• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.473-478
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• 1998

The radical scavenging activity of the methanol extracts was in the order of doenjang〉 meju〉 soybean. The metha-nol extracts were further fractionated with dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water in sequence. Among the solvent fractions of the methanol extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated high levels of radical scave-nging activity. On the other hands, the nitrite scavenging activity of the methanol extrats was in the order of doen-jang〉soybean〉meju. All fractions from doenjang were exhibited the strong nitrite scavenging effect. Especially, $H_2O$, EtOAc and BuOH fractions with 6gmg/10$m\ell$ concentration exhibited much stronger nitrite scavenging effect than that of L-ascorbic acid. The ethyl acetate fraction showed remarkable antioxidant and nitrite scavenging effects compared with the other fractions obtained from soybean, meju and doenjang. The ethyl acetate fraction of doenjang was fur-ther purified by repeated chromoatograpic methods and isolated three compounds. There are identified as genistin, dai-dzein and genistein on the basis of spectral data.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.916-924
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• 2017

Eighty-five Enterococcus faecalis isolates collected from animals (40 isolates), meju (a Korean fermented soybean product; 27 isolates), humans (10 isolates), and various environmental samples (8 isolates) were subjected to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to identify genetic differences between samples of different origins. MLST analysis resulted in 44 sequence types (STs), and the eBURST algorithm clustered the STs into 21 clonal complexes (CCs) and 17 singletons. The predominant STs, ST695 (21.1%, 18/85) and ST694 (9.4%, 8/85), were singletons, and only contained isolates originating from meju. None of the STs in the current study belonged to CC2 or CC9, which comprise clinical isolates with high levels of antibiotic resistance. The E. faecalis isolates showed the highest rates of resistance to tetracycline (32.9%), followed by erythromycin (9.4%) and vancomycin (2.4%). All isolates from meju were sensitive to these three antibiotics. Hence, MLST uncovered genetic diversity within E. faecalis, and clustering of the STs using eBURST revealed a correlation between the genotypes and origins of the isolates.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.670-676
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• 2016

In this study, we analyzed the utensils, covers and mats that were used for making meju, the shape of meju, and the heating method used for making meju from the 225 ways of preparing jang mentioned in the 32 volumes of the ancient cook books from 530 AD to 1950. The heating method of traditional meju bean and starch included 57 kinds of steaming, 59 of boiling, 21 of roasting + boiling, and 2 of cooking. The shape of meju included 41 kinds of egg, 27 of ball, 22 of lump, a kind of doughnut, 8 kinds of hilt, 6 of flat, 4 of chip, and a kind of square. Among the 72 gochoojang meju, the heating method of bean included 9 kinds of boiling, and 6 kinds of steaming; whereas the heating method of starch included 19 kinds of steaming of dough, 11 of rice cooking, and 5 of boiling of dough. The utensils for molding of bean meju were 49 kinds of straw sack, 14 of round straw container, 11 of heating bed, 7 of large straw bowl or Japanese-snailseed, 5 of jar, 4 of ditch, 3 of straw bowls, 2 of pottery steamer of dough, 2 of gourd, and a kind of long round bamboo bowl and sack of straw. The cover and the mat used for molding of meju included 36 kinds of straw, 17 kinds of paper mulberry leaf, 15 of wide straw seat, 14 of mugwort, 11 of pine tree leaf, 10 of soybean leaf, 6 of cocklebur leaf, 6 of sumac leaf, 6 of barley straw, 6 of mulberry leaf, 5 of fallen leaf, 5 of cogon grass, 4 of reed seat, 3 of scrap of cloth, 2 of Indian bean tree leaf, a kind of reed. There were only 5 kinds of hanging.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.664-667
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• 1998

In order to establish scientific foundations for the production of meju, optimum soaking conditions of raw soybean were investigated. 100% hydration of raw soybean by soaking conditions were observed in 17 hrs at 5$^{\circ}C$, 15 hrs at 1$0^{\circ}C$, 11 hrs at 15$^{\circ}C$, 9 hrs at 2$0^{\circ}C$, 7 hrs $25^{\circ}C$, 5 hrs 3$0^{\circ}C$, 4 hrs at 4$0^{\circ}C$ and 3 hrs at 5$0^{\circ}C$. Exudation amounts of total free amino acids and free sugars were the least when soybean was soaked for 2$0^{\circ}C$ for 9 hours.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.100-107
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• 2013

