• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.733-739
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• 1966

A 371 agricultural households from 26 different communities in South Korea was subjected on a study of food taboos in January of 1966. To the pregnant women, those to whom a high protein diet is particurally important, as many as 14 different kinds of foods, mostly portein rich foods, were avoided to eat. It is believed that if duck is eaten while pregnant her baby may walk like a duck in later life. Some mother have a strong aversion to the rabbit meat that her unborn baby must be a harelip. It is feared to eat chicken, shark or carp by the pregnant mother for her baby may get a gooseflesh appearance, or fish scale-like skin in later life. It is thought that if mother eats soup made of meat borns, especially chicken bones, a disfigured baby may be born. Some area informed that if mother eats crab meat her future baby will always bubble. To the child-bearing mothers 13 different kinds of foods were avoided to eat. Some believe that if raddish kimchi, soybean curd, squash are eaten while dilivery that mother may get dental decay or to lose all her teeth. Other think that highly spiced raddish kimchi cause delivery difficult. To the lactating mothers 7 different items of foods were not recommended to eat. It is a common belief that eating green vegetables, especially fresh lettuce, are restricted that her baby may stool greenish. It is said that eating ginsen-chicken soup, or ginsen tea during lactating reduces breast milk secretion. To the weaning babies 7 different kinds of foods were prohibited to fee. Eggs are not eaten because mothers think her babies will start to talk very late. Eight different items of foods in cases of gastro-intestinal diseases, 5 items for liver disease, 7 items for high blood pressure as well as for paralysis were respectively restricted. It is said that meats including pork, beef, and chicken are neither desirable for the patients of high blood pressure nor those of paralysis. To the measles children 10 varieties of foods were restricted. Especially soybean products and meats were not encouraged to use for avoiding asecond attack of measles. For the common cold 8 different kinds of foods were aversed and men think that eating of soup of undria delays a recovery. For the tuberculosis 4 kinds of foods were prohibited to eat. It is said that wine, red pepper and ginsen will stimulate lung bleeding. Many mothers had a strong aversion to fermented shrimp and fish in case of style. and 5 different items of foods were restricted. In case of menstration not so many foods were restricted as other cases, but meat soup is not eaten in this condition in some areas. Majority of food taboos in Korean villages are neither based on tribal nor religious factors. But no one knows how, since what ages, from where, these food taboos have been transmitted and spread over the country. This survey found a great variety of food taboos, aversions, traditional beliefs and prohibitions latent unknown reseasons, or non-scientific conceptions, or completely different ideas from the modern medical aspect, or somewhat fallacious and superstitious beliefs. For the vascular disease contrasting approach were found between modern the oritical therapy and popular remedy among the rural populations who largely depend on the eastern medication. Further scientific study on either side should be done to lead the patient proper way. Many restricted foods such as rabbit, duck, chicken and fish are best resources of protein rich foods which are available in the village. Emphasis should be laid upon breaking down fallacious and supersititious food taboos through the extended nutrition education activities in order to improve food habit and good eating pattern for healthier and stronger generations of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2004

Analysis methods of artificial sweeteners, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sodium saccharin, and sucralose isolated from foods were developed using high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC conditions for aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sodium saccharin were: column, Symmetry $C_{18}(3.9mm\;i.d{\times}150mm,\;5{\mu}m)$; mobile phase, 0.05M sodium phosphate monobasic : acetonitrile (9 : 1, pH 3.5, containing 0.01M tetrapropylammonium hydroxide); detector, UV detector at 210 nm. HPLC condition for sucralose were : column, Symmetry $C_{18}(3.9mm\;i.d{\times}150mm,\;5{\mu}m)$; mobile phase, water:methanol (7 : 3); detector, refractive index detection (sensitivity = 16). Recoveries of artificial sweeteners in foods including soft drinks, fruit and vegetable beverages, alcoholic beverages, fermented milk beverages, soybean milk, ice cream, snacks, chewing gums, jam, honey, kimchi salted food, special dietary products, processed fish products, candies, food additive mixtures, chocolate and cocoa were 76.1-101.3%, 82.3-103.2%, 83.1-103.7%, and 80,6-99.5% for aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sodium saccharin, and sucralose, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.517-522
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• 2001

