Effect of koji starter on metabolites in Japanese alcoholic beverage sake made from the sake rice Koshitanrei.

In sake brewing, the steamed rice is used in 2 ways, added to sake-mash and making rice-koji. Rice-koji is made from the steamed rice by using koji starter, and its quality is an important determinant of the aroma/taste of sake. The sake rice Koshitanrei (KOS) was developed in Niigata Prefecture by crossing 2 sake rice varieties, Gohyakumangoku and Yamadanishiki. Recently, we reported the characteristic components/metabolites in sake made from KOS by conducting metabolome analysis using UPLC-QTOF-MS. In this study, to investigate the effect of koji starter and sake rice cultivars on the sake metabolites, we performed small-scale sake-making tests using the above 3 rice cultivars and 3 koji starters. Finally, we demonstrated that some of the characteristic components/metabolites of sake from KOS are affected by the koji starter. Thus, in addition to rice cultivar, koji starter plays an important role for establishment/maintenance of the quality of the final product.

Japanese Rice Wine can reduce psychophysical stress-induced depression-like behaviors and Fos expression in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis evoked by masseter muscle injury in the rats.

We determined if Japanese Rice Wine (Sake) had inhibitory effects on stress-induced enhancement of masseter muscle (MM) nociception in the rats. Male rats were subjected to the repeated forced swim stress (FS) or sham conditionings from Day -3 to -1. Daily administration of Sake or saline was conducted after each stress conditioning. At Day 0 the number of Fos positive cells, a marker for neural activity, was quantified at the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) region by MM injury with formalin. FS increased MM-evoked Fos expression in the Vc region, which was inhibited by Sake compared to saline administration. Sake did not alter the number of Fos positive cells under sham conditions, indicating that inhibitory roles of Sake on neural activity in the Vc region were seen under FS conditions. These findings indicated that Sake had inhibitory roles on stress-induced MM nociception at the Vc region in our experimental conditions.

Analysis of metabolites in Japanese alcoholic beverage sake made from the sake rice Koshitanrei.

In sake brewing, the steamed rice is used in two ways, added to sake-mash (as kake-mai) and making koji. The rice is an important determinant for the quality of sake, as the metabolites in sake affect its taste/aroma. The sake rice Koshitanrei (KOS) was developed in Niigata Prefecture by genetically crossing two sake rice, Gohyakumangoku and Yamadanishiki. However, the metabolites in sake from KOS have not been analyzed. Here, to investigate the characteristic metabolites in sake from KOS, we performed two types of small-scale sake-fermentation tests changing only the rice used for kake-mai or total rice (both kake-mai and koji) by these three rice cultivars and examined the effect of KOS on sake metabolites by the metabolome analysis method using UPLC-QTOF-MS. We identified the peaks/metabolites, whose intensity in sake from KOS was higher/lower than those from the other cultivars. The brewing properties of KOS were partially characterized by this analysis.

Isolation of a non-urea-producing sake yeast strain carrying a discriminable molecular marker.

In the fermentation industry, the traceability of microorganisms during the process is important to ensure safety and efficacy. Ethyl carbamate, a group-2A carcinogen, is produced from ethanol and urea during the storage of food/alcoholic beverages. We isolated non-urea-producing sake yeast car1 mutants carrying a discriminable molecular marker, and demonstrated, by the use of PCR assays, that these mutants are useful for traceability analysis and identification during the sake brewing process.

Polishing properties of sake rice Koshitanrei for high-quality sake brewing.

The Japanese high-quality sake Daiginjo-shu is made from highly polished rice (polishing ratio, less than 50%). Here we showed that the sake rice Koshitanrei (KOS) has an excellent polishing property. Rice grains of KOS had the same lined white-core region as the sake rice Yamadanishiki (YAM). The grain rigidity/hardness of KOS was higher than that of the sake rice Gohyakumangoku (GOM). The loss ratio of KOS after high polishing by an industrial polishing machine was lower than that of GOM. Further, a clear taste of sake produced from KOS was confirmed by sensory evaluation.

Genotypic analysis of the FAS2-F1279Y (3836T>A) polymorphism conferring high ethyl caprylate productivity in industrial sake yeast strains.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ethyl caprylate is produced by the esterification of caprylic acid, which is synthesized through the action of fatty acid synthase. A recent study reported a yeast mutant with a single nucleotide substitution in the alpha subunit of fatty acid synthase (FAS2) gene (F1279Y; 3836T>A) that produced large amounts of ethyl caprylate. Here, we designed two primer sets (P1/P2 and P3/P4) with mismatches that incorporate restriction sites for the enzymes NdeI and SspI, respectively and developed an easy and rapid polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay to identify yeasts harboring the FAS2-F1279Y mutation associated with high ethyl caprylate productivity.

Analysis of free fatty acids in sake by an enzymatic method and its application for estimating ethyl caproate and selecting yeast with high productivity of the ester.

We show that the concentration of total free fatty acids (FFAs) in sake produced by yeast with high productivity of ethyl caproate could be approximated by the concentration of 2 FFAs, caproic and caprylic acids. Measurement of the total FFAs concentration by an enzymatic method proved useful for both estimating the ethyl caproate concentration in sake and also for yeast breeding.

