• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.218-224
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• 2015

Aspergillus is an important fungal genus used for the fermentation of Asian foods; this genus is referred to as koji mold in Japan and China. A. oryzae, A. sojae, and A. tamari are used in the production of miso and shoyu in Japan, but a comprehensive taxonomic study of Aspergillus isolated from Meju, a fermented soybean starting material for traditional soy sauce and soybean paste in Korea, has not been conducted. In this study, various Aspergillus species were isolated during a study of the mycobiota of Meju, and the aspergilli were identified based on phenotypic characteristics and sequencing of the ${\beta}$-tubulin gene. Most strains of Aspergillus were found to belong to the following sections: Aspergillus (n = 220), Flavi (n = 213), and Nigri (n = 54). The most commonly identified species were A. oryzae (n = 183), A. pseudoglaucus (Eurotium repens) (n = 81), A. chevalieri (E. chevalieri) (n = 62), A. montevidensis (E. amstelodami) (n = 34), A. niger (n = 21), A. tamari (n = 15), A. ruber (E. rubrum) (n = 15), A. proliferans (n = 14), and A. luchuensis (n = 14); 25 species were identified from 533 Aspergillus strains. Aspergillus strains were mainly found during the high temperature fermentation period in the later steps of Meju fermentation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.924-933
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• 1998

Kochujang, fermented hot pepper-soybean paste, was prepared by two common varieties of red pepper and natural fermented (NF) or pure cultured (PC) meju (soybean mass that is soaked, steamed, mashed and fermented by natural microflora or pure strain) and monitored their taste related component, enzyme activity and microflora during fermentation at $25^{\circ}C$ for 120 days for confirming possibility of kochujang fermentation control. The reducing sugars, amino type nitrogen (reference quality factor) and amino acid content in PC kochujang were 11.4%, 0.58% and 1,372.9 mg% respectively, 7.1%, 0.42% and 1,038.7 mg% in NF kochujang. It is concerned higher ${\alpha}-{\;}and{\;}{\beta}-{\;}amylase$ and, acid and neutral protease in PC kochujang during fermentation. The meju fermented by selected pure strain (A. oryzae CBU) can be applied to produced better quality of kochujang instead of natural meju.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.648-660
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• 2014

Doenjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste, is made by mixing and ripening meju with high salt brine (approximately 18%). Meju is a naturally fermented soybean block prepared by soaking, steaming, and molding soybean. To understand living bacterial community migration and the roles of bacteria in the manufacturing process of doenjang, the diversity of culturable bacteria in meju and doenjang was examined using media supplemented with NaCl, and some physiological activities of predominant isolates were determined. Bacilli were the major bacteria involved throughout the entire manufacturing process from meju to doenjang; some of these bacteria might be present as spores during the doenjang ripening process. Bacillus siamensis was the most populous species of the genus, and Bacillus licheniformis exhibited sufficient salt tolerance to maintain its growth during doenjang ripening. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, the major lactic acid bacteria (LAB) identified in this study, did not continue to grow under high NaCl conditions in doenjang. Enterococci and certain species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the predominant acid-producing bacteria in meju fermentation, whereas Tetragenococcus halophilus and CNS were the major acid-producing bacteria in doenjang fermentation. We conclude that bacilli, LAB, and CNS may be the major bacterial groups involved in meju fermentation and that these bacterial communities undergo a shift toward salt-tolerant bacilli, CNS, and T. halophilus during the doenjang fermentation process.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.250-255
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• 2001

Effect of molding temperature on the quality changes of extruded meju was studied. Meju was molded at 8$0^{\circ}C$, 6$0^{\circ}C$ and 4$0^{\circ}C$, and then stored at $25^{\circ}C$ with 50% of relative humidity for 30 days. The texture of the cooked soybean grain showed that the firmness and cohesiveness were increased, and consistency was decreased by decrease of molding temperature. The density of the meju molded at 8$0^{\circ}C$, 6$0^{\circ}C$ and 4$0^{\circ}C$ were 1.072g/mL, 1.079g/mL and 1.203g/mL, respectively. The meju molded at 4$0^{\circ}C$ had significantly higher density than those molded at 8$0^{\circ}C$ or 6$0^{\circ}C$. Also, delay of water evaporation, acidification, and rapid growth of fungal mycellium were observed on the sample with molding temperature at 4$0^{\circ}C$ during fermentation. Activity of amylase and protease, contents of total reducing sugar and amino nitrogen of 4$0^{\circ}C$-molded meju were represented lower level than those of 6$0^{\circ}C$ or 8$0^{\circ}C$-molded sample. Therefore, it was considered that the molding temperature was an important factor for meju fermentation and molding temperature of 6$0^{\circ}C$ or over would be acceptable.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.460-465
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the isoflavone contents including daidzein and genistein in soy sauces made with whole grain soybean Meju(WGSM), comparing with defatted Meju(DM) du.ins fermentation. Total isoflavone contents in 2 soy sauces made with DM, Control and product A, increased with period of fermentation and were 15 and 4.3 times higher after 180 days of fermentation than on the day before fermentation respectively. Meanwhile, 2 soy sauces made with WGSM, product B and C, had the highest amounts with $20.53{\mu}g/g\;and\;19.52{\mu}g/g$ of isoflavones on the day before fermentation respectively, and then decreased with fermentation time. High amounts of isoflavones were detected in 20 days of fermentation of soy sauce which made with WGSM and wheat Meju(product D). Daidzein was the largest amounts in isoflavone contents, regardless of total or free isoflavone types. The level of daidzein increased with fermentation time in 2 soy sauces made with DM, Control and product A, whereas 2 soy sauces made with WGSM, product B and C decreased with fermentation time, instead of increasing of genistein contents.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.509-512
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• 1998

