Amylolytic and proteolytic enzyme activities of plant and fungal foods for the flavor enhancement

All fresh food ingredients, including plants and fungi, contain active enzymes. While the enzymes' activity sometimes causes food deterioration, the appropriate control of enzymes can improve the functional and sensory properties of the foods. Shio-koji, a seasoning from rice digested by fungal enzymes, has become popular in Japan recently since it is rich in digestive enzymes and is believed to improve the taste of the foodstuff during cooking. It is expected that both the enzyme activities of the ingredients from plants and shio-koji act complementally during cooking to efficiently change the components in foodstuffs. This article reviews the amylolytic and proteolytic enzyme activities of plant and fungal foods to provide information for establishing the enzyme-based cooking techniques by utilizing the enzymatic activities of the food ingredients themselves.

Author(s): Kenji Maehashi

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