{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T18:24:45Z","timestamp":1769970285842,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]],"date-time":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1719360000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Amazake is a traditional, sweet, non-alcoholic Japanese beverage typically produced through koji fermentation by the fungus Aspergillus oryzae. However, alternative microorganisms such as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens offer potential advantages and novel possibilities for producing similar fermented beverages. This study aimed to replicate the ancestral beverage of amazake by replacing A. oryzae (W-20) with B. amyloliquefaciens (NCIMB 12077) and comparing their fermentation processes and resulting products. Our results show that the production of amazake with B. amyloliquefaciens (ABA) is not only possible but also results in a beverage that is otherwise distinct from traditional amazake (AAO). Saccharification was achievable in ABA at higher temperatures than in AAO, albeit with lower reducing sugar and enzymatic activity values. Amino acids and organic acids were more abundant in AAO, with cysteine being uniquely present in AAO and shikimic acid only being present in ABA. The volatile aroma compound profiles differed between the two beverages, with AAO exhibiting a greater abundance of aldehydes, and ABA a greater abundance of ketones and alcohols. Interestingly, despite these compositional differences, the two beverages showed similar consumer panel acceptance rates. An analysis of their microbial communities revealed pronounced differences between the amazakes, as well as temporal changes in ABA but not in AAO. This study provides promising insights into harnessing the potential of B. amyloliquefaciens as the primary microorganism in the fermentation process of amazake-like beverages, marking an important advancement in the field of fermented low-alcohol beverage production, with possible applications in other fermented foods.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods13132012","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]],"date-time":"2024-06-26T05:03:07Z","timestamp":1719378187000},"page":"2012","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Harnessing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for Amazake Production: Comparison with Aspergillus oryzae Amazake for Metabolomic Characteristics, Microbial Diversity, and Sensory Profile"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Alejandra","family":"Touceda-Su\u00e1rez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA"},{"name":"Basque Culinary Center, Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences, Mondragon University, 20009 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Touceda-Su\u00e1rez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1106-1581","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan-Carlos","family":"Arboleya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Basque Culinary Center, Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences, Mondragon University, 20009 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"},{"name":"BCC Innovation, Technology Center in Gastronomy, Basque Culinary Center, 20009 Donostia-San Sebasti\u00e1n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7433-0844","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pia M.","family":"S\u00f6rensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ito, K., and Matsuyama, A. (2021). Koji molds for japanese soy sauce brewing: Characteristics and key enzymes. J. Fungi, 7.","DOI":"10.3390\/jof7080658"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kurahashi, A. (2021). Ingredients, functionality, and safety of the japanese traditional sweet drink amazake. J. Fungi, 7.","DOI":"10.3390\/jof7060469"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.3136\/fstr.13.162","article-title":"Effects of koji Production and Saccharification Time on the Antioxidant Activity of amazake","volume":"13","author":"Saigusa","year":"2007","journal-title":"Food Sci. Technol. 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