• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2017

This study evaluated the protective effect of Chungkookjang (CKJ) extract, a Korean traditional fermented soybean product made from Bacillus species in rice straw and boiled soybean, and one of its main flavonoids, genistein, against Trp-P-1 induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in HepG2 cells. CKJ and genistein exhibited protective effect against Trp-P-1 induced cytotoxicity and Trp-P-1 induced DNA single strand breaks. CKJ and genistein inhibited Trp-P-1 induced CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 transcription in HepG2 cells. Our results indicated that CKJ and genistein have the protective effect against Trp-P-1 induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage. Via inhibiting expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2. CKJ can be used as a promising functional food material that prevents the genotoxicity induced by carcinogens produced by the heat treatment of foods such as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that cause genomic instability.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to select an effective microbial strain to improve the functional qualities of Eisenia bicyclis water extract by fermentation. For this purpose, several microorganisms isolated from traditional Korean fermented foods were inoculated and cultivated in E. bicyclis water extract. Ultimately, yeast strain YM-1 was selected for further study based on its total phenolic compound (TP) content and antioxidant activity, which were enhanced by microbial fermentation. The extract fermented by YM-1 exhibited a superior TP content and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity compared to extracts fermented by other microbes. The highest TP content and DPPH radical scavenging activity were observed after one day of YM-1 fermentation. Yeast strain YM-1 was identified as Candida utilis based on an analysis of its physiological characteristics. During fermentation of the extract by C. utilis YM-1, no significant difference was observed in the proximate composition, including moisture, crude lipid, crude protein, and crude ash. Fermentation by C. utilis YM-1 resulted in enhanced biological activity, including increases in the TP content and antioxidant activity. Thus, fermentation by C. utilis YM-1 is an attractive strategy for developing value-added food ingredients.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.269-276
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• 2016

Aspergillus luchuensis is known as an industrially important fungal species used for making fermented foods such as awamori and shochu in Japan, makgeolli and Meju in Korea, and Pu-erh tea in China. Nonetheless, this species has not yet been widely studied regarding mating-type genes. In this study, we examined the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 gene ratio in black koji molds (A. luchuensis, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus tubingensis) and in Aspergillus welwitschiae isolated from Meju, a fermented soybean starting material for traditional soy sauce and soybean paste in Korea. The number of strains with the MAT1-1 locus was 2 of 23 (A. luchuensis), 6 of 13 (A. tubingensis), 21 of 28 (A. niger), and 5 of 10 (A. welwitschiae). Fungal species A. tubingensis and A. welwitschiae showed a 1 : 1 ratio of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-type loci. In contrast, A. luchuensis revealed predominance of MAT1-2 (91.3%) and A. niger of MAT1-1 (75%). We isolated and identified 2 A. luchuensis MAT1-1 strains from Meju, although all strains for making shochu in Japan are of the MAT1-2 type. These strains may be a good resource for breeding of A. luchuensis to be used in the Asian fermented-food industry.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2010

Poly-gamma-glutamic acid ($\gamma$-PGA) is a mucilaginous and biodegradable compound produced by Bacillus subtilis from fermented soybeans, and is found in the traditional Korean soy product, cheongkukjang. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of $\gamma$-PGA from a food source on the concentration of the neurotransmitter GABA and its metabolic precursor glutamate in diet-induced obese rats. Eight-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=60) were used. The rats were divided into two groups and obesity was induced by providing either a 10% control fat or 45% high fat diet for 5 weeks. The rats were then blocked into 6 groups and supplemented with a 0.1% $\gamma$-PGA diet for 4 weeks. After sacrifice, brain and serum GABA and glutamate concentrations were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection. The rats fed the high fat diet had significantly increased body weights. $\gamma$-PGA supplementation significantly increased serum concentrations of glutamate and GABA in the control fat diet groups while this effect was not found in the high fat groups. In the brain, glutamate concentrations were significantly higher in the $\gamma$-PGA supplemented groups both in rats fed the normal and high fat diets than in the no $\gamma$-PGA controls. GABA concentrations showed the same tendency. The results indicated that $\gamma$-PGA intake increased GABA concentrations in the serum and brain. However, the effects were not shown in obese rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.199-210
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• 2011

