• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.286-293
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• 1992

This study was investigated on the change of physico-chemical properties at various mixture ratio of improved Meju and Natto during the aging of soybean paste. pH was increased on the improved Meju with increasing the mixture ratio of Natto, but pH was decreased in Korean traditional Meju. Change of nitrogen compound was 3 times higher and aging was faster in increased ratio of Korean traditional Meju than that of improved Meju. Brown color was not changed as compared to the initial stage, however the value of brown color was higher in the Korean traditional Meju than that of other group. In sensory evaluation, the mixture ratio of improved Meju, Korean traditional Meju and Natto (48 : 48 : 5) was the best acceptables.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 2003

This study is proceeded on the development of standard method for making soybean paste by Korean traditional method. Fermentation condition of Meju was 1) Pre-fermentation : 30 days in about 20$^{\circ}C$ room, 2) Main fermentation : 5 days in 30$^{\circ}C$ or upper temperature, 3) Post fermentation and drying : 30 days in well sunlightened room in January. Meju was soaked in 18% salt solution(Meju 7kg/salt solution 20L) for 35～40 days (from late February to early April) and after soaking Meju was filtered as unsoluble solute and crushed and put into traditional Korean receptacle(named 'Dok'). Crushed Meju was stored from early April to mid September and Meju was changed into soybean paste(Doen-jang). During fermentation amino acid nitrogen in Doen-jang was slightly increased in early period and decreased lately. It has been proved that by panel test soybean paste made by the method suggested in this study was more excellent than commercially fermented soybean paste. This study has presented the possibility of commercial production of soybean paste made by traditional method.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.270-276
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• 1993

We characterized the character impact compounds of flavors of the fermented Korean soy sauce manufactured with both the traditional and the improved Meju made with different strains. The whole flavor samples were obtained by extracting each volatile flavor phase from both the traditional and the improved soy sauce. To get more detailed information, each whole volatile flavor was further fractionated into the basic, acidic, phenolic and neutral fractions. Each separated peak from the whole and fractionated flavor samples on gas chromatogram was identified by GC/MS and Kovat s retention index, and likewise the aroma of each peak was investigated by a sniffing test with the exercised panel. We were able to identify 15 groups of ingredients with the characteristic soy sauce aroma from the soy sauce made with the traditional Meju and 6 groups from the soy sauce manufactured with the improved Meju made with Aspergillus oryzae. The character impact compounds the two soy sauces were different from each other.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 2023

This study was conducted to analyze the distribution and characteristics of fungal species in meju using the traditional method. Fungal distribution in meju was investigated using metagenomic and morphological analyses, based on which Aspergillus flavus/oryzae strains were identified as the dominant fungi in all meju samples, followed by Pichia, Rhizopus and Lichtheimia spp. As A. flavus/oryzae was dominant, we further evaluated the aflatoxin production ability and enzymatic activity of the isolates. Thin-layer chromatography and polymerase chain reaction revealed that the A. flavus/oryzae strains isolated from meju are non-aflatoxigenic fungi. Based on the analyses of amylase and protease activities, strains with high activities of amylase or protease were identified, which are proposed to be used as starters for meju fermentation.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.248-253
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• 1992

Volatile flavor components of soybean pastes, manufactured with traditional Meju and improved Meju, were extrated by simultaneous steam distillation-extraction apparatus and concentrated at atmosphere press. The concentrates were investigated GC-sniff evaluation by preparative gas chromatograph, and then analyzed and identified by GC/MS and Kovats retention index. Thirty nine components, including 11 alcohols, 4 aldehydes, 2 pyrazines, 4 acids, 3 fuans, 3 phenols, 3 esters, 3 hydrocarbons, 1 ketone, 5 miscellous ones were confirmed in soybean paste manufactured with traditional Meju. Twenty one components, including 4 alcohols, 2 aldehydes, 2 pyrazines, 2 acids, 1 fuan, 2 esters, 1 hydrocarbon, 2 ketones, 4 miscellous ones were confirmed in soybean paste manufactured with improved Meju. Ten components such as 3-methyl-1-butanol, 4-methyl-3-heptanol, trimethyl-pyrazine, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-furancarboxaldehyde, tetramethyl-pyrazine, benzaldehyde, 3-methyl-butanoic acid, naphthalene, 2-ethyl-3-methyl-oxetane were identified together in soybean pastes manufactured with traditional Meju and improved Meju.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 1993