Sake lees fermented with lactic acid bacteria prevents allergic rhinitis-like symptoms and IgE-mediated basophil degranulation.

We tested the effect of oral administration of fermented sake lees with lactic acid bacteria (FESLAB) on a murine model of allergic rhinitis upon immunization and nasal sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA). We used Lactobacillus paracasei NPSRIk-4 (isolated from sake lees), and L. brevis NPSRIv-8 (from fermented milk) as starter strains to produce the FESLAB. Oral FESLAB administration resulted in the development of significantly fewer sneezing symptoms than those seen in sham control animals given sterile water. We also found that FESLAB suppressed the allergen-induced degranulation of RBL2H3 rat basophilic leukemia cells.

Genomic and Metabolomic Analyses of a Piezosensitive Mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Application for Generation of Piezosensitive Niigata-Sake Yeast Strains.

A sparkling-type draft cloudy sake (Japanese rice wine), AWANAMA, was recently developed using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment as a non-thermal pasteurization method. This prototype sake has a high potential market value, since it retains the fresh taste and flavor similar to draft sake while avoiding over-fermentation. From an economic point of view, a lower pressure level for HHP pasteurization is still required. In this study, we carried out a genome analysis of a pressure-sensitive (piezosensitive) mutant strain, a924E1, which was generated by UV mutagenesis from a laboratory haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, KA31a. This mutant strain had a deletion of the COX1 gene region in the mitochondrial DNA and had deficient aerobic respiration and mitochondrial functions. A metabolomic analysis revealed restricted flux in the TCA cycle of the strain. The results enabled us to use aerobic respiration deficiency as an indicator for screening a piezosensitive mutant. Thus, we generated piezosensitive mutants from a Niigata-sake yeast strain, S9arg, which produces high levels of ethyl caproate but does not produce urea and is consequently suitable for brewing a high-quality sake. The resultant piezosensitive mutants showed brewing characteristics similar to the S9arg strain. This study provides a screening method for generating a piezosensitive yeast mutant as well as insight on a new way of applying HHP pasteurization.

Stable Isotope Analysis of Hydrogen and Oxygen in a Traditional Japanese Alcoholic Beverage, Sake, from Niigata Prefecture in Japan and Other Countries.

Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions (δD and δ18O values, respectively) were analyzed for "sake," a traditional Japanese alcohol beverage, to assess these values for the identification of its geographic origin. We collected sake (Junmai-shu; made of only rice, water, and koji) and its source water (i.e., brewing water) from breweries in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, and measured the isotopic compositions of water in these samples. The δD and δ18O values for the sake are well correlated with their respective values for the corresponding brewing water (δD; r = 0.92, δ18O; r = 0.80). Furthermore, based on the δD-δ18O cross plot, sake brewed in Niigata Prefecture is distinguishable from that brewed in countries other than Japan. These results imply that this dual isotope (δD and δ18O) analysis is potentially useful in identifying the geographic origin of sake.

Simple differentiation of sake (Japanese alcoholic beverage) based on trace inorganic components using colorimetric methods.

Several colorimetric methods were combined and used for the discrimination of commercial sake samples, based on their constituent inorganic components. The method was very rapid, simple, and did not require expensive equipment. Further, we showed that this method has potential application in immediate differentiation of sake by the visual inspection.

Differentiation of industrial sake yeast strains by a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method that targets the PHO3 gene.

We developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method that targets the PHO3 gene for discriminating sake yeast strains. Our data indicate that this assay is simple, rapid, and useful to use for differentiation of specific yeasts in sake mash.

Growth-inhibition of hiochi bacteria in namazake (raw sake) by bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria.

The bacteriocins produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis C101910 (C101910) and NBRC 12007 (NBRC 12007) were used to prevent the growth of sake spoiling hiochi bacteria (Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lactobacillus fructivorans, and Lactobacillus paracasei) in namazake, which is raw (unpasteurized) sake. The bacteriocin concentrations required for decreasing the viable cell concentrations of L. hilgardii and L. fructivorans below the detection limit (1.0 x 10(2) cells/ml) in 24 h from the initial concentration of 4.0-9.5 x 10(5) cells/ml in the namazake at pH 4.5 and at 4 degrees C, were 18-35 U/ml and 5.6 U/ml for the bacteriocin from C101910 and NBRC 12007, respectively. To decrease the viable cell concentration of L. paracasei from the initial concentration of 7.5 x 10(5) cells/ml to below the detection limit (1.0 x 10(2) cells/ml) in 24 h, 350 U/ml bacteriocin from C101910 and 140 U/ml bacteriocin from NBRC 12007 were required. In experiments using McIlvaine buffer (pH 4.5) with 15% ethanol instead of namazake as the medium, the viable cell concentrations of L. hilgardii and L. paracasei decreased to less than 1.0 x 10(2) cells/ml, whereas those of L. fructivorans decreased to less than 1.0 x 10(3) cells/ml, when bacteriocins were added at the concentrations that had proven effective in namazake. The membrane depolarization assay using a fluorescent probe showed that the presence of ethanol stimulated the collapse of the membrane potential induced by bacteriocins. The ethanol induced collapse of the membrane potential suggests that the application of bacteriocins at the storage stage of namazake is more beneficial than when used in other stages of the sake brewing process.