Isolation and identification of the antimicrobial substance included in tempeh using Rhizopus stolonifer NBRC 30816 for fermentation

In this study, we focus on the antimicrobial properties of tempeh, a soybean fermented food, against oral bacteria. Tempeh showed antimicrobial activity against dental caries pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans at a final concentration of 1 mg/mL. An antimicrobial substance contained in tempeh was present in the 100 kDa or greater fraction generated by ultrafiltration, but it was found not to be proteinaceous by native-PAGE, SDS-PAGE and protein degradation tests. Next, when the fraction was purified with an ODS column, the 80% and 100% methanol eluates showed antimicrobial activity against S. mutans. The 100% methanol eluate was further subjected to a 2nd column purification, and isolation of the target was confirmed by HPLC. When the isolated material was analyzed by ESI-MS, the m/z was 279.234. Further analysis by Raman spectroscopy revealed a peak similar to linoleic acid. This substance also possessed antimicrobial properties equivalent to linoleic acid. •Tempeh demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans.•Antibacterial activity was shown at a concentration of 1 mg/mL after extraction with water.•The antimicrobial substance displayed composition and bonding similar to linoleic acid.•This substance exhibited similar antibacterial properties to linoleic acid.