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.

미강으로부터 분리 정제된 피틴산을 식육에 적용하여 식육에서의 항균활성과 항산화능을 조사함으로써 식품보존제로서의 가능성을 확인하였다. 피틴산이 첨가된 Tryptic soy broth에 S. Typhimurium KCCM 11806을 배양하였을 경우 1%(w/v) 피틴산 첨가 시 S. Typhimurium의 생육을 완전히 저해시켰다. E. coli O157:H7에 대한 항균 효과는 1.0%(w/v) 피틴산 첨가 시 약 3.0 log 단위의 생육저해효과를 확인하였다. 신선한 닭고기, 돼지고기, 소고기에 S. Typhimurium을 접종하고 피틴산을 첨가하여 37oC에서 24시간 배양하여 피틴산의 항균효과를 조사한 결과 모든 식육에서 항균효과가 피틴산 농도에 의존적으로 나타났으며 1%(w/v) 피틴산 첨가 시 약 3.0 log 단위의 항균효과를 나타내었다. 생육인 닭고기, 돼지고기, 소고기에 피틴산을 여러 농도로 첨가한 결과 E. coli O157:H7에 대한 항균효과는 모든 생육에서 0.5% 피틴산 첨가 시 약 2.0 log 단위의 생육저해 효과를 보여 주었으며, 가열 처리된 식육에서도 첨가된 피틴산 농도에 의존적으로 유의성 있게 증식을 억제하였다. 생육에 피틴산을 첨가하여 4oC에서 3일간 저장할 경우 저장기간이 증가함에 따라 TBARS(thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) 값이 증가하였으며 피틴산을 5 mM 첨가하였을 때 TBARS 값이 유의적으로 감소하여 식육에서의 항산화능을 확인하였다.

탈지미강으로부터 피틴산을 추출 및 정제하기 위한 최적조건을 설정하였다. 탈지미강을 10배수의 0.5% HCl 용액으로 1시간 처리하였을 때 피틴산의 추출효율이 가장 좋았으며 중화제로는 0.5% NaOH 용액이 적합하였다. 피틴산의 정제를 위하여 Diaion HP20 흡착 컬럼을 이용하여 불순물을 제거한 후 여러 가지 이온교환수지를 이용하여 피틴산을 정제하였을 때 Amberlite IRA-416 이온교환수지의 회수율이 가장 높았다. Amberlite IRA-416 이온교환수지를 이용하여 피틴산을 수지에 흡착시킨 다음 0.5% NaOH 용액으로 용출시켰을 경우 89%의 회수율을 나타내었다. 정제된 피틴산의 총단백질 함량은 0.14%(w/w)로 대부분의 단백질이 제거됨을 확인하였다.

Phytic acid (PA) (Inositol hexaphosphate, IP6) is a naturally occurring polyphosphorylated carbohydrate that is present in substantial amounts in almost all plants and mammalian cells. Recently PA has received much attention for its role in anticancer activity. In the present study, the preventive effects of PA on colon carcinogenesis were investigated. Six-week old Fisher 344 male rats were fed a AIN-93G purified diet and PA (0.5% or 2% PA in water) for 8 weeks. The animals received two (1st and 2nd week) injections of azoxymethane (AOM, 15 mg/kg b.w.) to induce colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF). After sacrifice, the total numbers of aberrant crypts (AC) and ACF in colonic mucosa were examined after staining with methylene blue. Blood and serum were analyzed with a blood cell differential counter and an automatic serum analyzer. AOM induced the total numbers of 142.3 ± 22.3 ACF/colon and 336.6 ± 55.1 AC/colon. PA at the doses of 0.5 and 2% decreased the numbers of ACF and AC/colon in a dosedependent manner. The numbers of ACF/colon and AC/colon by PA at the dose of 0.5% were 124.4 ± 28.5 and 302.7 ± 67.3, respectively. PA at the dose of 2% significantly decreased the ACF and AC numbers to 109 ± 18.1 and 254.8 ± 50.6, respectively (p < 0.01). Especially, 2% PA significantly reduced the number of large ACF ( ≥ 4 AC/ ACF) from 26.8 ± 6.2 ACF/colon to 15 ± 6.7 ACF/colon (p < 0.01). Although some parameters in blood counts and serum chemistry were changed compared with the control, no specific toxicity was found. These findings suggest that phytic acid can be a chemopreventive agent for colon carcinogenesis resulting from inhibition of the development of ACF in the F344 rat.

