Effect of Mineral-Balanced Deep-Sea Water on Kidney Function and Renal Oxidative Stress Markers in Rats Fed a High-Salt Diet.

This study investigated the effect of mineral-balanced deep-sea water (DSW) on kidney health using an animal model of kidney injury due to a high-sodium diet. High magnesium/low sodium (HMLS) and high magnesium/high calcium (HMHC) DSW samples with different mineral contents were prepared. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an 8% sodium chloride (NaCl) diet for four weeks to induce kidney injury, and each group was supplied with purified water or mineral water. Kidney injury was observed in the NaCl group according to increased kidney injury markers and malondialdehydes, providing evidence of oxidative stress. However, the kidney injury was repaired by the intake of mineral-balanced DSW. It was confirmed that the HMLS and HMHC groups showed improved Na+ excretion through the urine. Kidney injury markers in urine decreased and upregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein2 mRNA expression was observed in the HMLS and HMHC groups. In addition, superoxide dismutase activity was increased in the HMHC groups. The gene expression patterns of the RNA sequencing were similar between the CON and HMLS groups. These results suggest that DSW has beneficial effects on kidney health due to the balanced magnesium and calcium levels in models of kidney injury caused by excessive sodium intake.

Fermented barley and soybean (BS) mixture enhances intestinal barrier function in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic or relapsing immune system activation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. The lack of safety and efficacy of standard therapies, the use of food supplements for managing IBD is increasing, and many studies have reported that various food supplements provide many beneficial effects for the IBD. METHODS: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-colitis effects of dietary supplementation with a fermented barley and soybean mixture (BS) on intestinal inflammation using a murine model of IBD. Female C57BL/6 mice were administered with either BS (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (PBS) control through oral gavages for 3 days and received 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) drinking water to induce colitis. Mice body weight was measured every two days and disease activity index (DAI) score was determined on Day 15; mice were sacrificed and colons were analyzed by H & E staining and RT-PCR. We also measured intestinal barrier function in vitro using DSS-treated Caco-2 cells by assessing ZO-1 immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting and in vivo by measuring serum level of FITC-Dextran and by performing bacteria culture from mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) extract. The gut microbiota was examined by real time PCR using fecal DNA. RESULTS: We found that BS alleviated the severity of colitis in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model, and suppressed levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colonic tissue. Moreover, BS prevented epithelial barrier dysfunction, inducing an increase of tight junction protein levels in colonic tissues, BS also inhibited FITC-dextran permeability, and suppressed bacterial translocation to MLNs. In addition, BS increased the levels of Lactobacilli and Bacteroides, which have anti-inflammatory properties. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that BS has protective roles against inflammatory bowel disease through changes in inflammatory activity, tight junction protein expression, and gut microbiota composition in DSS-induced colitis.

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration.

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study. Participants ingested a placebo- (n = 33) or BS- (3 g/day) containing drink (n = 32) for 8 weeks. A significant increase in hydration in the BS group as compared to the placebo group was observed on the faces of subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in stratum corneum (SC) thickness were also observed on the face and forearm. BS enhanced hyaluronan (HA) and skin barrier function in vitro and reduced Hyal2 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). BS also recovered ultraviolet (UV) B-induced downregulation of HA in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that BS has promising potential for development as a health functional food to enhance skin health.

Hypolipidemic and antiinflammation activities of fermented soybean fibers from meju in C57BL/6 J mice.

Meju, a naturally fermented soy block used to produce soy paste and soy sauce in Korea, is suggested to exhibit hypolipidemic and antiinflammatory activities; however, its mechanisms of action are elusive. Here, we report that the water-soluble fibers but not the amino acids and peptides from meju exhibited hypolipidemic activity in vivo. Feeding of fermented soybean fibers (FSF) from meju reduced plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, adipocyte size, and hepatic lipid accumulation in C57BL/6 J mice. FSF treatment reduced HMG-CoA reductase expression, whereas the expression of genes in the fatty acid uptake and subsequent beta-oxidation were significantly induced in the livers. Hepatic lipogenic genes, including Srebp1c and Lxrα, were unaltered. Feeding with the fermented soybean peptides and amino acids (FSPA) induced the expression of lipogenic genes, which may have canceled the induction of low-density lipoprotein receptor and Cyp7a1 gene expressions in FSPA livers. The plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein, TNF-α, and interlukin-6 were significantly reduced in the FSF, FSPA, and meju groups compared with the control groups, suggesting that both of the fibers and peptides/amino acids from meju may be beneficial. These findings suggest that soluble fibers from meju are critical hypolipidemic components that regulate hepatic gene expressions and reduce proinflammatory cytokines in vivo.

