Increasing Protease Activities and Antioxidant Properties of Koji for Soy Sauce Brewing by Adding a Medicinal Herb Rhodiola rosea

Koji preparation is the key step in soy sauce brewing. In this study, 21 medicinal herbs were tested for their abilities in enhancing the protease activities of soy sauce koji . Among these herbs Rhodiola rosea was found to be the most efficient in increasing protease activities. Kinetic analyses revealed that R. rosea addition not only promoted microbe growth and increase the activities of neutral and acid proteases (by 29.8% and 13.4%, respectively) but also elevated α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and total phenolics and flavonoids (by 9.5%, 47.1% and 14.1%, respectively); the formations of proteases and antioxidant properties depend largely on microbe growth; and the promotion effects of R. rosea addition were mainly displayed in later stage of fermentation. Using the R. rosea koji for soy sauce production resulted in 8.9%, 19.1%, 6.6%, 23% and 102% higher of total and amino-type nitrogen contents, protein utilization, total phenolics and flavonoids, respectively.