Phytic acid (PA) is a naturallu occurring polyphosphorylated carbohydrate that is present in substantial amounts in almost all plants and mammalian cells. Recently PA has received much attention for its role in anticancer activity. We investigated the preventive effect of PA on the formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF), a preneoplastic lesion, induced by azoxymethane (AOM). After acclimation for one week, six-week old male ICR mice were fed on the AIN-93G purified diet and PA (0.5% or 2% PA in water) for 8 weeks. The animals were treated with azoxymethane (AOM, 10 mg/kg b.w.) three times (0, 1, and 2 weeks) to induce colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF). After sacrifice, the total numbers of aberrant crypts (AC) and ACF in colonic mucosa were counted after staining with methylene blue. Blood and serum were analyzed with a blood cell differential counter and an automatic serum analyzer. AOM treatment without PA induced the total numbers of 85.7 ± 12.9 and 115.2 ± 19.9, respectively. PA at the dose of 2% AC/colon by PA at the dose of 0.5% were 73.4 ± 12.9 and 115.2 ± 19.9, respectively. PA at the dose of 2% significantly decreased the ACF and AC numbers to 56.5 ± 14.6 and 95.4 ± 17.2, respectively (p＜0.01). PA at the doses of 0.5 and 2% decreased the numbers of ACF and AC/colon in a dose-dependent manner. Although some parameters in blood counts and serum chemistry were changed compared with the control, no specific toxicity was found. Theses findings suggest that phytic acid can be a chemopreventive agent for colon carcinogenesis resulting from inhibition of the development of ACF in ICR mice.

Phytic acid, making up 1-5% of the composition of many plant seeds and cereals, is known to form iron-chelates and inhibit lipid peroxidation. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as an indication of lipid peroxidation, were measured in beef round, chicken breast, pork loin, and halibut muscle after the meats were stored for 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days at various temperatures [frozen (-20℃), refrigerator (4℃), and room temperature (25℃)]. Phytic acid effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation in beef round, chicken breast, halibut, and pork loin muscle (p$lt;0.05). The inhibitory effect of phytic acid was dependent on concentration, storage time, and temperature. At frozen temperature, the inhibitory effect of phytic acid was minimal, whereas at room temperature, the inhibitory effect of phytic acid was maximal, probably due to the variation of the control TBARS values. At the concentration of 10 mM, phytic acid completely inhibited lipid peroxidation in all the muscle foods by maintaining TBARS values close to the level of the controls, regardless of storage time or temperature (p$lt;0.05). The rate of lipid peroxidation was the highest in beef round muscle, although they had a close TBARS value at 0 day. Addition of phytic acid to lipid-containing foods such as meats, fish meal pastes, and canned seafoods may prevent lipid peroxidation, resulting in improvement of the sensory quality of many foods and prolonged shelf-life.

Myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate (InsP6), also known as phytic acid, accumulates in large quantities in plant seeds, serving as a phosphorus reservoir, but is an animal antinutrient and an important source of water pollution. Here we report that Gle1 (GLFG lethal 1) in conjunction with InsP6 functions as an activator of the ATPase/RNA helicase LOS4 (Low expression of osmotically responsive genes 4), which is involved in mRNA export in plants, supporting the Gle1-InsP6-Dbp5 (LOS4 homolog) paradigm proposed in yeast. Interestingly, plant Gle1 proteins have modifications in several key residues of the InsP6-binding pocket, which reduce the basicity of the surface charge. Arabidopsis Gle1 variants containing mutations that increase the basic charge of the InsP6-binding surface show increased sensitivity to InsP6 concentrations for the stimulation of LOS4 ATPase activity in vitro. Expression of the Gle1 variants with enhanced InsP6 sensitivity rescues the mRNA export defect of the ipk1 (inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate 2-kinase) InsP6-deficient mutant, and furthermore, significantly improves vegetative growth, seed yield, and seed performance of the mutant. These results suggest that Gle1 is an important factor responsible for mediating InsP6 functions in plant growth and reproduction, and that Gle1 variants with increased InsP6 sensitivity may be useful for engineering high-yielding low-phytate crops.