Comparative volatile profiles in soy sauce according to inoculated microorganisms.

We compared the volatile profiles in soy sauce according to inoculation with Tetragenococcus halophilus and/or Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Totals of 107 and 81 volatiles were respectively identified by using solid-phase microextraction and solvent extraction. The various volatile compounds identified included acids, aldehydes, esters, ketones, furans and furan derivatives, and phenols. The major volatiles in the samples treated with T. halophilus were acetic acid, formic acid, benzaldehyde, methyl acetate, ethyl 2-hydroxypropanoate, 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, while those in the samples inoculated with Z. rouxii were mainly ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl propanoate, 2/3-methylbutanol, 1-butanol, 2-phenylethanol, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, and 4-hydroxy-2-ethyl-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone. The results indicate that T. halophilus produced significant acid compounds and could affect the Z. rouxii activity, supporting the notion that yeasts and lactic acid bacteria respectively have different metabolic pathways of alcoholic fermentation and lactic acid fermentation, and produce different dominant volatile compounds in soy sauce.

Lactobacillus pentosus SMB718 as a probiotic starter producing allyl mercaptan in garlic and onion-enriched fermentation.

Fermenting garlic and onion provides the advantages of storage life extension, anti-oxidative and anti-diabetic activities, and their metabolite, allyl mercaptan, offers a strong aroma and various health benefits. Here, we report the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus pentosus SMB718 isolated from Korean traditional paste and its high allyl mercaptan productivity in garlic and onion fermentation. This strain was safe for use in food fermentation, as it was a non-biogenic amine producer and non-hemolytic. It showed high stability under simulated human gastrointestinal conditions and good adhesion ability to intestinal epithelial cells, including both Caco-2 and HT-29. This strain had antioxidant and anti-microbial activities. In addition, the heat-killed cells and lysate exerted anti-inflammatory effects on both LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and mouse macrophages by inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, this strain possessed good fermentation properties in garlic and onion-enriched radish juice (GORJ); it grew well decreasing the pH and provided a rich aroma compound during fermentation. When L. pentosus SMB718 was used as a starter in garlic and onion fermentation, a significantly higher amount of allyl mercaptan (344 ppb) was produced compared with that produced by the type strain (82 ppb). In conclusion, L. pentosus SMB718 can be used as a beneficial probiotic starter for better flavor production in the fermentation of allium species plants.

Strain improvement of Aspergillus sojae for increased l-leucine aminopeptidase and protease production.

Conventional random mutagenesis was implemented to improve l-leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and protease production in Aspergillus sojae. Through successive mutagenesis by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), UV, and 1-methyl-2-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), EMS25, EU36, and EUN13 mutants from each mutagenesis process were screened using a newly developed quick and easy screening method. The mutant EUN13 exhibited a 9.6-fold increase in LAP [50.61 ± 4.36 U/g-initial dried substrate (IDS)] and a 3.8-fold increase in protease production (13.36 ± 0.31 U/g-IDS) on solid-state fermentation. This mutant showed more frequent branching and higher lap1 mRNA expression as compared to the parent strain SMF 131, which at least in part contributed to the increased LAP and protease production. The mutant EUN13 can be used as a starter organism for diverse industrial soybean fermentation processes for the production of conventional products such as meju, doenjang, and ganjang as well as for the production of new fermented soybean-based sauces.

Whole genome analysis of Aspergillus sojae SMF 134 supports its merits as a starter for soybean fermentation.

Aspergillus sojae is a koji (starter) mold that has been applied for food fermentation in Asia. The whole genome of A. sojae SMF 134, which was isolated from meju (Korean soybean fermented brick), was analyzed at the genomic level to evaluate its potential as a starter for soybean fermentation. The genome size was 40.1 Mbp, which was expected to be composed of eight chromosomes with 13,748 ORFs. Strain SMF 134 had a total of 151 protease genes, among which two more leucine aminopeptidase (lap) genes were found in addition to the previously known lap 1, and three γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (ggt) genes were newly identified. Such genomic characteristics of SMF 134 with many protease and flavor-related (lap and ggt) genes support its merits as a starter for soybean fermentation. In addition, this first complete genome of A. sojae will allow for further genetic studies to better understand the production of various enzymes, including proteases, LAPs, and GGTs, as well as other characteristics as a starter mold for soybean fermentation.

