Clinical Perspectives of Domesticated Koji Mold - Probiotic Properties of Aspergillus oryzae: A Review Article
Keywords:
Aspergillus orizae, Koji-kin, Koji mold, metabolitesAbstract
Aspergillus oryzae, known as "Koji-kin" or "Koji mold," has been an indispensable organic part of traditional Japanese cuisine for over a thousand years. Due to its diverse metabolic activity, this filament fungus has distinctive characteristics uncovered via studies conducted over the past two decades. Cumulated shreds of evidence indicate that the unique substances produced by Koji mold have a curative effect on chronic inflammation, metabolic disorders (dyslipidemia, diabetes), cardiovascular and dermatologic diseases, cancer, COVID-19, etc. This article considered the prospects for using Aspergillus oryzae and its derivatives/metabolites in clinical practice as multipurpose preventive and therapeutic agents.References
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Bifidobacterium-stimulating peptides, such as glutamate, serine, and alanine, increase the amount of commensal Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Bifidobacterium breve.9
Oligosaccharides such as glucose, xylose, and arabinose also promote the growth of commensal microbes of the intestinal microflora and have beneficial effects in various diseases.10 For example, oral administration of oligosaccharides stimulates the growth of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium adolescentis, which reduce intestinal mucositis in rats and exert antiproliferative effects on human colon cancer cell lines, respectively.11,12 In addition to prebiotic activity, oligosaccharides positively affect the clinical course of ulcerative colitis and hepatic encephalopathy at the initial stage.13-16
The uniqueness of this metabolite is not limited to the prebiotic effect alone; Koji glycosylceramide increases bile acid concentration and lowers liver cholesterol in obese mice.17 The ability of Koji glycosylceramide to enhance the expression of genes involved in tight junctions and delivery of ceramide in normal human epidermal keratocytes and the ability to reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in hairless mice determines the prospect of using this metabolite in dermatology and cosmetics.18,19 The main components of Koji glycosylceramide - sphingolipids have a variety of biological functions, such as signal transduction and strengthening the immune system.20,21
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