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Aspergillus Associated with Meju, a Fermented Soybean Starting Material for Traditional Soy Sauce and Soybean Paste

Seung-Beom Hong1, Dae-Ho Kim1, Robert A Samson2

  • 1Korean Agricultural Culture Collection, Agricultural Microbiology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Korea.

Mycobiology
|November 6, 2015
PubMed

Insights

This study identifies 25 Aspergillus species in Meju, a Korean fermented soybean starter. Aspergillus oryzae was the most common, highlighting the fungal diversity in traditional fermentation processes.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Food Microbiology
  • Fermentation Science

Background:

  • Aspergillus fungi, known as koji mold, are crucial for Asian food fermentation.
  • Traditional Korean fermented soybean products like Meju lack comprehensive Aspergillus taxonomic studies.
  • This research addresses the gap in understanding Aspergillus diversity in Meju.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a comprehensive taxonomic study of Aspergillus species isolated from Meju.
  • To identify and characterize the Aspergillus mycobiota present in this traditional Korean fermented soybean starter.
  • To provide a foundational understanding for optimizing Meju fermentation processes.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of Aspergillus strains from Meju samples.
  • Identification based on phenotypic characteristics.
  • Molecular identification using β-tubulin gene sequencing.

Main Results:

  • A total of 533 Aspergillus strains were isolated and identified.
  • Twenty-five distinct Aspergillus species were identified.
  • The most prevalent species included Aspergillus oryzae (183 strains), Aspergillus pseudoglaucus (81 strains), and Aspergillus chevalieri (62 strains).
  • Major sections represented were Aspergillus (220 strains), Flavi (213 strains), and Nigri (54 strains).
  • Aspergillus strains were predominantly found during high-temperature fermentation stages.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first comprehensive taxonomic analysis of Aspergillus in Korean Meju.
  • Identified species, particularly Aspergillus oryzae, play a significant role in Meju fermentation.
  • The findings contribute to the understanding of fungal biodiversity in traditional fermented foods.
Keywords:
AspergillusAspergillus oryzaeAspergillus pseudoglaucusFermentationMeju

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