Milky white spots appeared on red bean leaves in a red bean cultivation area located in Jangyeon-myeon, Goesan-gun, Chungbuk Province. After culturing the pathogen in PDA medium, their morphology was observed, and their genes were BLAST-searched in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The pathogen was identified as a fungus called Rhizopus arrhizus. As a result of reinoculating the isolated pathogen on red beans, the same symptoms as those in the isolated leaves occurred. Characteristic colonies of R. arrhizuson PDA medium initially showed a bright color and then changed to dark gray over time, with mostly spherical sporangia. The sporangiospores were spherical or elliptical, mostly irregular, and small in size. Therefore, based on these results, this disease has not yet been reported in red beans and was called red bean brown leaf blight caused by Rhizopus arrhizus A. Fisch (syn. R. oryzae).

This study investigated the nutritional characteristics of before and after fermentation of domestic soybean (Glycine max L.) by Rhizopus oligosporus. The soybean storage proteins, β-conglycinin (11S globulin) and glycinin (7S globulin), were the most abundant in Seonyu (SY) and Danbaegkong (DBK), with concentrations of 253.4 mg/g and 193.0 mg/g, respectively. For 11S/7S related to sulfur-containing amino acid, DBK had a value of 0.95, making it the most excellent nutritionally among all the cultivars. The free amino acid content significantly increased from 0.04~10.45 mg/g before fermentation to 1.37~16.95 mg/g after fermentation, and the essential amino acid composition increased, confirming an improvement in protein quality after fermentation. Phytic acid, known as a nutritional inhibitor of soybeans, decreased from 1.66~2.13 g/100 g before fermentation to 0.90~1.58 g/100 g after fermentation, suggesting that mineral absorption inhibition was alleviated. In addition, the trypsin inhibitor content is suppressed by 76.20% to 81.25% after fermentation, which is expected to improve protein utilization in the body. This study confirmed some properties of fermented products by Rhizopus oligosporus using domestic soybeans, and these results are presented to serve as the basic data for establishing new uses of Korean soybean cultivars.

Fermentation by Rhizopus spp. has been used as a traditional medicine for treating various inflammatory diseases. Allergic asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that is caused by an exaggerated immune response. This study was conducted to ascertain the anti-inflammatory effects of Rhizopus spp. fermentation extract (RU) on a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. The animals were intraperitoneally injected OVA on day 1 and 7, followed by OVA intranasal inhalation on days 14 to 18. The animals were treated daily with RU (100 and 200 mg/kg) by oral gavage from day 18 to day 23. RU significantly decreased eosinophilia and the production of inflammatory cytokines and OVA specific immunoglobulin E in animals with asthma, along with reducing airway inflammation and mucus secretion in lung tissue. Histological changes in the lungs and levels of inflammatory mediators of allergic airway inflammation were evaluated. The regulatory effects of RU on type 2 helper T (Th2) cell activation were investigated. RU administration attenuated asthmatic changes such as inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus production, decreased the levels of Th2-related cytokines, and reduced Th2 cell activation. Administration of RU effectively reduced allergic responses in asthmatic mice, which is associated with regulating Th2 cell activation and differentiation. These results indicate that RU can attenuate the respiratory symptoms of asthma.

In vitro digestibility and protein digestibility corrected amino acid scores (PDCAAS) were investigated to verify the availability of protein in various Rhizopus oligosporus fermented products of domestic soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivars. Danbaegkong (DBK), Daepung (DP), Daewonkong (DWK), Saedanbaek (SDB), Seonyu (SY), and Cheongja4ho (CJ4) were used as raw samples, which were fermented using commercially available Rhizopus oligosporus for 48 h. All cultivars showed increased crude protein content after fermentation. The crude protein content of DBK and SDB was significantly higher than that of the other samples (55.12% in DBK and 54.22% in SDB) (p<0.001). CJ4 had the highest alanine content of 28.88 mg/g (p<0.001), and no significant difference in cysteine content was detected among the cultivars. In most of the fermented samples, the in vitro digestibility was 0.9 or higher, indicating high protein in the fermented samples. However, it is considered that restrictions on digestion are low. In DWK, the amino acid content and PDCAAS, which together indicate protein quality, were 0.917 and 0.855, respectively, confirming that it was the best cultivar to provide the raw material for fermentation. In conclusion Rhizopus oligosporus fermented soybean products can be considered a prospective source of protein with high utility value.

Rhizopus fruit rot was observed on strawberry fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne) grown in a glass greenhouse at the Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Jinju, South Korea, from 2011 to 2013. Symptoms included water-soaking, rapid softening, and rotting. When these symptoms were left untreated, vigorous fungal growth was observed on the surface of infected fruits. Colonies on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 30°C were white-cottony to brownish-black. Sporangia were globose, black, and 40–210 ㎛ in diameter. Sporangiophores were light-brown and 6–22 ㎛ in diameter. Sporangiospores were globose to oval, brownish, streaked, and 4–12 ㎛ in length. Columellae were light brownish gray, hemispherical, and 80– 120 ㎛ in diameter. To confirm the identity of the causal fungal pathogen, the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal RNA gene region was amplified and sequenced. Based on these symptoms, mycological characteristics, pathogenicity tests on host plants, and molecular identification, the fungus was identified as Rhizopus oryzae Went & Prinsen Geerligs. This is the first report of Rhizopus fruit rot on strawberry caused by R. oryzae in Korea.

