1. Introduction
Makgeolli, also known as
Takju, is a representative traditional Korean alcoholic beverage [
1].
Makgeolli is a traditional fermented food that has been recognized for its nutritional value as a fermented liquor made through the parallel double-fermentation of saccharification and fermentation by adding
Nuruk (a traditional Korean fermentation starter) and water to grains such as glutinous rice and barley [
2]. The taste of fermented
Makgeolli is such that the five tastes of sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and astringent are in harmony [
3]. It is a national alcoholic beverage that continues to receive public attention and devotion. In addition,
Makgeolli is known to contain the essential amino acids of lysine, leucine, and arginine as well as acetylcholine, which supports liver function [
4]. In recent years, the perception of drinking has changed, with healthier and more "light-hearted" drinking becoming increasingly popular. People are generally avoiding beverages that contain a high percentage of alcohol in favor of low-alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages. As a result, the steady growth in the market for traditional liquor has boosted consumer interest in unique beverages such as
Makgeolli and has also prompted active preliminary research [
5].
Codium fragile (
Cf) belongs to the family of green algae, which is widely distributed in coastal areas around the world, including along the coasts of Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Africa. Although
Cf is mainly used as food, it is not as widely known as other seaweeds such as sea mustard, sea tangle, and laver [
6]. In addition, it is often used as a supplementary ingredient in kimchi in the southern regions of Korea due to its distinctive sea flavor and odor neutralizing effect [
2]. Extracts of
Cf can be utilized not only as prebiotic materials but also as bioactive substances for health promotion purposes by increasing the antioxidant activity [
7].
Cf extracts have also been reported to contain polyphenol and flavonoid compounds, which can be utilized as functional materials due to their antioxidant properties [
8] and the presence of various bioactive substances [
9].
Cf extracts were concluded to possess strong antioxidant power by inhibiting the synthesis of nitric oxide because of the large amount of phenolic compounds they contain [
6]. In recent years, studies focusing on the development of products containing
Cf have been reported. These products include
Cf Makgeolli [
2],
Cf tofu [
10], and
Cf bread [
11], all of which have enhanced antioxidant function as a result of the addition of sea staghorn.
Oats (
Avena sativa L.: oats) is a winter crop that belongs to the rice family and is rich in protein and fat compared to other grains. In particular, about 70−80% of the protein is globulin, which has a high content of essential amino acids such as lysine [
12]. In addition,
avenanthramide, which specifically exists only in oats among all the grains, has been reported to have antioxidant and other effects [
13]. The polyphenols contained in oats have also been confirmed to have excellent antioxidant properties [
14]. In addition, unsaturated fatty acids and beta-glucan of dietary fiber are also contained in large amounts, and the University of Moscow reported that the consumption of oatmeal has the ability to detoxify the body of heavy metals [
15]. After being named one of the world's top 10 health foods in 2002 and the only superfood among grains in 2009, oats have been recognized as a grain with excellent nutritional and health functional values. In addition, oats are being consumed as part of low-calorie diets because of changes in consumption patterns that favor grains rich in dietary fiber rather than simple sugars; consequently, the consumption and production of oats are increasing due to research and product launches of high-functional processed products based on oats [
16].
Since 2008, the market size of
Makgeolli has grown globally due to the well-being trend and the spread of K-POP culture [
17]. Preliminary research to investigate the production of
Makgeolli with the addition of fruit and vegetables such as pears [
18], cucumbers [
19], blueberries [
20], lotus leaves [
21], quinoa [
22], oats [
23], black rice [
24], brown rice [
25], barley [
26], red beans [
27], millet [
28], purple sweet potato [
29], kelps [
30],
Ecklonia cava [
31], sea staghorn [
2], and green laver [
32], has been conducted to determine the properties of these compositions, but the preparation of
Makgeolli by mixing seaweed and oats has not yet been reported.