To Confirm the repression of off-odor and improvement of food quality in small black bean chungkugjang (SBC), some taste compounds of SBC added with kiwi and radish homogenate and fermented fro 3 days at 42$^{\circ}C$ were investigated. Contents of free amino acids in SBC were lower than that of soybean chungkugjang (SC) and were increased by adding kiwi and radish homogenate to black bean, indicating that two materials were effective to the enzymatic digestibility of soy protein. Of organic acids, citric acid was the most abundant, followed by acetic acid and lactic acid. Fatty acid composition was high in the order of linoleic acid (50.82~54.51%), oleic acid (17.76%~22.10%) and plamitic acid(12.13~13.79%). There were no significant difference in compositions of organic acids and fatty acids of chungkugjang. Major volatile compounds of SBC were indole , 2-5-dimethyl pyrazine and trimethyl pyrazine. Contents of alkyl pyrazines that contribute the characteristic aroma and flavor of SBC added and fermented with kiwi and radish homogenate were 3 times lower than those of SC. Uracil and UMP were major nucleic acie-drlated compounds in all four chungkugjangs. Contents of the other nucleic acid-related compounds were a similar trend in all chungkugjangs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1357-1368
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-obesity and anti-inflammation effect of the cheonggukjang (a soybean paste fermented for only a few days) in diet induced obesity mice. Weight gain was significantly decreased in the mice fed cheonggukjang compared High Fat Diets (HFD). The HFD plus cheonggukjang (CGJ) were also effective in improving the lipid metabolism. The levels of plasma triglyceride, cholesterol, ALT, AST, leptin, glucose, and insulin were significantly lower in CGJ than HFD group (p<0.05). The adiponectin level of CGJ group was significantly increased compared to the HFD group (p<0.05). In the CGJ group, the mRNA expression of adipogenic genes in the liver and adipose tissues, which are transcription factors crucial for adipogenesis, were significantly suppressed (p<0.05). The number of $CD11b^+F4/80^+$ T cells, $Gr-1^{int}CD11b^{high}$ cells, and $Gr-1^{int}CD11b^{high}$ cells were significantly higher in HFD group than CGJ group (p<0.05). The size of adipocyte was significantly reduced in CGJ group compared to HFD group. In addition, the contents of liver lipid droplets were significantly downregulated in the CGJ mice than HFD mice (p<0.05). Collectively, these data suggest the novel function of cheonggukjang in modulating adipogenesis through an immune function-alteration involving downregulation of adipogenic transcription factors and macrophage activation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.301-308
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• 1982

Chungkook-jang Koji was fermented with rice straw at $40^{\circ}C\;and\;50^{\circ}C$ for 72 hours. The changes of proximate composition, pH, titrable acidity, nitrogen compounds, protease activity and free-amino acids during the fermentation were investigated. Moisture, lipid and protein contents remained essentially unchanged during the fermentation. The pH was gradually increased from 6.4 to 7.46 and 7.82 at $40^{\circ}C\;and\;50^{\circ}C$, respectively, after 72 hour fermentation. Amino type and water soluble nitrogen increased as fermentation progressed. however, the former slightly decreased after 60 hour fermentation. Chungkook-jang fermented at $40^{\circ}C$ showed somewhat higher protease activity than $50^{\circ}C$. However, protease activity at both fermentation temperatures showed the same trend; that is, it increased until 48 hour fermentation and thereafter decrease. Free amino acid content of Chung-kook-jang after 72 hour fermentation at $40^{\circ}C$ was 6 times greater than that of the steamed soybean, while it was 2.5 times greater at $50^{\circ}C$. Based on these results. it seems that the optimum fermentation conditions for Chungkook-jang were $40^{\circ}C$ and 72 hours.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.600-606
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• 2012

A Bacillus sp. that produces fibrinolytic enzyme was isolated from Cheonggukjang, a traditional Korean soybean-fermented food. According to 16S rRNA gene base sequencing, the bacillus was identified as a variety of Bacillus subtilis, and named Bacillus subtilis IDCC 9204. Fibrinolytic enzyme NK-IL9204 was stable up to $60^{\circ}C$ and within pH range of 5-10. Purified NK-IL9204 was detected through fibrin zymography. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of the enzyme were estimated to be 27.7 kDa and 6.7 by SDS-PAGE and 2D electrophoresis, respectively. Its amino acid sequence was similar to that of nattokinase (identities 99.5%) and different from that of nattokinase BPN (identities 86.4%). The plasma fibrinolytic activity of NK-IL9204 was measured by euglobulin clot lysis times (ECLT). The NK-IL9204 was orally administered to SD rats for 3 weeks (1,000 FU/rat/day). The ECLT was significantly shortened by supplementation of NK-IL9204.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.605-612
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• 2012