In this study, we compared the differences and similarities between the Korean food culture and the Vietnamese food culture by surveying food resources and researching the process of Korean food being accepted into Vietnam. We suggest countermeasures for advancing Korean food into Vietnam. We conducted in-depth interviews regarding Korean food with Vietnamese food specialists who ate Korean food. As a result, Vietnamese foodies eagerly recognized that the most representative thing about Korean food was the special properties of its various and affluent side dishes. They were also aware of kimchi, made of various vegetables and condiments, as an excellent side dish compared to the Vietnamese who's staple is boiled rice. Furthermore, the flavor of Korean food was preferred by the Vietnamese who were familiar with foods such as Neue-ok-mom or fermented seafood. It was thought that the new food could be eaten with many vegetables. The specialists replied that the most typical functional property of Korean food was health. The acceptance process of Korean food into Vietnam was based on the acculturation theory. That made the Vietnamese easily experienced strange culture in the case of propagation by whom have already experienced, through the selective filter steps by various images of Korea, and made them accept the Korean food through temporary choose and acceptance step such as recommendations by friends. Globalization strategies for Korean food proposed by the Vietnamese foodies were public relations marketing in voluntary contact environments, distinguishing traditional Korean foods through research and development, and globalization by diversifying the Korean restaurant concept.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2020

Soy sauce is one of the representatives of traditional fermented foods in Korea. However, studies on soy sauce are relatively insufficient in Korea compared to Japan. In this study, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of polysaccharides were measured by polysaccharides isolated from two different soy sauces, Korean and Japanese (KSS-0 and JSS-0). KSS-0 was purified into two fractions using gel chromatography and named them as KSS-I and KSS-II. To investigate the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides, we measured the polyphenol content and radical scavenging activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of polysaccharides, we used RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and induced inflammation using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Then, we measured levels of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Among the four polysaccharides, KSS-II showed the highest antioxidant activity and had good anti-inflammatory activity; KSS-II decreased inflammatory mediators in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the polysaccharide isolated from Korean soy sauce (KSS-II) showed better anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities than polysaccharides isolated from Japanese soy sauce, and may be useful as substances for functional foods.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2001

Generally, non-aflatoxigenic fungi, such as Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus are main microflora in Korean traditional fermented foods including Meju and soybean paste, but sometimes, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus can be contaminated and accumulated aflatoxins during fermentation and storage. So the screening of aflatoxigenic strains in fermented traditional food is very important to improve the sanitary quality of those foods. In this work, we screened aflatoxin producing fungi from commercial Meju and soybean paste in Western Gyeongnam by immunoassay. Samples were randomly purchased from market of the commercial Meju(10 EA) and soybean paste(20 EA) in nine areas of Western Gyeongnam. Of the samples collected,24 strains and 22 strains of Aspergillus sp. were isolated from Meju and soybean paste, respectively. The isolated strains were cultured on SLS media at $25^{\circ}C$ for 15 days. The cultured broth were extracted with ethyl acetate and were analysed to determine aflatoxin B$_1$(AFB$_1$) by direct competitive ELISA(DC-ELISA). Six strains(25%) isolated from Meju, and 2 strains(9%) isolated from saybean paste, were confined as aflatoxin producing strains. The average range of aflatoxin productivity of isolates from Meju was 54.6 $\pm$ 38.7 ng/ml and that from soybean paste was 11.1 $\pm$ 8.6 ng/ml, respectively. Among them, isolated strain No. M-5-4 produced a high level of AFBl and showed 98.26 ng/ml of AFB$_1$. Every isolates were also re-confined their AFB$_1$productivity by thin layer chromatography(TLC). The TLC results also showed same trend as DC-ELISA results. As the above results, the screening of hazard mycotoxigenic fungi from traditional fermented foods should be necessary for the safety and the application of HACCP system in the food manufactory in Korea.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.820-826
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• 2017