Diverse fungi are present in Korean traditional meju and they are known to play an important role in fermented soybean products. To determine the origin of the fungi in meju, we examined the mycoflora of soybeans from 10 traditional meju factories. The samples were untreated or treated with sodium hypochlorite, and placed on malt extract agar (MEA), dichloran 18% glycerol agar (DG18), and dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol agar (DRBC) medium. A total of 794 fungal strains were isolated and they were identified as 41 genera and 86 species. From sodium hypochlorite untreated soybeans, the genera, Cladosporium (55%), Eurotium (51%), Fusarium (33%), Penicillium (22%), and Aspergillus (exclusion of Eurotium) (20%), were mainly isolated, and Eurotium herbariorum (22%), Eurotium repens (18%), Cladosporium tenuissimum (18%), F. fujikuroi (18%), Aspergillus oryzae/flavus (7%), and Penicillium steckii (6%) were the predominant species. In case of sodium hypochloritetreated soybeans, Eurotium (31%) and Cladosporium (5%) were frequently isolated, but Aspergillus (excluding Eurotium), Penicillium and Fusarium which were frequently isolated from untreated soybeans, were rarely isolated. Eurotium herbariorum (21%), Eurotium repens (8%), and Cladosporium tenuissimum (3%) were the predominant species. Of the 41 genera and 86 species isolated from soybeans, 13 genera and 33 species were also found in meju. These results suggest that the fungi on soybeans may influence the mycoflora of meju.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.354-358
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• 2019

In order to evaluate the migration of fungi into doenjang from its materials, meju and solar salt, microbial communities were analyzed using pyrosequencing. Dominant fungi of meju were Botrytis spp. (57.94%) and Dothiorella samentorum (24.08%). Unidentified fungal species (37.53%), unassigned species (32.60%) and several fungal species of small portion were identified in solar salt. In doenjang, Candida versatilis were predominantly detected (92.62%). Non-halophilic mold were dominantly identified from meju (low-salt fermented soybean), while halophilic bacteria and archaea for solar salt and salt-tolerance fungi such as C. versatilis for doenjang (high-salt fermented soybean) were frequently detected. These results implied that most predominant fungal species might not be migrated from meju and/or solar salt into doenjang.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.441-448
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• 2023

Penicillium spp. are frequently found in meju, a Korean traditional fermented soybean brick. We isolated and identified 96 Penicillium spp. from 22 traditional meju, and their β-tubulin genes were sequenced for the genetic and taxonomic study. Penicillium Section Viridicata was the most commonly isolated group. Notably, we also isolated and identified Penicillium roqueforti, a crucial industrial strain employed in the fermentation of blue cheese. Additionally, certain strains exhibited relatively high protease and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activities, suggesting that they might contribute to the development of kokumi flavor during meju fermentation. Interestingly, all eight Penicillium spp., including P. roqueforti, were found to possess both types of MAT1 genes. This intriguing finding suggests the feasibility of strain improvement through mating, thereby offering opportunities for industrial applications. Therefore, these studies pave the way for a deeper exploration of Penicillium's role in meju fermentation, potentially leading to the development of starters for producing plant-based cheese-flavored condiments.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.370-378
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• 1983

Changes of protein and amino acids composition in improvement-Meju inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae were emamined at various time intervals over 6-day test period. To investigate those changes systematically, Disc gel electrophoresis, gel fiteration and amino acid analyzer were used. Following results were obtained; 1. Nitrogen solubility of the soybean meal in $Na_{2}SO_{4},\;MgSO_{4},\;Na_{2}CO_{3},\;NaCl\;and\;Na_{2}HPO_{4}$ solutions of various concetrations were determinated. The salt soluble protein of soybean meal was highly dispersible on 0.4M $Na_{2}SO_{4}$ solution and the extractability of protein was 33%. 2. From the quantitative fractionation of soybean proteins, albumin content (46.0%) was highest followed by globulin (33.9%), glutelin (19.5%) and prolamin (2.4%). During Meju incubation period, albumin and prolamin increased gradually but glutelin decreased. Globulin content was not changed substantially. 3. When albumin was fractionated by Sephadex G-200, the following results were obtained. Soybean albumin showed fraction which was reduced to 3 fraction at 0-day of incubation. The number of fraction, however increased to 8 after 6-day of incubation. 4. Amino acids of albumin in soybean and Meju appeared to be 17 kinds. Glutamic acid and aspartic acid were the highest. In amino acid composition of cooked soybean albumin, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and glycine remained higher than those of Meju throughout incubation period. 5. The major fraction of albumins from soybean and Meju fractionated by Sephadex G-200 showed 17 kinds of amino acid. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid were the highest. During Meju incubation period, the change of amino acid composition was investigated; threonine, serine, lysine, histidine, alanine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and $NH_3$ was increased gradually, the others decreased. 6. According to the electrophoretic pattern, soybean protein showed 13 bands which decreased to 3-after cooking. During incubation, those bands increased gradually to 10 bands after 6-days.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1066-1071
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• 2012

In this study we investigated the change in antigenicity and allergenicity of Meju, a traditional Korean soybean product, by fermentation via 3 different microorganisms. The steamed soybeans were fermented with Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and/or Aspergillus oryzae and/or Bacillus subtilis. Proteins in soybean were degraded after fermentation. Antigenicity or allergenicity were analysed by immunoblotting and ELISA using soybean protein-specific polyclonal antibodies or soybean allergic patient sera. The best degradation was achieved by three step fermentation using nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IFO12007, A. oryzae and B. subtilis. Allergenicity and antigenicity were also starkly reduced after three step fermentation. The three-step fermentation method developed in our lab suggests an excellent alternative to reduce the allergenicity of soybeans.