Spore-forming bacteria are being used as probiotic supplements for human and animal use, due to their low pH stability and ability to survive the gastric barrier. In this study, the BCNU 9028 strain was screened from meju, a Korean fermented soybean food starter. Biochemical and physiological characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA sequence analyses, indicate that this strain belongs to the genus $Bacillus$. $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 showed a 92% survivability at pH 2.5 and could also withstand 0.3% ox bile. Furthermore, it was postulated that $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 could prevent biofilm formation and adherence of food-borne pathogens such as $Listeria$ $monocytogenes$, $S.$ $aureus$ and $E.$ $coli$ on the basis of its autoaggregation and coaggregation capacity with food-borne pathogens. It was shown that BCNU 9028 has good abilities to adhere to the intestinal tract from its hydrophobic character (63.3%). The $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 strain especially elicited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and -negative pathogens. These findings suggested that the $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 strain could be used as a potential probiotic.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.515-520
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• 2013

Bacterial communities derived from cheonggukjang and raw rice straw collected from a Mireuksan farm and a Heungup cheonggukjang in Gangwon province were investigated using both culture-based method and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. Pure cultures, which were isolated from raw rice straw and cheonggukjang and cultured on tryptic soy agar plates (53-76 colonies per plate), were identified by analysis of 16S rRNA sequences. The traditional culture-based method and analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA by DGGE revealed that for samples collected from the Mireuksan farm, Pantoea agglomerans and Bacillus subtilis were the predominant species in the raw rice-straw and cheonggukjang, respectively. For samples collected from the Heungup cheonggukjang, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was the predominant species in both raw rice straw and cheonggukjang. Other microorganisms, including members of Pantoea, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Acinetobacter, were also present in the raw rice-straw and cheonggukjang, as were bacteria that could not be cultured.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.550-556
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• 2014

Rice bran contains both excellent nutritional value and functional advantages. Its utilization is limited due to reducing texture and low storage. To satisfy various tastes, Bacillus spp. having high amylase and protease activities were selected. Using the strains, we made whole grain soybean Meju with a reduced manufacturing period by increasing the concentration of total nitrogen. We made soy sauces with mashing ratios of soy bean and rice bran at 10:0, 9:1, 7:3, and 5:5, and then compared their physiochemical properties. After 2 weeks of fermentation, the sugar content increased from 21~22% to 30~32%. However, pH and salinity showed no differences. At a ratio of 9:1, total nitrogen, amino nitrogen content, and total free amino acid contents were the highest at 1.62%, 652.52 mg%, and 8,804.03 mg/kg, respectively, compared to other mashing ratios of soy bean and rice bran. Especially, the contents of aspartic and glutamic acid, which increase delicate flavoring, were higher in our soy sauce compared to those of general traditional soy sauce and brewed soy sauce, which were 504.25 and 1,262.25 mg/kg, respectively. Serine and alanine, which are related to sweet taste, were present at 49.50 and 518.75 mg/kg, respectively, which were the highest among all mixing ratios, at a ratio of 9:1. Compared to general traditional soy sauce and brewed soy sauce, the contents of histamine and tyramine among biogenic amines decreased to 35.85 and 41.04 mg/kg, respectively. Finally, a soy bean and rice bran mixing ratio of 9:1 was determined to be the optimal mixing ratio in the sensory evaluation.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2013

In this study, wheat doenjang was manufactured using Korean wheat meju and soybean meju, and its quality were investigated according to mixing ratio of meju. The general characteristics such as moisture contents, pH and salinity of wheat doenjang, which is fermented and aged at $25^{\circ}C$ for 70 days, were slightly decreased time dependently as similar pattern. The pH of wheat doenjang ranged from 4.95 to 5.11% and generally decreased with aging. The moisture contents was 54.5~57.5%, and there was no significant differences in the aging period. Also, there was no significant changes in the salt contents. The amino-type nitrogen contents were 376.27~600.91 mg% at day 70 of the aging period, and showed 3 fold change compared to the initial contents. The reducing sugar contents showed significant difference between the samples, and repeated fluctuation in the aging period. Wheat meju sample A, which contains 50% of soybean meju, showed the highest antioxidation ability. In addition, wheat meju sample A showed the highest score in the sensory evaluation of the colour, taste, flavor, and overall acceptability. Therefore, wheat doenjang manufacturing at a 1:1 of mixing ratio will lead to desirable quality of wheat doenjang.