Natto Bacillus Contains a Large Amount of Water-Soluble Vitamin K (Menaquinone-7)

Abstract

Bacillus natto ( Bacillus subtilis natto ) was cultivated, and an analysis was conducted after performing lysozyme treatment and water extraction of the culture supernatant and the B. subtilis natto cells. The intracellular existence of a large amount of water-soluble vitamin K (Menaquinone-7: MK-7) was established. The existence of small amounts of other types of vitamin K2 including MK-4 and PK was also confirmed in the culture solution (watersoluble fractions). The amount of water-soluble menaquinone-7 in Bacillus was 85 m g/g wet weight of the bacteria, and the amount was equivalent to more than 100 times as much as that contained in the culture solution (0.02 m g).Gel filtration using Sephacryl S-200HR revealed that the molecular weight of the water-soluble menaquinone-7 is approximately MW 200,000, and isoelectric focusing revealed a behavior similar to that of protein, with a pI of about 4.2. A rabbit antibody was prepared with this water-soluble vitamin K as the antigen. By using the Ouchterlony method, the antibody showed a reaction (precipitation line) with the water-soluble menaquinone-7 prepared from both the intracellular fraction and the extracellular culture solution, and it was found through the antigen-antibody reaction that the menaquinone-7 disappears from the supernatant of the reactant (the watersoluble menaquinone-7 is thus neutralized). Based on these results, it was inferred that the vitamin K produced by B. subtilis natto becomes watersoluble by forming an intracellular complex with protein and is released in the extracellular fraction during the culture process.

Biotransformed product, genistein 7-O-phosphate, enhances the oral bioavailability of genistein

“…Epidemiological and animal studies have demonstrated a high relationship between consumption of natto products and low incidence of cardiovascular diseases (Iwai, Nakaya, Kawasaki, & Matsue, 2002;Park, Kang, Kim, & Yeo, 2012) and osteoporosis (Ikeda et al, 2006). To date, these health benefits were generally considered to be due to the production of nattokinase, antioxidative peptides, vitamin K2, and the formation of aglyconic isoflavones by microbial glucosidase during processing (Samaranayaka & Li-Chan, 2011;Wei, Chen, & Chen, 2008;Yanagisawa & Sumi, 2005). With this study, besides these known constituents, natto may contribute its biological functions via G7P, demonstrated to improve the oral absorption of genistein.…”

Traditional healthful fermented products of Japan

“…The concentration of vitamin K 2 increases to 124 times that in the soybeans at the start of the fermentation by natto bacteria [76]. Vitamin K 2 stimulates the formation of bone.…”

“…A Wbrinolytic enzyme, designated nattokinase [69], not only breaks up blood clots (thrombi) but also breaks down built-up Wbrin that has been associated with heart disease [10,68]. No other enzyme came close to nattokinase in studies of 173 diVerent foods that were examined for their potential thrombolytic activities [76]. Dipicolinic acid, found in natto, has anti-bacterial activity against E. coli O157 and against Helicobacter pylori [53,70], the causative agent of stomach ulcers.…”

Probiotic Properties of Lactobacilli Isolated from Thai Traditional Food

“…It has been unique to historical countries in different parts of the world, e.g. milk fermentation "yoghurt" in Bulgaria [1], vegetable fermentation "suan cai" in China [2], "kimchi" in Korea [3], "natto" and "mizo" in Japan [4,5], Gundruk, Sinki, and khalpi in India [6]. In Thailand there are famous traditional fermented products called "Nham" and "Miang".…”