Investigation on the formations of volatile compounds, fatty acids, and γ-lactones in white and brown rice during fermentation.

Volatile compounds, including γ-lactones, in brown and white rice fermented by Lactobacillus paracasei, were compared using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). The contents of most esters, alcohols, lactones and some aldehydes were higher in brown rice samples containing higher amount of free fatty acids after fermentation. In particular, the contents of γ-lactones increased more in fermented brown rice containing high amounts of fatty acids than in fermented white rice, suggesting that γ-decalactone and γ-nonalactone were formed from oleic acid and linoleic acid during rice fermentation. In addition, the contents of γ-decalactone in fermented brown rice samples with added 4-hydroxydecanoic acid and ricinoleic acid were determined. The content of γ-decalactone in fermented brown rice samples with added 4-hydroxydecanoic acid was considerably higher than that in the control after fermentation, indicating that 4-hydroxydecanoic acid could be an effective intermediate for the formation of γ-decalactone in rice during fermentation.

Development of Safe and Flavor-Rich Doenjang (Korean Fermented Soybean Paste) Using Autochthonous Mixed Starters at the Pilot Plant Scale.

Doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) with an improved flavor and safety was prepared by the simultaneous fermentation of autochthonous mixed starters at the pilot plan scale. First, whole soybean meju was fermented by coculturing safety-verified starters Aspergillus oryzae MJS14 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens zip6 or Bacillus subtilis D119C. These fermented whole soybean meju were aged in a brine solution after the additional inoculation of Tetragenococcus halophilus 7BDE22 and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii SMY045 to yield doenjang. Four doenjang batches prepared using a combination of mold, bacilli, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast starters were free of safety issues and had the general properties of traditional doenjang, a rich flavor and taste. All doenjang batches received a high consumer acceptability score, especially the ABsT and ABsTZ batches. This study suggests that flavor-rich doenjang similar to traditional doenjang can be manufactured safely and reproducibly in industry by mimicking the simultaneous fermentation of autochthonous mixed starters as in traditional doenjang fermentation. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The development of a pilot plant process for doenjang fermentation using safety-verified autochthonous mixed starter will facilitate the manufacture of flavor-rich doenjang similar to traditional doenjang safely and reproducibly in industry.

Characterization of Aspergillus sojae Isolated from Meju, Korean Traditional Fermented Soybean Brick.

Initially, we screened 18 Aspergillus sojae-like strains from Aspergillus spp. isolated from meju (Korean traditional fermented soybean brick) according to their morphological characteristics. Because members of Aspergillus section Flavi are often incorrectly identified because of their phylogenetic similarity, we re-identified these strains at the morphological and molecular genetic levels. Fourteen strains were finally identified as A. sojae. The isolates produced protease and α-amylase with ranges of 2.66-10.64 and 21.53-106.73 unit/g-initial dry substrate (U/g-IDS), respectively, which were equivalent to those of the koji (starter mold) strains employed to produce Japanese soy sauce. Among the isolates and Japanese koji strains, strains SMF 127 and SMF 131 had the highest leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activities at 6.00 and 6.06 U/g-IDS, respectively. LAP plays an important role in flavor development because of the production of low-molecular-weight peptides that affect the taste and decrease bitterness. SMF 127 and SMF 131 appeared to be non-aflatoxigenic because of a termination point mutation in aflR and the lack of the polyketide synthase gene found in other A. sojae strains. In addition, SMF 127 and SMF 131 were not cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) producers because of the deletion of maoA, dmaT, and pks/nrps, which are involved in CPA biosynthesis. Therefore, A. sojae strains such as SMF 127 and SMF 131, which have high protease and LAP activities and are free of safety issues, can be considered good starters for soybean fermentations, such as in the production of the Korean fermented soybean products meju, doenjang, and ganjang.

