: Nuruk samples collected from various regions in Korea were investigated in terms of fungal contents and diversity. In measurement of colony forming unit (CFU) in Nuruk suspensions on DRBC agar, Nuruk samples MS4, MS8, and MS10 were among the highest fungal density, with 1,278.9±21.6 (×10 ) were among the samples showing the highest fungal density. CFU per 20 mg Nuruk, respectively. The majority of fungal components were yeasts, including Pichia anomala, P. kudriavzevii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, whereas Aspergillus oryzae and Rhizopus oryzae, the representative Nuruk fungi, were predominant only in the low fungal density Nuruks (MS2, MS5, and MS11). Saccharification capability of the fungal isolates was assessed by measurement of amylase activity in the culture broth. The highest amylase activity was found in A. niger and A. luchuensis, followed by S. fibuligera. A. oryzae and R. oryzae showed fair amylase activity but significantly lower than those of the three fungal species. R. oryzae was suggested to play an additional role in degradation of β-glucan in crop component of Nuruk since R. oryzae was the only fungus that showed β-glucanase activity among the fungal isolates. To confirm the safety of Nuruk, aflatoxigenicity of the isolated Aspergillus was estimated using the DNA markers norB-cypA, aflR, and omtA. All of the isolates turned out to be non-aflatoxigenic as evidenced by the deletion of gene markers, norB-cypA and aflR, and the absence of aflatoxin in the culture supernatants shown by TLC analysis.
Bealmijang is a short-term fermented regional product that is prepared with soybean and extra ingredients. In this study, starter strain candidates were screened from Bealmijang for fermented soybean paste products. Twenty one bacterial strains producing extracellular enzymes (amylase, cellulase, protease, xylanase and lipase) were isolated from Bealmijang, buckwheat sokseongjang. The isolates were assessed for fibrinolytic and antibacterial activities, and salt tolerance. Strain HJ18-4, identified as Bacillus subtilis (AB601598) by biochemical properties (89.6%) and 16S rDNA sequencing (100%), showed the highest enzymatic, fibrinolytic, and antibacterial activities among the isolates. Although the growth of HJ18-4 was inhibited by the increase of NaCl concentration, the growth still exceeded that of B. subtilis KACC 10114 at 5% and 10% NaCl. These results suggest that B. subtilis HJ18-4 is suitable as a starter for soybean paste manufacture.
Korea is one of the country with the world's oldest meteorological observation records. Starting with first meteorological record of fog in Goguryeo in the year of 34 BC,
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