The escalating global demand for nutritious and sustainable food sources has heightened interest in microbial biotransformation in food, a process in which microorganisms chemically modify food components to enhance their functional properties and nutritional content. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in microbial fermentation, focusing on its impact on food quality, nutritional enhancement, and public health. Emphasizing both traditional fermentation practices and modern biotechnological innovations, this review highlights how beneficial microorganisms transform raw food substrates into products with superior nutrient bioavailability and functional benefits. Key developments include the synthesis of bioactive compounds, reduction of anti-nutritional factors, and improvement of sensory attributes, all of which collectively contribute to disease prevention, gut health, and overall well-being. Additionally, this review addresses safety concerns and challenges in microbial fermentation, including microbiological hazards, chemical contaminants, and strategies for their management. It also explores the difficulties in scaling up these processes for industrial applications and discusses future directions for sustainable food production. By consolidating current knowledge and identifying emerging trends, this review provides a comprehensive resource for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers, offering insights into leveraging microbial biotransformation to create nutritionally enriched and functionally enhanced food products.

Bacillus subtilis HJ18‐4 isolated from buckwheat sokseongjang , a traditional Korean fermented soybean food, exhibits broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, including Bacillus cereus . In this study, we investigated the antibacterial efficacy and regulation of toxin gene expression in B. cereus by B. subtilis HJ18‐4. Expression of B. cereus toxin–related genes ( groEL , nheA , nheC , and entFM ) was downregulated by B. subtilis HJ18‐4, which also exhibited strong antibacterial activity against B. cereus . We also found that water extracts of soy product fermented with B. subtilis HJ18‐4 significantly inhibited the growth of B. cereus and toxin expression. These results indicate that B. subtilis HJ18‐4 could be used as an antimicrobial agent to control B. cereus in the fermented soybean food industry. Our findings also provide an opportunity to develop an efficient biological control agent against B. cereus .

Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium that has been isolated from contaminated fermented soybean food products and from the environment. B. cereus produces diarrheal and emetic toxins and has caused many outbreaks of foodborne diseases. In this study, we investigated whether B. amyloliquefaciens RD7-7, isolated from rice doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste), a traditional Korean fermented soybean food, shows antimicrobial activity against B. cereus and regulates its toxin gene expression. B. amyloliquefaciens RD7-7 exhibited strong antibacterial activity against B. cereus and inhibited the expression of B. cereus toxin-related genes (groEL, nheA, nheC, and entFM). We also found that addition of water extracts of soybean and buckwheat soksungjang (Korean fermented soybean paste made in a short time) fermented with B. amyloliquefaciens RD7-7 significantly reduced the growth and toxin expression of B. cereus. These results indicate that B. amyloliquefaciens RD7-7 could be used to control B. cereus growth and toxin production in the fermented soybean food industry. Our findings also provide a basis for the development of candidate biological control agents against B. cereus to improve the safety of fermented soybean food products.

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the amino acid content and physicochemical properties of Cheonggukjang prepared by using various soybean cultivars (Daewon, Deapung, Seadanbeak, and Taekwang) and a functional microorganism (Bacillus subtilis HJ18-9). These soybeans were conventional Cheonggukjang (control) and Cheonggukjang fermented with Bacillus subtilis HJ18-9 (treated). The moisture contents of steamed, control, and treated soybean were 62.45~67.12%, 63.28~67.14%, and 64.50~66.87%; amino-type nitrogen contents were 6.53~24.25 mg%, 27.63~122.09 mg%, and 37.29~133.48 mg%; and ammonia-type nitrogen contents were 26.92~47.95 mg%, 45.45~156.36 mg%, and 28.02~121.13 mg%, respectively. The umami taste associated with several amino acids (aspartic acid and glutamic acid) in Cheonggukjang was lower than that for steamed soybeans, while the bitter taste from amino acids (methionine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine) was higher than that for steamed soybeans. The result of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the molecular weight of steamed soybeans was less than 100 kDa, while control and treated groups showed low molecular weights below 34 kDa, confirming their protein hydrolysis to small molecular weight. These results are information for developing functional fermented soybean paste and diversification using soybean cultivars.

Yogurt is produced by fermentation of milk using bacteria known as “yogurt cultures”. Most of these bacteria are probiotics such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb. rhamnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium. The domestic fermented milk market is increasing, and about 30 companies are producing yogurt. The purpose of this study was to analyze the quality characteristics of domestic commercial liquid yogurt. Total 30types of commercial yogurts were sampled and their physicochemicial properties, including pH, sugar content, acidity, viscosity, and microbial characteristics of lactic acid bacteria counts, were measured. Commercial liquid type yogurt showed a pH of 4.5, sugar content of 7.4-21.2%, total acid content of 0.4-0.9%, and viscosity of 0.1-250 cP. In terms of microbial populations, lactic acid bacteria counts were 7.2-11.3 log CFU/mL and anaerobic lactic acid bacteria counts were 8.0-11.5 log CFU/mL. The quality characteristics differed depending on the constituents of the sample and the microorganisms used. These results are related to the quality characteristics of yogurts and are useful for identifying new trends in the domestic fermented milk industry.

This study evaluated quality characteristics of soybean fermented by selected lactic acid bacteria, which were the enzyme strains with high antimicrobial activities isolated from traditionally prepared soybean paste. We determined total aerobic and lactic acid bacteria counts, protease and amylase activities, reducing sugar and amino-type nitrogen contents, and the amounts of amino acids, organic acids, and aroma-compounds. The total aerobic bacteria counts in soybean fermented with strain I13 (7.75×109 CFU/mL) were the highest among all the strains analyzed. Lactic acid bacteria numbers were 2.85×109 to 4.35×109 CFU/mL in soybean fermented with isolates. Amylase and protease activities of the JSB22 sample were the highest among all sample. Reducing sugar and amino-type nitrogen contents of soybean fermented with JSB22 (1.23%, 94.52 mg%) were highest. Total amino acid content of the samples was 15.88-17.62%, and glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine, lysine, and arginine were the major amino acids. Lactic acid (0.82-3.65 g/100 g), oxalic acid (22.74-63.57 mg/100 g), and fumaric acid (2.88-6.33 mg/100 g) were predominant organic acids. A total of 39 volatile aroma-compounds were identified, including 2 esters, 5 ketones, 7 alcohols, 14 hydrocarbons, 2 heterocyclic compounds, 4 acids, and 5 miscellaneous compounds. These results represent useful information for the development of a starter (single or complex) and will be used for production of functional fermented soybean foods.