Heterologous expression and enzymatic characterization of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) catalyzes the cleavage of γ-glutamyl compounds and the transfer of γ-glutamyl moiety to water or to amino acid/peptide acceptors. GGT can be utilized for the generation of γ-glutamyl peptides or glutamic acid, which are used as food taste enhancers. In the present study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SMB469 with high GGT activity was isolated from Doenjang, a traditional fermented soy food of Korea. The gene encoding GGT from B. amyloliquefaciens SMB469 (BaGGT469) was cloned from the isolate, and heterologously expressed in E. coli and B. subtilis. For comparison, three additional GGT genes were cloned from B. subtilis 168, B. licheniformis DSM 13, and B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42. The BaGGT469 protein was composed of 591 amino acids. The final protein comprises two separate polypeptide chains of 45.7 and 19.7 kDa, generated via autocatalytic cleavage. The specific activity of BaGGT469 was determined to be 17.8 U/mg with γ-L-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide as the substrate and diglycine as the acceptor. GGTs from B. amyloliquefaciens showed 1.4- and 1.7-fold higher transpeptidase activities than those from B. subtilis and B. licheniformis, respectively. Especially, recombinant B. subtilis expressing BaGGT469 demonstrated 11- and 23-fold higher GGT activity than recombinant E. coli and the native B. amyloliquefaciens, respectively, did. These results suggest that BaGGT469 can be utilized for the enzymatic production of various γ-glutamyl compounds.

Volatile Compounds Produced by Lactobacillus paracasei During Oat Fermentation.

This study investigated the profiles of volatile compounds produced by Lactobacillus paracasei during oat fermentation using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with headspace solid-phase microextraction method. A total of 60 compounds, including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, furan derivatives, hydrocarbons, ketones, sulfur-containing compounds, terpenes, and other compounds, were identified in fermented oat. Lipid oxidation products such as 2-pentylfuran, 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, and nonanal were found to be the main contributors to oat samples fermented by L. paracasei with the level of 2-pentylfuran being the highest. In addition, the contents of ketones, alcohols, acids, and furan derivatives in the oat samples consistently increased with the fermentation time. On the other hand, the contents of degradation products of amino acids, such as 3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde, acetophenone, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide, decreased in oat samples during fermentation. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to discriminate the fermented oat samples according to different fermentation times. The fermented oats were clearly differentiated on PCA plots. The initial fermentation stage was mainly affected by aldehydes, whereas the later samples of fermented oats were strongly associated with acids, alcohols, furan derivatives, and ketones. The application of PCA to data of the volatile profiles revealed that the oat samples fermented by L. paracasei could be distinguished according to fermentation time.

Effects of Aspergillus species inoculation and their enzymatic activities on the formation of volatile components in fermented soybean paste (doenjang).

The volatile components of rice-koji doenjang produced in association with various Aspergillus species (A. oryzae, A. sojae, and A. kawachii) during 8 weeks of fermentation were compared using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and multivariate statistical analysis. In addition, the activities of diverse enzymes (α-amylase, protease, lipase, and esterase) were determined to investigate their effects on the formation of volatile compounds. Regardless of the fungi types, carbonyls including 4-methylheptan-2-one, heptan-2-one, (E)-hept-2-enal, and hexanal were found to contribute mainly to early phase fermentation, whereas the contents of ethyl esters of long-chained fatty acids were considerably enhanced in the latter stage of fermentation. With the exception of α-amylase, the activities of the studied enzymes generally increased as fermentation proceeded, and there were significant differences in enzymes activities between the species of fungi. The lipase activity was strongly correlated with the formation of long-chain fatty acid esters, which could be related to the distinctive organoleptic properties of rice-koji doenjang.

Metabolite profiling of enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermented forms of Opuntia ficus-indica and their effect on UVB-induced skin photoaging.

Fermentation of natural products is emerging as an important processing method and is attracting a lot of attention because it may have the advantage of having a new biological function. In this study, fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica were enzymatically hydrolyzed and then fermented with two species of yeast. We identified novel prominent markers in enzymatically hydrolyzed O. ficus-indica (EO) and fermented O. ficus-indica (FO) samples by using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We also evaluated the effect of EO and FO on photoaging of skin cells exposed to ultraviolet radiation. We identified the major fermented metabolite in the FO as ferulic acid. Our in vitro study indicated that FO significantly enhanced the concentration of pro-collagen type 1 than the EO, by increasing the TGF-ß1 production.