Against this background, this study aimed to test the possibility of manufacturing a new variation of Makgeolli with a strong Cf aroma and enhanced antioxidant properties by exploiting the health functional efficacy of oats. The physicochemical (pH, acidity, alcohol, and sugar content) and microbiological (yeast and lactic acid bacterial count) properties as well as the antioxidant activity (DPPH/ABTS) were analyzed by fermenting the rice-oat-based Korean wine “Makgeolli” supplemented with Cf.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Raw Materials
The Codium fragile (Cf) used in this experiment were collected from an oyster farm in Changho-ri, Sadeong-myeon, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. The main ingredients of Makgeolli were purchased from a local market in Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (rice), and from Hyundai Nongsusan in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do (oats). The Nuruk (Korean-style bran Koji), made from Korean wheat, was purchased from Songhaggogja (Gwangju, Korea) and the yeast was purchased from Songcheon Yeast (Songcheon fermentation, Cheongyang-gun, Chungcheongnam-do).
2.2. Production of Rice-Oat Makgeolli with Cf
The manufacturing process of rice-oat
Makgeolli is schematically shown in
Figure 1. Rice-oat
Makgeolli was prepared by washing the rice and oats until the water remained clear. Subsequently, the rice and oats were soaked in water for about 12 hours, after which the rice and oats were placed on a sieve for 1 hour to allow the water to drain. The soaked rice and oats were placed in a cotton cloth, put in a steamer and steamed at 100 ℃ for one hour, and then allowed to cooling to room temperature before use. For the control group, the
Makgeolli (CRM) to which
Cf had been added was prepared as follows: 400 g of cooked rice and 100 mL of lukewarm water inoculated with 80 g of
Nuruk at 40 °C the day before, 1 g of enzyme, 80 g of
Cf, and 600 mL of water were homogenized in a sterilized glass bottle and fermented at 25 ± 1 °C for 7 days. For the experimental group, rice and oat
Makgeolli (COM) supplemented with
Cf was prepared as follows: 400 g of cooked rice and oats (1:1), 100 mL of lukewarm water inoculated with 80 g of
Nuruk, at 40 ℃ the day before, 1 g of enzyme, 80 g of
Cf, and 600 mL of water were homogenized in a sterilized glass bottle and fermented at 25 ± 1 ℃ with stirring once a day for 2 days. The
Cf used in this study was prepared and added after grinding in a blender with 100 mL of water, and the total amount of water used for making
Makgeolli was 800 mL. The top of the bottle was covered with a plastic wrap and a rubber band, placed in an incubator set at 25 ℃, and allowed to ferment for 7 days. The samples were filtered (SUPRA22K, Hanil Science Industrial Co.) before testing. The physicochemical properties, microbiological properties, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality characteristics of the
Makgeolli in the control (CRM) and experimental (COM) groups were investigated.
2.3. Analysis of Physicochemical Quality Characteristics
2.3.1. pH Value and Acidity
A
Makgeolli sample (15 mL) was centrifuged (SUPRA22K, Hanil Science Industrial Co., Korea), after which the pH value of the supernatant was measured using a pH meter (A211, Thermo Orion, Benchtop, MI, USA). The acidity was determined by diluting 10 mL of the sample 10-fold. Then, 20 mL of the diluent was collected in a 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask, 2∼3 drops of 1% phenolphthalein indicator were added, and the solution was titrated with 0.1 N NaOH until it turned pink. The acidity was calculated as the lactic acid content (%) by the following equation:
2.3.2. Brix and Alcohol Content
The Brix content was determined by analyzing the supernatant (obtained by centrifuging the sample with a centrifuge (SUPRA22K, Hanil Science Industrial Co., Korea)) using an electronic saccharimeter (PAL-1, ATAGO CO., Japan) during fermentation and expressed as Brix. The alcohol content was measured according to the National Tax Service's Liquor Analysis Regulations (2010). This was accomplished by quantifying 100 mL of the sample in a mass cylinder, after which it was transferred to a distillation flask and heated. Then, the flask was connected to a condenser and the liquid was distilled until the volume of distillate reached 70 mL. At this point, distillation was discontinued and the distillate was supplemented with 30 mL of distilled water. The alcohol content was measured using an alcoholmeter (211-DK-12; Daekwang). The alcohol content was expressed as a percentage (v/v).