We confirmed the character impact compounds of the flavors of the soybean paste manufactured with the traditional and improved Meju, respectively, by using the following methods: gas chromatography (GC), sniffing tests and GC-mass. The soybean paste made with the traditional Meju had 12 compound groups that smelled like the soybean paste flavor, whereas the soybean paste made with the improved Meju had 7 compound groups of soybean paste flavor smell. We were easily able to determine that there is a difference of soybean paste flavor compounds between the soybean pastes made with either the traditional or the improved Mejus because the two soybean paste flavors are very different from each other.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.268-274
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• 1998

The traditional kanjang has been prepared by mixing meju and 18% saline solution, and fermenting for 60 days. The traditional kanjang is very salty and inferior in flavor and taste comparing with commercial fermented soy sauce. To improve the quality of traditional kanjang, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii H-62, a flavor-related mutant, was inoculated during fermentation. It was found that the addition of Z rouxii helped to improve the organoleptic quaity of traditional kanjang. The optimal condition for preparing traditional kanjang was to use 5L of 15.5% saline solution per meju. Meju must be cut into 12 pieces to get a proper total nitrogen and pure extract content. The optimal fermentatin temperature was 3$0^{\circ}C$. The prepared kanjang contained over 0.8% total nitrogen and 6.0% pure extract after 60 days of fermentation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 2010

We examined the effect of extracts of meju prepared with traditional and standardized methods on pancreatic lipase and the absorption of dietary lipid. Aqueous methanolic (80%, v/v) extracts of meju dose-dependently inhibited the activities of porcine pancreatic lipase. The plasma triglyceride levels in Imprinting Control Region mice after a single oral administration of lipid emulsion containing aqueous methanolic extracts from meju made by the standardized methods were lower than that of the group given a lipid emulsion containing the extracts of meju made by traditional methods. The inhibitory activity of the meju extract on dietary lipid digestion appears to be more closely associated with aglycone forms of phenolic compounds such as free isoflavones than with glycosides, since meju samples with higher total phenolic or free isoflavone content showed the stronger inhibition against pancreatic lipase. Furthermore, the data suggest that meju made using the standardized method, which contains higher levels of total isoflavones relative to traditionally prepared meju, could effectively suppress digestion of dietary lipids and therefore have the potential to help ameliorate hyperlipidemia and obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.448-454
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• 1998

Meju for doenjang and kochujang was prepared as a model at Sunchang areaand monitored with major changes. Kochujang meju was prepared on September 12 and doenjang meju on November 12, 1995. Kochjang meju was found to be naturally fermented at 80~90% RH, 15~2$0^{\circ}C$ and doenjang meju was at 80~90% RH and 0~5$^{\circ}C$. The shapes of kochujang meju and doenjang meju were doughnut-type and rectangular, respectively. Weight losses during fermentation were 48% and 28%, respectively. The pH drop and acip production of kochujang meju were negligible. However, pH of doenjang meju decreased from 6.29 to 5.88 and acidity increased from 0.08 to 0.23% as lactic acid. Protein in meju was found to be rapidly solubilized during the early stage of fermentation. Soluble protein cotents of kochujang meju after 7 days and 60 days were 8.23%, respectively. The doenjang mejus were 2.15% after 20 days and 5.72% after 60 days. Soluble suger content increased with the fermentation time. The soluble sugar content was higher in kochjang meju. Acidic protease was highly produced during meju fermentation. $\alpha$-Amylase and $\beta$-amylase were detected in the kochujang meju, of which glutinous rice consisted, but negligible in doenjang meju. Lipase was detected in kochujang meju, but was, negligible in doenjang meju. Microbial population increased drastically after 7 days of fermentation in kochujang meju and 20 days of fermentation in doenjang meju.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 1995

This study was designed to investigate the changes In chemical characteristics of traditional kochujang increase in fermentation time, whereas that of total sugar decreased rather rapidly during aging of meju. Amino nitrogen content of meju Increased sharply up to 40 days of fermentation and then decreased there after On the other hand, ammoniacle nitrogen content continued to increase with increasing aging time. Initially, maltose was the most abundant free sugar, but was later replaced by glucose or fructose as the fermentation proceeded. Among non-volatile organic acids, pyroglutamic acid was present at an appreciably other organic acids did not change considerably during fermentation. The total free amino acid content Increased up to 40th day of aging and then decreased thereafter The was the most abundant amino acid followed in decreasing order by Try and Glu in meju fermented for 40 days.