The main objective of the study was to investigate the phytic acid contents of various cereals and legumes produced in Korea. The results showed that the phytic acid contents of buckwheat, foxtail millets, sorghum, millet, barley, jobs' tears, yellow corn and wheat flour (Urimil) were in a range of 0.13 to 2.27%. The contents of the phytic acid ranged from 1.03 to 1.16% for legumes including red Indian bean, black Indian bean, mung bean, and black soybean. The phytic acid content of brown rice was five times higher than those of 100% polished rice. The polishing process of the rice decreased significantly the content of the phytic acid. We estimate that the daily phytic acid intake from rice was changed from 653 mg/day in 1995 to 430 mg/day in 2005 based on the results of a national nutrition survey.

Phytic acid, myo-inositol (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)-hexakisphosphate, is a material that plants store phosphorus in seeds. Phytic acid is classified as an antinutrient because of indigestibility. Non-ruminant animals, such as human and swine, excrete unavailable phytic acid. The unavailable phytic acid run off to ground water, river, sea, causing eutrophication as a factor. Accordingly, low-phytic acid crops draw the attention due to both nutritional and environmental reasons. Using more than 900 Glycine accessions including G. max, G. soja and G. gracillis, colormetric method was applied for detecting low-phytic acid mutant. Two hundred fifty accessions were screened by the colormetric method so far, but no mutant was identified. Screening of mutants with the rest 710 accessions is in progress. MIPS1 (D-myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase) is considered as gene related to phytic acid content in soybean. Also, lpa1 (Zea mays low phytic acid 1) known as controlling phytic acid content in maize was recently reported that homologs of lpa1 were responsible for phytic acid content in soybean and located on linkage groups L and N (Chromosomes 19 and 3). After primers were designed from these three candidate genes for phytic acid content, identification of genes responsible for low phytic acid and investigation of genetic variation among 960 accessions will be performed as further study.

The effect of biofertilizer in enhancing nutrient quality and antioxidant property of rice grain was investigated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 7 treatments namely : RF = N-P2O5-K2O(11-5.5-4.8kg~;10a-1); half of the recommended fertilizer rate, HRF=N-P2O5-K2O(5.5-2.75-2.4kg~;10a-1): HRF+Bio 250=HRF combined with 250 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1 ; HRF+Bio 500=HRF combined with 500 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1; Bio 250=250 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1; Bio 500=500 kg Biofertilizer 10 a-1; and NF=No Fertilizer. Results showed that HRF+Bio 500 obtained a significantly higher protein content but a significantly lower amylose content compared with RF and NF treatments. Highest phytic acid content was recorded in NF treatment while the lowest was observed in HRF+500 treatment. The highest values in both electron donating ability and reducing power were obtained in HRF+Bio 500 treatment. All treatments obtained higher reducing power than that of the RF treatment and that NF treatment showed comparable values in both electron donating ability and reducing power with those of the treated plots. Highest antimutagenicity property was also observed in HRF+Bio 500 treatment followed by Bio 500 treatment. This study showed the possibility of using biofertilizer to enhance nutritional quality and antioxidant property of rice.

Germination characteristics and alterations in soluble sugar-starch transition and phytic acid during germination were studied in rice seeds under saline conditions. NaCl significantly reduced the speed of germination. Also, the radicle growth out of seeds was severely inhibited by the exposure to NaCl solution, thus, seeds were almost impossible to grow to seedlings. Soluble sugar was remarkably accumulated, whereas starch was decomposed stepwise during seed germination. The metabolism of soluble sugar and starch in germinating seeds showed a distinct difference. The level of phytic acid in seeds decreased in all NaCl treatments during germination, but the level was affected differently by NaCl concentration in the two varieties. Overall, our results suggest that salt stress retard the radicle growth of rice seeds, and affect the starch-to-sugar conversion and the decomposition of phytic acid differently in two varieties.