• 한국식품영양학회지
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• 제33권5호
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• pp.524-531
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality properties of Meju prepared by inoculating two strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HJ5-2, and Aspergillus oryzae PS03. The three soybean varieties that include Daewonkong, Daechan, and Saedanbaek were used in this experiment. The fermentation temperature during the Meju aging varied at 20℃, 30℃, and 40℃, respectively. The physicochemical analysis of the soybeans, showed that the cured protein and fat contents were 34.83~43.49% and 12.91~18.90%, respectively. The pH and total acidity were 6.47~6.93 and 0.11~1.22%, respectively. The change in appearance of the Meju was that the yellow-green mold was well formed on seven days at fermentation temperature of 20℃ and 30℃, but at 40℃, there was minimal mold formation and cracking of the surface. The amino nitrogen content was highest on the Daechan Meju at 621.83 mg% for seven days. The amylase increased as the fermentation period increased in all samples, and the protease increased rapidly until the first day of the fermentation, and then gradually increased thereafter. The total number of bacteria increased or decreased as the fermentation proceeded to 6.66~10.07 log CFU/g. The mold counts increased with increasing fermentation period in the range of 6.38~8.79 log CFU/g.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.527-533
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• 2008

For preparation of high quality kochujang by the traditional fermentation method, 4 types of kochujang were prepared with brick- or grain-shaped meju fermented with different strains (Aspergillus sojae, Aspergillus oryzae+Bacillus subtilis). After 100 days of fermentation at $25^{\circ}C$, the moisture, pH, salt, and ethanol content of kochujang were 40.52-43.20%, 4.71-4.82, 8.7-9.1%, and 0.75-0.94%, respectively, showing slight differences according to the strains and shapes of meju. Titratable acidities were slightly increased for up to 60 days of fermentation. The amino-type nitrogen content of kochujang prepared with brick-shaped meju (A. oryzae+B. subtilis) was the highest (164.20 mg%) among all of the kochujang types. The redness (a) value of kochujang prepared with brick-shaped meju (A. sojae) were higher (19.08) than those of other treatments (18.37-18.59). Sensory evaluation of kochujang prepared with grain-shaped meju (A. sojae) showed the highest scores for color and overall acceptability, 'at $6.43{\pm}1.87$ and $6.29{\pm}1.44$, respectively. It was estimated that high quality kochujang could be made by using meju fermented with selected strains.

• 한국식품저장유통학회지
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.397-406
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• 2011

메주의 산업화를 위해, 종균으로서는 A. oryze와 A. sojae 그리고 B. subtilis를 병용하고, 습도조절과 함께 $28^{\circ}C$에서 12일간 발효하면서 메주의 품질특성 변화를 조사하였다. 그리고 이들 종균 접종 메주와 순창 고추장 민속마을에서 입수한 된장용 전통메주의 효소 활성도를 비교하였다. 즉, A. oryzae를 접종한 메주(=AO메주), A. oryze와 B. subtilis를 접종한 메주(AOBS메주), A. sojae를 접종한 메주(=AS메주), A. sojae와 B. subtilis를 접종한 메주(=ASBS메주)를 12일 동안 발효시키면서 메주별로 품질 변화를 관찰하였다. 세균수와 곰팡이수는 각각 발효초기 6.48~6.69 log cfu/g, 5.00~5.71 log cfu/g에서 발효 2일에 8 log cfu/g 이상, 6 log cfu/g 이상으로 증가한 후 발효 12일 까지 세균수는 유지되었고, 곰팡이수는 감소 경향을 보였다. 아미노태 질소 함량은 발효 2일에 430.5~577.5 mg% 범위를 나타내었다. 중성 protease 활성도는 전통메주 $1,258.0{\pm}38.8$, AS메주 $1,238.3{\pm}38.6$, AO메주 $1,204.1{\pm}24.1$, ASBS메주 $1,040.6{\pm}10.6$, AOBS메주 $1,033.5{\pm}11.2$ unit/g순으로 나타났다. 산성 protease활성도는 AO메주 $1,030.1{\pm}19.1$, 전통메주 $1007.7{\pm}30.5$, AS메주 $990.9{\pm}25.0$, AOBS메주 $910.9{\pm}15.3$, ASBS메주 $888.2{\pm}15.7$ unit/g 순이었다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권12호
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• pp.1654-1663
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• 2013

