Effect of the Extracts from Fermented-Rhus verniciflua Stem Bark with Fomitella fraxinea on the Growth and Enzyme Activity of Soybean Product-fermenting Microorganisms

We studied the effect of fermented Rhus verniciflua stem bark (FRVSB) extract (used in herbal medicine by Koreans) on the microbial growth and enzyme activity of 12 soybean-fermenting microorganisms, including Bacillus spp., lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and other harmful bacteria. The ethanol and methanol extracts of FRVSB inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus cereus, and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, and in the disk diffusion assay, their inhibition zone diameters were 11.06-12.23, 12.32-18.38, 11.47-11.84, and 13.59-14.21 mm, respectively. The water extract did not show any inhibitory effect. In fact, the water extract addition enhanced the growth of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis by 1.3-4.5 fold and that of B. cereus by 1.2-1.4 fold. However, the water extract did not affect the growth of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus mesenteroides, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Escherichia coli. The addition of water extract increased the amylase and protease activity of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis.