylanase, chitinase, and fibrinolytic activities, reducing sugar, nutrient composition and amino acid contents of cheonggukjang sample. Cheonggukjang fermented with B. subtilis BC-P1 showed the strongest fibrinolytic, xylanase, and chitinase activities. Reducung sugar contents of Cheonggukjang samples were $30.16{\pm}2.11$ mg/g (NC), $28.56{\pm}1.52$ mg/g (PC), $32.39{\pm}1.87$ mg/g (BC-P1). And their total amino acid contents were 338.99 mg% (NC), 445.19 mg% (PC), 741.35 mg% (BC-P1). These results suggested that B. subtilis BC-P1 was suitable to be used as a starter to enhance the quality and effects of cheonggukjang.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.491-502
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• 2014

The present study was conducted to investigate effective starter culture to improve biological activity of Asarum sieboldii. Antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity and reduction of enteric rumen methane production were used as criterions for biological activity. Ground A. sieboldii was added in MRS broth at 10% (w/v) and fermented by different starter cultures. Weissella confusa NJ28, Weissella cibaria NJ33, Lactobacillus curvatus NJ40, Lactobacillus brevis NJ42, Lactobacillus plantarum NJ45 and Lactobacillus sakei NJ48 were used for starter culture strains. Each starter culture was inoculated with 1% (v/v) ratio and fermentation was performed at $30^{\circ}C$ with agitation (150 rpm) for 48 h. MRS broth for the control was employed without starter culture. Then the fermentation growth was dried and extracted using ethyl alcohol. The growth of starter culture was detected at NJ40, NJ42, NJ45 and NJ48. And the highest cell growth was found in NJ40. Antibacterial activity against to Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogens, Mannheimia haemolytica and Salmonella gallinarum were observed in the extract fermented by NJ40 and NJ45. All treatments showed antioxidant activities, however, there were no significant differences (p>0.05). In in vitro rumen fermentation, negative control (NC) and positive control (PC) were assigned to without extract and with non-fermented A. sieboldii extract. Significant suppression of gas productions were detected in positive control and treatments compared to negative control (p<0.05). However, total volatile fatty acid production was not suppressed. Significant methane reduction per total volatile fatty acid productions were found in positive control and NJ45 treatment (p<0.05). The present study suggested a fermentation of A. sieboldii using NJ45 strain could improve its biological activity and make possible for its use in bio additive for enteric rumen methane mitigation without suppression of animal productivity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 2019

Gul jeotgals (GJs) were prepared using solar salt aged for 3 years. One sample was fermented using starters, such as Bacillus subtilis JS2 and Tetragenococcus halophilus BS2-36 (each $10^6CFU/g$), and another sample was fermented without starters for 49 days at $10^{\circ}C$. Initial counts of bacilli and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in non-starter GJ were found to be $3.20{\times}10^2$ and $7.67{\times}10^1CFU/g$ on day 0, and increased to $1.37{\times}10^3$ and $1.64{\times}10^6CFU/g$ on day 49. Those of starter GJ were found to be $2.10{\times}10^5$ and $3.30{\times}10^7CFU/g$ on day 49, indicating the growth of starters. The pH values of GJ were $5.93{\pm}0.01$ (non-starter) and $5.92{\pm}0.01$ (starter) on day 0 and decreased to $5.78{\pm}0.01$ (non-starter) and $5.75{\pm}0.01$ (starter) on day 49. Amino-type nitrogen (ANN) production increased continuously during fermentation, and $407.19{\pm}15.85$ (non-starter) and $398.04{\pm}13.73$ (starter) mg% on day 49. Clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes were constructed from total DNA extracted from non-starter GJ on days 7, 21, and 42. Nucleotide sequences of Escherichia coli transformants harboring recombinant pGEM-T easy plasmid containing 16S rRNA gene inserts from different bacterial species were analyzed using BLAST. Uncultured bacterium was the most dominant group and Gram - bacteria such as Acidovorax sp., Afipia sp., and Variovorax sp. were the second dominant group. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (day 7), Bacillus velezensis (day 21 and 42), and Bacillus subtilis (day 42) were observed, but no lactic acid bacteria were detected. Acidovorax and Variovorax species might play some role in GJ fermentation. Further studies on these bacteria are necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.1717-1726
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• 2013

Fermentation characteristics and health functionalities of kimchi by inoculating kimchi lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starters were studied. We manufactured single LAB starter kimchi (Lactobacillus plantarum pnuK, Lactobacillus plantarum 3099K, Leuconostoc mesenteroides pnuK), mixed LAB starter kimchi (Lb. plantarum pnu/Leu. mesenteroides pnuK, Lb. plantarum 3099/Leu. mesenteroides pnuK) with inoculum size of $10^6$ CFU/g, as well as naturally fermented kimchi (NK), and fermented them for 6 days at $15^{\circ}C$. The pH and acidity of the early phase of fermentation were not different, but kimchi with the starters showed rapid changes in the pH and acidity from 2 days of fermentation. As the fermentation progressed, the level of total aerobic bacteria and Lactobacillus sp. increased similarly with or without Lb. plantarum (LP) inoculation. However, the level of Leuconostoc sp. was high in kimchi inoculated with Leuconostoc sp. starter. In the sensory evaluation test, kimchi with starters received higher overall acceptability scores than those of NK; mixed starter added kimchi earned the highest score. In DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, kimchi with the starters exhibited higher activity than that of NK. In the MTT assay of HCT-116 and HT-29 human colon cancer cells, NK showed inhibition rates of 63.4 and 51.9%, but LPpnuK achieved 77.1 and 68.8%, respectively. This study showed that inoculating starters in kimchi increased in vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities, and single starter (LP) added kimchi revealed higher functionality than the kimchi with mixed starter. Kimchis with the starters effectively up-regulated the gene expressions of the pro-apoptotic gene of Bax, but down-regulated Bcl-2. They promoted expressions of p53 and p21, and suppressed expressions of inflammation-related genes, iNOS and COX-2, compared with NK. Taken together, it is expected that using starters may help manufacture kimchi with improved sensory quality and health functionality.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.811-818
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the amino acid content and physicochemical properties of Cheonggukjang prepared by using various soybean cultivars (Daewon, Deapung, Seadanbeak, and Taekwang) and a functional microorganism (Bacillus subtilis HJ18-9). These soybeans were conventional Cheonggukjang (control) and Cheonggukjang fermented with Bacillus subtilis HJ18-9 (treated). The moisture contents of steamed, control, and treated soybean were 62.45~67.12%, 63.28~67.14%, and 64.50~66.87%; amino-type nitrogen contents were 6.53~24.25 mg%, 27.63~122.09 mg%, and 37.29~133.48 mg%; and ammonia-type nitrogen contents were 26.92~47.95 mg%, 45.45~156.36 mg%, and 28.02~121.13 mg%, respectively. The umami taste associated with several amino acids (aspartic acid and glutamic acid) in Cheonggukjang was lower than that for steamed soybeans, while the bitter taste from amino acids (methionine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine) was higher than that for steamed soybeans. The result of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the molecular weight of steamed soybeans was less than 100 kDa, while control and treated groups showed low molecular weights below 34 kDa, confirming their protein hydrolysis to small molecular weight. These results are information for developing functional fermented soybean paste and diversification using soybean cultivars.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.559-568
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• 2015

Kimchi is a traditional Korean vegetable product that is naturally fermented by various microorganisms present in the raw materials. Among these microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria dominate the fermentation process. Natural fermentation with unsterilized raw materials leads to the growth of various lactic acid bacteria, resulting in variations in the taste and quality of kimchi, which may make it difficult to produce industrial-scale kimchi with consistent quality. The use of starter cultures has been considered as an alternative for the industrial production of standardized kimchi, and recent trends suggest that the demand for starter cultures is on the rise. However, several factors should be carefully considered for the successful application of starter cultures for kimchi fermentation. In this review, we summarize recent studies on kimchi starter cultures, describe practical problems in the application of industrial-scale kimchi production, and discuss the directions for further studies.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2008

In this study, a nanatural fermentation starter formulation was developed for manufacturing bread products by substituting baker's yeast with naturally fermented raisin extract and sourdough. Four experimental groups containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10% naturally fermented raisin extract per 2,000 g of flour were compared based on quality characteristics, including the fermentation power on dough expansion, specific volume, baking loss, water activity, color, textural characteristics, and internal surface appearance. The activities of the naturally fermented raisin extract were examined in terms of pH changes, total titratable acidity, brix, and viable yeast counts. The raisin extract, which was cultured for 7 days at 30$^{\circ}C$, smelled of alcohol and produced $CO_2$. Yeast were also found in the extract after separation. As the incubation time of the raisin extract and sourdough increased, pH decreased, while total titratable acidity increased. The brix of the raisin extract increased until the $2^{nd}$ day of fermentation, and viable yeast counts increased until the $5^{th}$ day however, these gradually decreased by the $7^{th}$ day. The fermenting power on dough expansion increased in the bread with increasing incubation time. The bread samples containing 7.5% and 10% raisin extract had significantly higher specific volumes than the other samples. Baking loss was minimal with the 2.5% extract substitution. In analyzing the crumb, water activity, redness, and yellowness were highest in the 10.0% raisin extract bread samples, and lightness was maximal in the 5.0% group. In terms of textural characteristics, hardness was lowest with the 2.5% extract substitution. Gumminess, springiness, and chewiness were not significantly different among the bread samples. Cohesiveness was highest at the 7.5% extract substitution level, and resilience was lowest at the 10% level. In conclusion, based on the results, a natural fermentation starter formulated with 2.5% naturally fermented raisin extract (1 part raisins and 1.5 parts water) and 70% sourdough (1 part rye flour and 1 part water) has high potential as a baker's yeast substitute for making naturally fermented bread.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1184-1194
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• 2020

