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This study was the first to evaluate changes in isoflavone, amino acid, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), antioxidant effect, and digestive enzyme inhibition during fermentation of soy-milk to soy-yogurt with L. brevis and L. plantarum. Total average isoflavones were reduced (1318.2 → 971.1 μg/g) with an increase of aglycones (60.2 → 804.9 μg/g, genistein > daidzein > glycitein) in soy powder yogurts (SPYs). Amino acids increased considerably, as did ornithine (average 4.1 → 551.0 mg/g), and CLA showed high variations from not-detected (ND) to 0.5, 0.9 mg/g (cis-9, trans-11) and ND to 0.3, 0.2 mg/g (trans-10, cis-12). Digestive enzyme inhibitions (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase) displayed high activities (average 50.6 → 67.2, 5.2 → 46.4, 10.6 → 51.4%). Moreover, the antioxidant abilities against radicals were elevated as follows: ABTS > DPPH > hydroxyl (average 63.5 → 86.5, 50.2 → 70.3, 39.3 → 55.2%). Specifically, SPY using mixed strains exhibited the greatest enzymatic inhibition and antioxidant capacities., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The contents of soluble sugars (sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose and raffinose), vitamin C and free amino acids (34 compounds, essential and non-essential) were quantified in open-field and greenhouse-grown spinaches in response to cold stress using liquid chromatography. In general, greenhouse cultivation produced nutritionally high value spinach in a shorter growing period, where the soluble sugars, vitamin C and total amino acids concentrations, including essential were in larger amounts compared to those grown in open-field scenarios. Further, low temperature exposure of spinach during a shorter growth period resulted in the production of spinach with high sucrose, ascorbate, proline, gamma-aminobutyric acid, valine and leucine content, and these constitute the most important energy/nutrient sources. In conclusion, cultivation of spinach in greenhouse at a low temperature (4-7°C) and exposure for a shorter period (7-21days) before harvest is recommended. This strategy will produce a high quality product that people can eat., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The current research was the first to prove the existence of fluctuations in the metabolite constituents and antioxidant properties in different organs (leaves, stems, and roots) of the mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG) plant during a two-month maturation period. Four metabolites, including fatty acids, amino acids, ginsenosides, and phenolic phytochemicals, exhibited considerable differences in organs and maturation times with the following order: leaves > stems > roots. The predominant metabolite contents were found in leaves, with fatty acid (1057.9 mg/100 g) on 31 May, amino acid (1989.2 mg/100 g) on 13 July, ginsenosides (88.7 mg/g) on 31 May, and phenolic phytochemical (638.3 μg/g) on 31 May. Interestingly, ginsenoside content in leaves were highest, with 84.8 → 88.7 → 82.2 → 78.3 mg/g. Specifically, ginsenosides Re, Rd, and F2 showed abundant content ranging from 19.1 to 16.9 mg/g, 8.5 to 14.8 mg/g, and 9.5 to 13.1 mg/g, respectively. Phenolic phytochemicals exhibited remarkable differences in organs compared to maturation periods, with the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoid content recorded at 9.48 GAE and 1.30 RE mg/g in leaves on 31 May. The antioxidant capacities on radical, FRAP, and DNA protection differed significantly, with leaves on 31 May exhibiting the highest values: 88.4% (DPPH), 89.5% (ABTS), 0.84 OD593 nm (FRAP) at 500 μg/mL, and 100% DNA protection at 50 μg/mL. Furthermore, principal cluster analysis revealed metabolite variability as follows: ginsenoside (83.3%) > amino acid (71.8%) > phenolic phytochemical (61.1%) > fatty acid (58.8%). A clustering heatmap highlighted significant changes in metabolite components under the maturation times for each organ. Our findings suggest that MCG leaves on 31 May may be a potential source for developing nutraceuticals, offering highly beneficial components and strong antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the primary (such as amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals) and secondary (including ginsenosides, phenolic acids, and flavonols) metabolites and antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng sprouts (PGSs) by different cultivation systems, such as soil–substrate cultivation (SSC) and deep-water cultivation (DWC), in a plant factory has been observed. There was no significant difference in the total fatty acid (FA) contents. Particularly, the major FAs of PGSs were palmitic acid (207.4 mg/100 g) of saturated FAs and linoleic acid (397.6 mg/100 g) and α-linolenic acid (222.6 mg/100 g) of unsaturated FAs in the SSC system. The values of total amino acids were all higher in SSC than in DWC. In the case of ginsenosides, the total protopanaxtriol product was 30.88 mg/g in SSC, while the total protopanaxdiol product was 34.83 mg/g in DWC. In particular, the values of total phenolic acids and total flavonols were 133.36 and 388.19 ug/g, respectively, and SSC had a higher content than DWC. In conclusion, the SSC system was shown to be higher in nutritional constituents and antioxidant activities in soil cultivation, suggesting