• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the changes of amino nitrogen, total amino acids, free amino acids, and color of Korean traditional soy sauce (kan-jang) during the ripening and storage for 12 months and the characteristics of the changes. All of the preparation methods for soy sauce followed the recommendations of the Korea Food Research Institute. The components of soy sauce were analyzed at 0,6, and 12 months. The contents of amino nitrogen of soy sauce were significantly higher than that of soybeans or meju (soybean cakes) at the initial stage of storage (p<0.05), and decreased during the storage. The content of total amino acids of soybean sauce was significantly lower than that of soybeans, and the content of free amino acids was higher than that of soybeans (p<0.05). The contents of total and free amino acids decreased in soy sauce after 12 months of storage (p<0.05). The composition of total and free amino acids and their ratios of soy sauce were changed during the storage. The ratios of free to total amino acids of soybeans, meju, and soy sauce were 0.8％, 17.3％, and 53.1-59.8％, respectively. Glutamic acid, which represents the savory taste, was detected the most abundantly in soy sauce during the storage. The ratios of free to total amino acids of glutamic acid were 42.9-59.5％ in soy sauce. Lightness of Hunter color of soy sauce decreased over time (p<0.05). This study indicates that the ratios of free to total amino acids of soy sauce were much higher than those of soybeans, although its contents of total amino acids were much lower than those of soybeans. This study also indicates that this comes from the preparation and fermentation of meju. It was suspected that the organoleptic characteristics of soy sauce derived from the amino nitrogen, amino acids, and color might be inferior over 1 year of storage time. However, more detailed research should be conducted to interpretate this characteristics more accurately.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.434-439
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• 1999

A wild yeast S-13 which has excellent killer toxin activity to gas-producing yeast of traditional Doenjang and Kochujang was selected among forty seven strains of Meju yeasts and identified as Hansenular capsulata S-13 by investigation of the morphological, cultural and physiological properties. The optimal conditions for the production of killer toxin were investigated. H. capsulata s-13 showed the higest killer toxin activities when it was cultured up to the late-log phase of 36 hr in YEPD medium (pH4.5) at $25^{\circ}C$ H. capsultara S-13 showed killer toxin activities to seven strains of industrial yeasts such as S. cerevisiae, C. veratilis and P. membranaefacieus.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.608-614
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• 1998

In order to establish the scientific foundations for the production of Korean traditional kanjang (soy sauce) in a semi-pilot scale, meju preparation and kanjang mashing methods were investigated. Two types of meju, one that was prepared by conventional method (CM-meju) and the other that prepared by modified conventional method (MCM-meju), were made and compared their characteristics. The former made of cooked and crushed soybean with a brick shape was fermented at $15{\sim}20^{\circ}C\;and\;40{\sim}50%$ relative humidity (RH) for 30 days in koji room and the latter was fermented at $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C\;and\;80{\sim}90%$ RH seemingly being optimum for the growth of meju-organisms for the same period. The quality of MCM-meju as a raw material for the kanjang preparation was considered to be superior to that of CM-meju as the higher soluble nitrogen and total free amino acids content, the major factor for the evaluation of the quality of meju, were found in the former although the higher total nitrogen content and lower % weight loss were observed in the latter during meju preparation process. The quality of MCM-kanjang with higher total nitrogen, free amino acids, free sugars and the lower residual nitrogen content in cake after separation of kanjang was also found to be superior to that of CM-kanjang in sensory evaluation results.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.275-280
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• 2011

In order to evaluate the diversity and change of bacterial population during the manufacturing process of traditional soybean paste (doenjang), bacterial communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing. In rice straw, the most important inoculum source for fermentation, the bacterial sequences with a relative abundance greater than 1% were assigned to four phyla, Proteobacteria (71%), Actinobacteria (20.6%), Bacteroidetes (4.2%), and Firmicutes (1.3%). Unlike bacterial community composition of rice straw, a different pattern of bacterial population in meju was observed with predominantly high abundance (99.1%) of Firmicutes. Phylum composition in young doenjang was almost same as that of meju. Major genera in young doenjang were Bacillus (81.3%), Clostridium (6.9%) and Enterococcus (6.3%) and the predominant species among bacterial population was B. amyloliquefaciens (63.6%). Abundance of the phylum Firmicutes in mature doenjang was 99.98%, which was even higher value than those in meju and young doenjang. Predominant species in mature doenjang were B. amyloliquefaciens (67.3%), B. atrophaeus (12.7%), B. methylotrophicus (6.5%), B. mojavensis (3.2%), and B. subtilis. (2.5%), which were also identified as major species of the microbial flora in meju. These results suggested that rice straw was a primary source for supplement of Bacillus species in manufacturing the traditional doenjang and that some species of Bacillus strains were mainly involved in the fermentation process of traditional doenjang.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.25-25
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• 2014