Soybean is one of the most common food materials for making traditional Korean foods such as soybean paste, soy source and soy snack, and their manufacturing processes include heat treatment of soybean. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of heat treatment on the physicochemical properties of soybean. All samples were heat treated under commercial steamed, puffed or air-fried conditions, and then the protein molecular weight distribution, thermal properties, fluorescence intensity, protein solubility, and water and oil holding ability of the heat treated soybeans were examined. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that heat treatment caused fragmentation of polypeptide chain in soybean, showing the band of low molecular ranging from 17 to 40 kDa. The differential scanning calorimetric analysis showed the decrease of enthalpy values (${\Delta}H$) by heat treatment. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that the heat treatment caused lipid oxidation as proved by increasing emission intensity. The protein solubility at pH 3-6, and water holding capacity of heat treated soybeans were the higher than no treatment. These results suggest that the heat treatment resulted in decreased enthalpy values, and increased protein degradation, lipid oxidation and water affinity of soybean. Moreover, the effect of heat treatment on physiochemical properties of soybeans was more significant under air-fried condition.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.403-413
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• 2020

While searching for useful microorganisms, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera which can be used as cosmetic materials were divided from Jeju island's traditional fermented foods. In this study, blackcurrant extract which contains a large amount of anthocyanin glycosides was fermented with S. fibuligera. HPLC analysis was performed to analyze the components of blackcurrant extract (BE) and fermented blackcurrant fruit extract (FBE). As a result, bio-conversion of delphinidin and cyanidin were able to be identified. In order to verify the anti-oxidant effect of BE and FBE, we investigated radical scavenging ability with DPPH and ABTS. In addition, to confirm anti-inflammatory effect, we investigated inhibition effect of nitric oxide (NO) production on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) - stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, and inhibition effect of the expression of inflammatory-related proteins (iNOS, COX-2) by western blot analysis. As a result, as FBE has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, we suggest that it might be used as an active ingredient for cosmetics.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.459-468
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• 1986

This study was attempted to process low-sodium salt fermented small shrimp as substitutes for traditional high-sodium salt fermented one which has widely been favored and consumed in Korea. Low-salt fermented small shrimp was prepared with $4\%$ sodium chloride and $4\%$ potassium chloride, and various additives such as $0.5\%$ lactic acid, $6\%$ sorbitol and $4\%$ ethylalcohol extract of red pepper as preservatives and flavor enhancers. And the changes of taste compounds, volatile compounds and fatty acid composition in low-salt fermented small shrimp were analyzed and compared with those of conventional $20\%$ sodium salt fermented one during the fermentation of 120 days at $25{\pm}3^{\circ}C$. The most favorable taste for fermented small shrimp were reached at 60 days of fermentation. Judging from sensory evaluation, little difference of taste was detected between the low-salt fermented small shrimp and high-sodium salt fermented one. The principal taste compounds in fermented small shrimp were free amino acids, and betaine and nucleotides and their related compounds played an assistant role. The major amino acids in fermented small shrimp were glutamic acid, leucine, proline, glycine, lysine and aspartic acid. The major fatty acids in fermented small shrimp samples were 16:0, 20:5, 22:6, 16:1 and 18:1, and unsaturated fatty acids decreased slightly while saturated fatty acids increased during fermentation. At 60 days of fermentation 8 kinds of volatile fatty acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid, isocarproic acid, carproic acid), 6 kinds of carbonyl compounds (ethanal, propanal, 2-methylpropanal, 3-methylbutanal, pentanal, 2-methylpentanal), and 3 kinds of volatile amines (methylamine, trimethylamine, isopropylamine) were identified.