that PGS with SSC has a positive effect on the quality of PGS in a plant factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus licheniformis CBFOS-03 is a chitinase producing bacteria isolated from oyster ( Crassostrea gigas) shell waste. We have cloned and expressed the chi18B gene of B. licheniformis CBFOS-03, which encodes a glycohydrolase family 18 chitinase (GH18). Chi18B is a predicted 598 amino acid protein that consists of a catalytic domain (GH18), a fibronectin type III domain (Fn3), and a chitin binding domain (CBD). Purified Chi18B showed optimum chitinase activity at pH 9 and 55 °C, and activity was stimulated with 25 mM Mn2+. In kinetic analysis, Chi18B showed Km values of 9.07 ± 0.65 μM and 129.27 ± 0.38 μM with the substrates 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-N′-diacetylchitobiose and α-chitin, respectively. Studies of C-terminal deletion constructs revealed that the GH18 domain with one amino acid in C-terminal region was sufficient for chitinase activity; however, fusions of full length and CBD-deleted constructs to green florescent protein (GFP) and yellow florescent protein (YFP) suggest that the C-terminus is supposedly important in binding to shell powder. Full length Chi18B with GFP showed green fluorescence with oyster shell powder, but GH18+Fn3 with GFP did not. Similarly, full length Chi18B with YFP showed yellow fluorescence with clam ( Chamelea gallina) shell and disk abalone ( Haliotis discus) shell powder, but GH18+Fn3 with YFP construct did not. So, the CBD domain of Chi18B appears to play an important role in binding of oyster and other marine shells. It is likely to be used as a probe to identify the presence of chitin in marine shells like oyster shell, clam shell, and disk abalone shell using fusions of Chi18B with fluorescent proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the nutritional components, isoflavones, and antioxidant activities by solid-sate fermentation of Apios americana Medikus (AAM) with seven different fungi. The total fatty acid contents increased from 120.5 mg/100 g (unfermented AAM, UFAAM) to 242.0 to 3167.5 mg/100 g (fermented AAM, FAAM) with all fungi. In particular, the values of total fatty acids were highest (26.3-fold increase) in the FAAM with Monascus purpureus. The amount of total free amino acids increased from 591.69 mg/100 g (UFAAM) to 664.38 to 1603.07 mg/100 g after fermentation except for Monascus pilosus and Lentinula edodes. The total mineral contents increased evidently after fermentation with M. purpureus, F. velutipes, and Tricholoma matsutake (347.36 → 588.29, 576.59, and 453.32 mg/100 g, respectively). The UFAAM predominated isoflavone glycosides, whereas glycoside forms were converted into aglycone forms after fermentation by fungi. The bioconversion rates of glycoside to aglycone were excellent in the FAAM with M. pilosus , M. purpureus , F. velutipes , and T. matsutake (0.01 → 0.69, 0.50, 0.27, and 0.31 mg/g, respectively). Furthermore, the total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activities by the abovementioned FAAM were high except for L. edodes. This FAAM can be used as a potential food and pharmaceutical materials. [Display omitted] • Apios (Apios americana Medikus) was solid-state fermented with seven different fungi. • The total fatty acid contents of AAM were increased after fermentation. • Among amino acids, the content of glutamic acid was increased after fermentation with fungi. • Monascus pilosus in AAM greatly converted isoflavone glycosides into aglycones. • The FAAM with Monascus purpureus had the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Fermented soybean was prepared with different periods using T. matsutake mycelia. • During fermentation, isoflavone aglycones and amino acids considerably increased. • Daidzein and glutamic acid showed the highest contents after 12 days of fermentation. • Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects markedly increased by fermentation. • β-Glucosidase showed the highest effect with 40.25 unit/g in 9 days of fermentation. Abstract This research was the first to demonstrate the variations of nutritional constituents, glucosidase properties and antioxidant activities in soybeans during different solid state fermentation times (germination → 5 periods for 12 days) with Tricholoma matsutake. Total isoflavones were significantly reduced (2661.54 → 1559.04 μg/g) with the increase of aglycone contents (107.61 → 1285.66 μg/g, 12 times) for fermentation, whereas amino acid and fatty acid slightly increased. Among them, daidzein (43.2 → 43.6 → 421.9 → 721.4 → 634.0 μg/g), genistein (52.7 → 24.4 → 339.5 → 546.6 → 512.8 μg/g) and glutamic acid (0.3 → 1.7 → 3.9 → 6.6 → 16.1 mg/g) markedly increased between germinated and fermented soybeans. Total phenolic contents and antioxidant abilities also considerably increased, especially, ABTS displayed the predominant scavenging capacities (33.1 → 94.8%) at 200 μg/ml, followed by DPPH (11.9 → 87.0%) and hydroxyl (11.2 → 49.2%) radicals. Interestingly, α-glucosidase inhibition (11.8 → 84.9%) and β-glucosidase (3.1 → 40.3 unit/g) exhibited the highest activities after 9 days. Our results implied that fermented soybeans may be contributed to enhance the soybean value in nutrition and biological effect aspects to development of new functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]