Koji molds are comprised of yellow, black and white. Black and white koji molds were recently re-visited by this author and it is concluded that they consists of Aspergillus luchuesnsis, A. niger and A. tubingensis, and the most important species for alcoholic beverage production is A. luchuensis. In the case of yellow koji mold, it is comprised of Aspergillus oryzae, A. sojae and A. tamari. In the case of A. sojae, the species is scarcely isolated from nature and rarely used for industry in Korea. Aspergillus tamari is often isolated from traditional Korean Meju, a fermented soybean product, and the classification of the species is clear. However, in the case of A. oryzae, differentiation between A. oryzae and A. flavus is still in controversy. In this study, we collected 415 strains of Aspergillus flavus/oryzae complex from air, rice straw, soybean, corn, peanut, arable soil and Meju in Korea and we examined the aflatoxin producing capacity of the strains. The norB-cypA, omtA and aflR genes in the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster were analyzed. We found that 367 strains (88.4%) belonged to non-aflatoxigenic group (Type I of norB-cypA, IB-L-B-, IC-AO, or IA-L-B- of omtA, and AO type of aflR), and only 48 strains (11.6%) belonged to aflatoxin-producible group (Type II of norB-cypA, IC-L-B+/B- or IC-L-B+ of omtA, and AF type of aflR). In the case of A. flavus/oryzae strains from Meju, almost strains (178/192, 92.7%) belonged to non-aflatoxigenic group and only 14 strains (7.3 %) belonged to aflatoxin-producible group. It is proposed in this study that non-aflatoxigenic strain from Meju is classified as A. oryzae, considering that Meju is food material.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 1983

Lupin seed was used to make Meju, the fermentation starter for Korean soybean sauce and paste in substitution for soybean and the fermentation characteristics were compared with those of soybean. Mejus were prepared by in-oculating Asp. oryzae on the cooked whole beans. The dried Mejus were used for making fermented bean sauce and paste by mixing with brine and subsequent ripening for 4 weeks. In general the protease activity and amylase activity-during ripening were higher in lupin seed Meju than those of soybean Meju. The increase in protease activity correlated to the increase in $\alpha$-amino nitrogen content of the fermented paste and sauce. The development of dark-brown color of the sauce during ripening faster with lupin seed Meju compared to soybean Meju. In sensory evaluation the flavor score of lupin seed sauce and paste was slightly lower than that of soybean products but the overall quality of fermented lupin seed sauce was acceptable.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.132-135
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• 2013

Black Aspergillus is important fungus for oriental fermentation industry. Black Aspergillus was frequently isolated from Korean traditional Meju, a fermented soybean starting material for soy sauce and soybean paste. Thirty three strains were isolated from 98 finished Meju collected in various regions of Korea from 2008 to 2011, and 21 strains were isolated from in-process Meju at various farms from 2010 to 2011. The isolated black Aspergillus were identified using DNA sequences of partial ${\beta}$-tubulin and calmodulin genes. Of 54 black Aspergillus strains, 14 strains were identified as A. luchuensis and the others were composed of A. niger (n = 21), A. tubingensis (n = 10), and A. welwitschiae (n = 9).

• 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.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2003

Methods of adding barley malt as source of carbohydrates and enzymes in the production of kanjang in order to improve it's tastes and qualities were investigated. Soybean meju, soybean-malt meju and soybean meju cummalt was mashed with 20% salt brine in the ratio of 1:3 respectively, matured and analyzed the chemical compositions of the soy sauce mash samples for 150 days of maturing. Organoleptic evaluations for the matured soy sauce samples were done. The higher total nitrogen, TCA soluble nitrogen, O.D. at 500 nm, pure extract and lactic acid content could be observed with the soy sauce mash made of soybean-malt meju than those of contrast one from the beginning of the mashing throughout to the whole maturing period of 150 days. The higher the content of malt in the soybean-malt meju, the higher those content in the mash. But the lower content of those compositions in the soy sauce mash made of soybean meju cum malt than those in the contrast was found. The highest scores in all the sensory characteristics including 7.56 points, which were significantly different from that of contrast soy sauce at 5% level, in overall palatability were obtained by the soy sauce made of soybean-malt meju added with 30% malt in the organoleptic evaluations.

• 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.