Aspergillus oryzae

Let's Learn About It!

What is Aspergillus oryzae?This fungus is an asexual, ascomycetous fungus used in many foods. It is considered allergenic and no toxic or invasive diseases have been documented (Elbashiti, Fayyad, & Elkichaoui, 2010).

Let's Get Up Close and Personal...

Aspergillus oryzae: What? Did You Say Soy Sauce?

Medical Issues Involved...There have been none reported with A. oryzae, but it is commonly mistaken with Aspergillus flavus that is closely related genetically. So far, A. oryzae has been listed as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the FDA (Gomi, Machida, Yamada, 2008).

This fungus is located in any oxygen-rich environment, so we call it an aerobic species (Inocusol, n.d.). That means we could see this fungus anywhere low on earth's surface, since oxygen decreases as elevation increases. It grows in/on many plants and trees (Inocusol, n.d.). A. oryzae is known to be a contaminant of many starchy foods, such as bread and potatoes (Inocusol, n.d.).

What About Its Structure?A. oryzae has many physical properties about it that explain its function. Its rapid mycelial (branching) growth stems on and into rice kernals (Wikipedia, 2013). It secretes enzymes that produce a sweet taste once it contacts saliva (Wikipedia, 2013). When flavoring compounds accumulate in this fungus, they produce a pleasant fragrance (Wikipedia, 2013). Lastly, there is not much of a color to A. oryzae because there is a low production of iron-chelating compounds and flavins, which would produce color (Wikipedia, 2013). .

Where would we find it?A. oryzae can be found in many Chinese and Japanese kitchens. It is used in soy sauce and the production of saki, shoyu, and miso (Inocusol, n.d.).This fungus is also a source of some of the natural products used to treat diseases (Inocusol, n.d.)!

A Detailed Taxtonomy...Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Fungi Division: AscomycotaClass: Eurotiomycetes Order: Eurotiales Family: Trichocomaceae Genus: Aspergillus Species: A. oryzae Binomial name: Aspergillus oryzae(Inocusol, n.d.)

(Bioresource Collection and Research Center, n.d.)

Pros and Cons...Pros: A. oryzae has never been reported to cause an infection in healthy humans. It has low pathogenic potential. "A. oryzae is an excellent host for the safe production of harmless products" (Barbesgaard, Diderichsen, Heldt-Hansen, 1992). It is used in soy sauce, and it produced an enzyme for laundry detergent in 1988. (Gomi, Machida, Yamada, 2008).Cons: There are not any necessarily bad things to occur due to A. oryzae found in studies (Barbesgaard, Diderichsen, Heldt-Handsen, 1992).

(The Hob-Bee Hive, 2011)

(YouTube, 2011)

(YouTube, 2011)

Sources:Aspergillus oryzae. (2011). YouTube. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbRqh4th5q0Aspergillus oryzae. (2011). YouTube. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW5BUfgp2wcAspergillus oryzae. (2013). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 10, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_oryzae#Properties_desirable_in_sake_brewing_and_testingAspergillus oryzae. (n.d.). Inocusol: Inoculating Solutions to remediate the Environment. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://www.inocusol.com/AspergillusOryzae.htmBarbesgaard, P. B., Heldt-Hansen, H. P. H., & Diderichsen, B. D. (1992). On the safety of aspergillus oryzae: a review. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 36(5), 569-572. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00183230Elbashiti, T., Fayyad, A., & Elkichaoui, A. (2010). Isolation and Identification of Aspergillus oryzae and the Production of Soy Sauce with New Aroma. Pakistan Journal Of Nutrition, 9(12), 1171-1175.Machida, M., Yamada, O., & Gomi, K. (2008). Genomics of aspergillus oryzae: Learning from the history of koji mold and exploration of its future. Oxford Journals, 15(4), 173-183. Retrieved from http://dnaresearch.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/4/17The Buzz on… Sauce Packets! (2011). The Hob-bee Hive. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://thehobbeehive.com/2011/09/15/the-buzz-on-sauce-packets/

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