Melanin is a major factor that darkens skin color as one of the defense systems to prevent the harmful effects of UV light. However, darkened skin from the localized or systemic accumulation of melanin is viewed in many cultures as an esthetic problem. Consequentially, searching for anti-melanogenic agents from natural sources is very popular worldwide. Previous screening of fermented rice products, obtained from various rice cultivars fermented with different sources of loog-pang (Thai traditional fermentation starter), revealed that the highest ability to reduce the melanin content in B16F10 melanoma cells was from unpolished black rice fermented with a defined starter mixture of microbes isolated from loog-pang E11. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the fermented unpolished black rice (FUBR) on the inhibition of melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. The strongest reduction of cellular melanin content was found in the FUBR sap (FUBRS). The melanin reduction activity was consistent with the significant decrease in the intracellular tyrosinase activity. The FUBRS showed no cytotoxic effect to B16F10 melanoma or Hs68 human fibroblast cell lines. It also significantly reduced the transcript and protein expression levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP-1), TYRP-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Furthermore, it induced a significantly increased level of phosphorylated ERK, p38 and Akt signaling pathways, which likely contributed to the negative regulation of melanogenesis. From these results, a model for the mechanism of FUBRS on melanogenesis inhibition was proposed. Moreover, these results strongly suggested that FUBRS possesses anti-melanogenesis activity with high potential for cosmeceutical application as a skin depigmenting agent.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2018

Background: Ginseng contains many small metabolites such as amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and ginsenosides. However, little is known about the relationships between microorganisms and metabolites during the entire ginseng fermentation process. We investigated metabolic changes during ginseng fermentation according to the inoculation of food-compatible microorganisms. Methods: Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) datasets coupled with the multivariate statistical method for the purpose of latent-information extraction and sample classification were used for the evaluation of ginseng fermentation. Four different starter cultures (Saccharomyces bayanus, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroide) were used for the ginseng extract fermentation. Results: The principal component analysis score plot and heat map showed a clear separation between ginseng extracts fermented with S. bayanus and other strains. The highest levels of fructose, maltose, and galactose in the ginseng extracts were found in ginseng extracts fermented with B. subtilis. The levels of succinic acid and malic acid in the ginseng extract fermented with S. bayanus as well as the levels of lactic acid, malonic acid, and hydroxypruvic acid in the ginseng extract fermented with lactic acid bacteria (L. plantarum and L. mesenteroide) were the highest. In the results of taste features analysis using an electronic tongue, the ginseng extracts fermented with lactic acid bacteria were significantly distinguished from other groups by a high index of sour taste probably due to high lactic acid contents. Conclusion: These results suggest that a metabolomics approach based on GC-MS can be a useful tool to understand ginseng fermentation and evaluate the fermentative characteristics of starter cultures.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.513-520
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• 2011

In order to develop a new starter culture for fermented milk, Lactobacillus fermentum LC272 was isolated from raw milk and its physiological characteristics were investigated. The vitamin $K_2$ concentration of L. fermentum LC272 was $184.94{\mu}g/L$ in Rogosa medium and $63.93{\mu}g/L$ in the reconstituted skim milk. The optimum growth temperature for L. fermentum LC272 was determined to be $40^{\circ}C$ and it took 24 h for the pH to reach 5.2 under this condition. L. fermentum LC272 was more sensitive to rifampicin relative of the other 15 different antibiotics tested, and showed most resistance to streptomycin. L. fermentum LC272 showed higher activities to leucine arylamidase and acid phosphatase. It was comparatively tolerant to bile juice and acid and displayed high resistance against Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus with rates of 82.9 and 86.3% respectively. These results demonstrated that L. fermentum LC272 could be an excellent starter culture for fermented milk with high levels of vitamin $K_2$ production.