Comparative study of quality characteristics of Korean soy sauce made with soybeans germinated under dark and light conditions

Elicitation: a new perspective into plant chemo-diversity and functional property

Sprouts are consumed as fresh foods or their flours can be added in processed products as determinants of sensory perception, product differentiation, and shelf life. Elicitation technique can be used to accumulate phytochemicals in plant sprouts thereby improving their functionality. This review summarized the recent state of knowledge on the use of elicitors to produce sprouts with improved functional properties. Elicitation using abiotic or biotic elicitors has been applied to increase the yield of sprout secondary metabolites (glucosinolates, aminobutyric acid, phenolic compounds), biological activities (antioxidant, anti-obesity, antidiabetic properties), and growth. Elicitors trigger the synthesis of plant metabolites by changing enzyme activities or gene expression related to the plant defence system. They also promote sprout growth by enhancing the levels of plant growth hormones. Elicitation is an effective method to produce sprouts with improved health benefits, and enhance their growth. Future studies are needed to identify early plant signaling pathways to fully understand elicitors' mechanisms on plant metabolites. Moreover, further investigation can be impetus in revealing the lower and upper limits of elicitor that can be applied in sprouts without compromising health and environmental safety.

Edible Plant Sprouts: Health Benefits, Trends, and Opportunities for Novel Exploration

The consumption of plant sprouts as part of human day-to-day diets is gradually increasing, and their health benefit is attracting interest across multiple disciplines. The purpose of this review was to (a) critically evaluate the phytochemicals in selected sprouts (alfalfa, buckwheat, broccoli, and red cabbage), (b) describe the health benefits of sprouts, (c) assess the recent advances in sprout production, (d) rigorously evaluate their safety, and (e) suggest directions that merit special consideration for further novel research on sprouts. Young shoots are characterized by high levels of health-benefitting phytochemicals. Their utility as functional ingredients have been extensively described. Tremendous advances in the production and safety of sprouts have been made over the recent past and numerous reports have appeared in mainstream scientific journals describing their nutritional and medicinal properties. However, subjects such as application of sprouted seed flours in processed products, utilizing sprouts as leads in the synthesis of nanoparticles, and assessing the dynamics of a relationship between sprouts and gut health require special attention for future clinical exploration. Sprouting is an effective strategy allowing manipulation of phytochemicals in seeds to improve their health benefits.

Recent insights in flavor-enhancers: Definition, mechanism of action, taste-enhancing ingredients, analytical techniques and the potential of utilization

The consumers' demand for clean-label food products, lead to the replacement of conventional additives and redesign of the production methods in order to adopt green processes. Many researchers have focused on the identification and isolation of naturally occurring taste and flavor enhancers. The term "taste enhancer" and "flavor enhancer" refer to umami and kokumi components, respectively, and their utilization requires the study of their mechanism of action and the identification of their natural sources. Plants, fungi and dairy products can provide high amounts of naturally occurring taste and flavor enhancers. Thermal or enzymatic treatments of the raw materials intensify taste and flavor properties. Their utilization as taste and flavor enhancers relies on their identification and isolation. All the above-mentioned issues are discussed in this review, from the scope of listing the newest trends and up-to-date technological developments. Additionally, the appropriate sensory analysis protocols of the naturally occurring taste-active components are presented. Moreover, future trends in using such ingredients by the food industry can motivate researchers to study new means for clean-label food production and provide further knowledge to the food industry, in order to respond to consumers' demands.

Effects of Radishes, Apples, and Pears on the Lactic Acid Bacteria and Nutritional and Functional Qualities of Flavored Soy Sauce

Producers of soy sauce are constantly making efforts to improve the sensory quality and nutritional value of their products. In this study, radishes, apples, and pears were used to prepare a distinctly flavored soy sauce, and the lactic acid bacteria, volatile compound content, and nutritional and functional qualities of the product were compared with two commercial flavored soy sauce products. Comparable physiochemical properties, antioxidant activities (in vitro and cellular), and higher prevalence of lactic acid bacteria (7.74 ± 0.55 log CFU mL⁻¹) were observed in the prepared flavored soy sauce than in commercial flavored soy sauce. The comprehensive enzyme activity profile of the isolated lactic acid bacteria, Tetragenococcus halophilus (NCBI GenBank Accession no. MN270899), revealed the absence of any harmful enzymes such as β-glucuronidase. Moreover, the cell-free extract of T. halophilus showed xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 0.79 mg mL⁻¹), suggesting that the product possessed functionality against xanthine oxidase-induced oxidative stress. Additionally, the prepared flavored soy sauce had higher amounts of total free amino acids (48.68 mg mL⁻¹) and organic acids (7.77 mg mL⁻¹). These results suggest that radishes, apples, and pears at a defined ratio are suitable for the large scale production of a flavored soy sauce with improved nutritional and functional qualities.

Bioavailability of Isoflavone Metabolites After Korean Fermented Soybean Paste (Doenjang) Ingestion in Estrogen-Deficient Rats

Doenjang (DJ), a fermented soybean product used in soups, stews, and sauces, contains high quality proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other functional ingredients, including isoflavones and saponins. This study investigated whether DJ improves the bioavailability of isoflavones compared to boiled soybean (BS) in sham-operated or ovariectomized (OVX) rats. We also examined the effects of ovariectomy on the differences in bioavailability of isoflavones. BS and DJ were administered in sham-operated and OVX rats, and blood samples were collected. Twenty-six isoflavone-derived metabolites were identified. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that T1/2 values of the individual isoflavone metabolites were most different in sham and OVX rats, even after the same sample treatment; however, Tmax values were significant different in a few metabolites such as daidzein 4'-glucuronide, daidzein 4'-sulfate, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid, and benzoic acid. For most of the individual metabolites, Cmax was higher in both sham and OVX rats administered BS than those administered DJ. The AUC was generally lower in OVX rats than in sham rats. The AUC of daidzein and genistein in BS-fed sham rats was approximately 1.7-fold higher than those administered DJ, whereas glycitein was detected only in the DJ group. No significant differences in AUC of daidzein and genistein were observed between BS and DJ administration in OVX rats, although the total isoflavone content of DJ was lower; thus, DJ-mediated isoflavone bioavailability was more effective in OVX rats. Similar tendencies were observed for phase II and gut-mediated metabolites. These results suggested that DJ enhanced isoflavone bioavailability under estrogen deficiency, even when the total isoflavone content was decreased by fermentation.