2.4. Analysis of Microbiological Quality Characteristics
The yeast count and number of lactic acid bacteria were determined by diluting 1 mL of the sample in sterile physiological saline according to the decimal dilution method. Yeast counts were determined by mixing 1 mL of the diluted sample and potato dextrose agar (Difco Co., Detroit, MI, USA) evenly in a petri dish followed by incubation at 25 ± 1 ℃ for 5−7 days before counting. The lactic acid bacteria were counted by mixing 1 mL of the diluted sample and lactobacilli MRS (Difco Co., Detroit, MI, USA) thoroughly in petri dishes and counting the yellow colonies after 24−48 hours of incubation at 37 ℃. The colonies that were produced were expressed as colony forming units (CFU/mL).
2.5. Analysis of Antioxidant Quality Characteristics
2.5.1. DPPH Radical Scavenging Ability
The DPPH [1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl] (Sigma-Aldrich Co., St. Louis, MO, USA) radical scavenging activity was measured by the method of Kang et al. (2016) [
33]. A solution was prepared for measurement by adding 800 μL of a 1.5×10
−4 M DPPH solution to 200 μL of the centrifuged fermentation supernatant (diluted fourfold), vortexed for 20 seconds, and stored in a refrigerator for 30 minutes. The absorbance was measured at 517 nm using a spectrophotometer (Spectronic2D, Thermo Electron Co., Waltham, MA, USA). The DPPH radical scavenging activity was expressed as a percentage (%) as shown below by calculating the absorbance of the CRM and COM.
2.5.2. ABTS Radical Scavenging Ability
A solution was prepared by dissolving 7 mM and 2.45 mM of potassium persulfate in distilled water. This solution was left to stand in the dark for 14−16 hours, during which time the ATBS cation radical (ATBS
+) [2'-Azino-bis diammonium (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] (Sigma-Aldrich Co., St. Louis, MO, USA) was generated. The solution was diluted with ethanol and the absorbance was adjusted to 0.750 ± 0.002 at 415 nm by mixing with anhydrous ethanol in a 1:1 ratio. Thereafter, 3 mL of COM was added to 1 mL of the diluted ATBS
+ solution and allowed to react for 20 minutes, whereupon the absorbance at 415 nm was measured using a spectrophotometer (Spectronic2D, Thermo Electron Co., Waltham, MA, USA).
2.6. Sensory Characteristics
A total of 16 adults (8 men and 8 women) were selected as panelists for the sensory test, including undergraduate and graduate students of the Department of Seafood Science and Technology at Gyeongsang National University. Makgeolli with a sugar content of 7~8 Brix was prepared using 2 parts water to 1 part filtered stock solution fermented for 7 days. After storing the Makgeolli at 4 ℃ for 24 hours, each panelist was provided with about 20 mL in a paper cup, and with water for rinsing their mouth after tasting each sample. The results of the sensory evaluation of Makgeolli were expressed by surveying the color, flavor, taste, appearance, and overall acceptability. Each item was evaluated on a 7-point scale (7 points for very good, 1 point for very bad).
2.7. Statistical Analysis
All the analyses were carried out in triplicate and the data were expressed as mean ± SD (standard deviation). The results were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS software (SPSS Inc.). Duncan's multiple range test was used to compare the differences among mean values. One-way ANOVA was performed to evaluate the statistical significance of the differences between the CRM and COM samples. The statistical significance level was set to P < 0.05.
4. Conclusions
On the final day (day 7) of the fermentation in this study, both the sugar and alcohol content of COM were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of CRM. However, compared to CRM, COM contained 4.6 times more yeast and 1.4 times more lactic acid bacteria. Furthermore, in terms of the antioxidant properties of DPPH and the ABTS radical scavenging ability, the antioxidant activity of COM was excellent at about 1.5 times higher than that of CRM. In addition, COM achieved very good overall preference of 6.06 on the 7-point sensuality scale. In other words, based on our comprehensive evaluation of COM, it can be said to be a microbiologically excellent fermented beverage that contains low levels of sugar and alcohol and a large amount of yeast and lactic acid bacteria (> 6 log). At the same time, COM showed excellent antioxidant function and sensory preference. Therefore, based on these research results, the possibility of developing rice-oat mixed seaweed Makgeolli with added Codium fragile was shown to be realistic. However, the commercialization of this product is expected to require additional research, such as nutritional analysis and expiration date establishment.