Rice straw is closely associated with meju fermentation and it is generally known that the rice straw provides meju with many kinds of microorganisms. In order to elucidate the origin of meju fungi, the fungal diversity of rice straw was examined. Rice straw was collected from 12 Jang factories where meju are produced, and were incubated under nine different conditions by altering the media (MEA, DRBC, and DG18), and temperature ($15^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, and $35^{\circ}C$). In total, 937 strains were isolated and identified as belonging to 39 genera and 103 species. Among these, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Eurotium, Fusarium, and Penicillium were the dominant genera. Fusarium asiaticum (56.3%), Cladosporium cladosporioides (48.6%), Aspergillus tubingensis (37.5%), A. oryzae (31.9%), Eurotium repens (27.1%), and E. chevalieri (25.0%) were frequently isolated from the rice straw obtained from many factories. Twelve genera and 40 species of fungi that were isolated in the rice straw in this study were also isolated from meju. Specifically, A. oryzae, C. cladosporioides, E. chevalieri, E. repens, F. asiaticum, and Penicillium polonicum (11.8%), which are abundant species in meju, were also isolated frequently from rice straw. C. cladosporioides, F. asiaticum, and P. polonicum, which are abundant in the low temperature fermentation process of meju fermentation, were frequently isolated from rice straw incubated at $15^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, whereas A. oryzae, E. repens, and E. chevalieri, which are abundant in the high temperature fermentation process of meju fermentation, were frequently isolated from rice straw incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$. This suggests that the mycobiota of rice straw has a large influence in the mycobiota of meju. The influence of fungi on the rice straw as feed and silage for livestock, and as plant pathogens for rice, are discussed as well.

• 한국조리학회지
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.357-371
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• 2000

Changes of Microflora, enzyme activity, and contents of several taste compounds in traditional Kanjang(Korean Soy Sauce) with the variation of fermentation jars and Meju(fermented soybean brick)concentration were studied. Substitution possibilities of clay jar with glass jar and improvement possibilities of taste and nutritional value with increased Meju concentration were examined. (1) Aerobic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria were enumerated during fermentation and ripening period. But yeast and molds were hardly isolated. The number of viable cells showed small changes during fermentation and ripening period. (2) Isolated Aerobic bacteria were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus lichenformis, and lactic acid bacteria were identified as Lactlbacillus lactis lactis and lactobacillus brevis. (3) The activities of $\alpha$-amylase and $\beta$-amylase increased during fermentation period, but did not show any trend by fermentation jars or Meju concentrations. Protense activity showed small difference among four samples, and increased during the fermentation period.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.125-131
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• 2000

고추장의 품질 향상 및 제품 다양화를 목적으로 메주, 고오지 및 메주와 고오지의 혼용으로 담금한 고추장의 숙성과정 중 품질은 아래와 같다. 고추장 숙성과정 중 수분은 $53.4{\sim}66.5%$, 식염 $8.3{\sim}10.1%$, 조단백질 $8.3{\sim}19.3%$, pH $4.6{\sim}5.4$의 범위였다. 아미노태질소는 숙성 중 증가하여 150일에 $230{\sim}270mg%$로 나타났고 담금 직후에는 혼용고추장에서, 숙성 30일 이후는 고오지 고추장에서 높았다. 환원당은 숙성 60일에 $15.0{\sim}19.5%$로 최대함량을 보였다. 고추장의 아미노산 함량은 glutamic acid가 $1.38{\sim}3.66%$로 아미노산 중 함량이 가장 높았고 이외 aspartic acid, leucine, arginine, alanine, phenylalanine의 함량이 높은 편에 속하였다. 색도의 밝기는 30일까지 혼용고추장에서, 이후는 메주 고추장에서 높았으며 적색도는 60일까지 메주 고추장에서, $90{\sim}120$일에는 고오지 고추장에서 높았다.

• Mycobiology
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• 제43권3호
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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.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제30권4호
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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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• 제24권5호
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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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• 제21권12호
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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.