This study was conducted to determine the influence of culture conditions such as temperature, time, water content, koji-thickness, and agitation on the production of protease by Rhizopus sp. ZB9, isolated from Korean Nuruk, during the preparation of rice koji, which is used in brewing the Korean rice wines, Takju and Yakju. Rice koji was made under different culture conditions, and the proteolytic activity of each koji was tested. The temperature range suitable for the production of protease was 28~32℃. Based on the protease and color, 60 hours of cultivation at 28℃ was shown to produce optimum results. The production of protease increased in proportion to the increase in water content of steamed rice from 25% to 35%. An increase in koji-thickness induced no adverse effects on the production of protease, and agitation during cultivation showed beneficial effects.

This study was conducted to determine the influence of culture conditions such as temperature, time, water content, koji-thickness and agitation on the production of organic acid by Rhizopus sp. ZB9 isolated from Korean Nuruk during the preparation of rice koji, which is used in brewing the Korean rice wines, Takju and Yakju. Rice koji was made under different culture conditions, and the acidity of each koji was tested. The temperature range suitable for the production of organic acid was 28～32℃, and 36～48 hours of cultivation at that temperature range seemed to produce the optimum results. The production of organic acid increased in proportion to the increase in water content of steamed rice from 25% to 60%. An increase in koji-thickness induced no adverse effects on the production of organic acid, and agitation-work during cultivation showed very beneficial effects.

In order to investigate the effect on morphology of Rhizopus oryzae and production of lactic acid, various interface materials were used. Morphology of fungal showed sheet and flock when resin was added. The production of lactic acid was increased dramati

Rhizopus japonicus ATCC22959로부터 미생물성 chitosan을 생산하기 위한 최적 조건을 조사하였다. 탄소원으로써 starch와 glucose(1:1)를 3.0%, 질소원으로써 yeast extract를 3.0%, 무기염류로써 ZnSO_4를 0.02% 첨가하고 pH를 5.0으로 맞춘 배지에 Rhizopus japonicus ATCC22959의 포자를 접종한 후 30℃에서 96시간 배양하는 것이었다. Chitosan생산을 위한 기본 배지와 최적 배지에 각각 1.25×10 exp (5)개의 포자를 접종하여 배양한 후 chitosan의 생산성을 비교한 결과는 각각 0.08g/200ml와 0.51g/200ml로 약 6.4배정도 수율이 증가하였다.

접합균류인 Rhizopus속 균주를 대상으로 키토산의 생산성을 비교한 결과 Rhizopus japonicus가 가장 우수하였다. 선발된 Rhizopus japonicus로부터 미생물 키토산을 생산하기 위한 최적 조건은 탄소원으로 전분을 2%, 질소원으로 yeast extract를 2.5%, 무기염류로 FeSO_4, MnSO_4, ZnSO_4, CaCl_2를 0.002%씩 첨가하고 pH를 5.5로 한 배지로, Rhizopus japonicus포자를 접종한 후 30℃에서 72시간 배양하였다. 키토산의 생산 기본 배지와 최적 배지에 각각 1.25×10 exp (5)개의 포자를 접종하여 배양한 후 키토산 생산성을 비교한 결과, 각각 0.16g/200ml와 0.66g/200ml로 수율이 약 4배 정도 증가하였다.

당화효소와 단백질분해효소의 생산능력이 높고 향도 좋은 Rhizopus japonicus T2와 밀가루로써 누룩을 제조할 때에 당화효소와 단백질분해효소의 생산을 위한 배양조건을 검토하였다. 날밀가루로 누룩을 만들었을 때에는 가열처리 한 밀가루로 만들었을 때보다 당화효소의 생산은 현저하게 높아졌으나 산성 protease의 생산은 감소하였다. 밀가루에 0.5%의 염산을 함유하는 물을 급수했을 때에는 당화효소와 중성 protease의 생산이 감소하였다 당화효소와 단백질분해효소의 생산에 가장 적합한 급수비율은 밀가루에 대하여 28%이었다. 곰팡이를 접종한 후 즉시 성형을 하는 것보다 10∼20시간 전배양을 한 후에 성형을 하는 것이 당화효소의 생산에 좋았고 단백질분해효소의 생산은 성형을 하지 않은 것이 좋았다. 당화효소 생산의 최적온도도 28℃이었고 단백질분해효소 생산의 최적온도도 28℃이었다. 28℃에서 배양할 때에 당화효소 생산을 위하 최적배양시간은 36∼72시간이었고 단백질분해효소 생산을 위 한 최적배양시간은 36시간이었다.

Background: This study was carried out to determine the physicochemical components of Rehmannia glutinosa (RG) fermented with Rhizopus delemar. Methods and Results: Physicochemical components such as changes in moisture content, pH value, total acidity, amount of reducing sugars as well as quantity of free sugars, free amino acids, and catalpol were investigated. Result showed that, the moisture content ranged from 64.26 to 65.51%. The pH and total acidity of the fermented RG decreased significantly during fermentation. The reducing sugar content ranged from 0.10 to 1.34%. The most abundant main free sugars were identified as raffinose, xylose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The sucrose content in 80% ethanol and in water extracts increased during RG fermentation. In total, 26 free amino acids were detected, including seven essential amino acids. In addition, the quantity of free amino acids decreased significantly during fermentation. Finally, the catalpol content of the fermented RG was highest on the 2nd day of fermentation at 2,028.67㎎/ 100 g. Conclusions: These results indicated that fermentation of Rhizopus delemar could be used to enhance biological activity, and that fermented RG could be used as a functional material and as an edible resource in food and functional materials industries.