Low-Salt O-Miso Produced from Koji Fermentation of Oncom Improves Redox State and Cholesterolemia in Rats More than Low-Salt Soybean-Miso

The author prepared low-salt miso by koji fermentation using soy-oncom and okara-oncom (9 1), at which time soybeans and okara were fermented with Neurospora intermedia (oncom miso, i e O-miso) Its usefulness as a seasoning, as well as high antioxidative activity in vitro and antimutagenicity have already been presented In this study, the antioxidative activity of O-miso in vivo, as well as serum cholesterol-lowering action, were investigated concerning contribution to health In rats fed O-miso, the serum α-tocopherol level and isoflavone-aglycone-intake were higher than in rats fed low-salt soybean miso (S-miso) The activities of serum GSH-Px and hepatic catalase were also higher in rats fed O-miso than in rats fed S-miso, while the TBARS values were lower in both the serum and livers of rats fed O-miso Furthermore, O-miso intake suppressed a rise in serum cholesterol level and increased fecal bile acid excretion Such a cholesterol-lowering action of O-miso may be attributable to the micelle-breaking or evacuant effects of indigestible proteinous residues and the antioxidative activity of isoflavone-aglycones O-miso seems to be more beneficial to health than S-miso in view of these aspects