Changes in the contents of stachyose and raffinose were determined during soybean fermentation. ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase activities were also monitored in soybean and its fermented products. The stachyose contents were 31.8239 mg/g of soybean, 4.2217 mg/g of Meju, and 2.1184 mg/g of Doenjang. The raffinose contents were 2.6914 mg/g of soybean, 1.7413 mg/g of Meju, and negligible of Doenjang. ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase activities was distinct in soybean and Meju. They were 14.5954 units/mg protein of soybean, 13.1489 units/mg protein of Meju, and 1.9157 units/mg protein of Doenjang. The results suggested that the decrease of stachyose and raffinose contents in fermented soy products were due to the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase activity.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.408-419
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• 2022

Filamentous fungi that could be classified into Aspergillus flavus/oryzae were isolated from traditionally fermented meju commercially available in Korea. The samples were analyzed for aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A contamination by HPLC; however, no toxin was detected. In addition, fungal and bacterial metagenomic sequencing were performed to analyze the microbial distribution in the samples. The results revealed that the distribution and abundance of fungi and bacteria differed considerably depending on the production regions and fermentation conditions of the meju samples. Through morphological analysis, ITS region sequencing, and assessment of the aflatoxin-producing ability, a total of 32 A. flavus/oryzae strains were identified. PCR analysis of six regions with a high mutation frequency in the aflatoxin gene cluster (AGC) revealed a total of six types of AGC breaking point patterns. The A. flavus/oryzae strains did not exhibit the high amylase activity detected in the commercial yellow koji strain (starter mold). However, their peptidase and lipase activities were generally higher than that of the koji isolates. We verified the safety of the traditionally fermented meju samples by analyzing the AGC breaking point pattern and the enzyme activities of A. flavus/oryzae strains isolated from the samples. The isolated strains could possibly be used as starter molds for soybean fermentation.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.421-426
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• 1994

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of $CaCO_3$ on the Chungkookjang Meju fermentation. B. subtilis was cultured on the Meju added 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1% $CaCO_3$, respectively, and the chemical composition, protease activity, amino acid and vitamin B complex were examined with fermentation time. The inner temperature of the $CaCO_3$ treatments during fermentation was increased as compared with the control group. Titratable acidity in Meju decreased as $CaCO_3$ concentration increased. And protease activity and amino-nitrogen content were however high in same order. The content of amino acid was on the increase in every treatments, it made no difference between $CaCO_3$, treatments and the control. Vitamin B complex content in the $CaCO_3$ treatments was increased than in the control. The 0.01% added treatment showed the highest amount of vitamin B complex content in all the treatments.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.908-915
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• 1998

By using Korean native soybean, traditional meju was prepared in Chuncheon, Kangweondo according to the traditional process. Analysis of physico-chemical, enzymatic and microbiological changes during meju fermentation were carried out in order to obtain a basic information for industrial scale production of meju. The enviroments for natural meju fermentation were $10{\sim}15^{\circ}C$ and $60{\sim}70%{\;}RH$. Moisture content decreased from 59% to 11% (exterior section) and 19% (interior section). the pH of meju rapidly increased up to 8.5 at $33^{rd}{\;}day$ of fermentation and thereafter decreased down to 7.9 at $70^{th}{\;}day$ of fermentation. Souble protein content was 1.47% at initial stage and increased up to $6.31{\sim}7.34%$ at $33^{rd}{\;}day$ of fermentation. Amino nitrogen content was $460{\sim}770{\;}mg%$ at $70^{th}{\;}day$ of fermentation. the color of meju became gradually black and decreased in redness and yellowness. During the process, protease and lipase seemed to play an important role in the digestion of soy protein and fat. Acidic protease activity increased up to $135.9{\sim}152.4{\;}unit/g$ at $33^{rd}{\;}day$ of fermentation and were $181.3{\sim}272.6{\;}unit/g$ at $70^{th}{\;}day$ of fermentation. Lipase activity increased up to 6 unit/g (interior section) and 15 unit/g (exterior section) at $70^{th}{\;}day$ of fermentation. the viable cell count of meju was at the level of $10^8{\;}CFU/g$ during the overall fermentation period. Aerobic halophilic count was $1.51{\times}10^7{\;}CFU/g$ at initial stage and maintained $10^8{\;}CFU/g$ level during the process. Initial anaerobic cell count was $2.0^9{\times}10^4{\;}CFU/g$ and increased up to $10^5{\;}CFU/g$ level at 47 days. Yeast and mold counts were $10^4{\sim}10^5{\;}CFU/g$ for the fermentation period.