Myung-Ji Seo

Carotenoid composition in vegetables is influenced by intrinsic characteristics and processing methods; however, information on processing-induced changes in Korean domestic vegetables remains limited. In the present study, the carotenoid profiles of 90 raw and processed vegetable samples were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography, and changes associated with different processing methods were evaluated. Substantial variation in carotenoid content and composition was observed among the vegetables, with leafy vegetables generally exhibiting higher total carotenoid contents. Lutein was the most widely distributed carotenoid, detected in 85 of the 90 samples, followed by trans-β-carotene, 9-cis-β-carotene, and 13-cis-β-carotene. Processing-induced changes varied considerably among vegetable types and processing methods, with opposing trends observed even among vegetables subjected to the same treatment. Principal component analysis of matched raw and processed samples revealed that drying produced an overall carotenoid change pattern distinct from those associated with blanching, boiling, and steaming, accompanied by a pronounced shift in mean carotenoid composition toward a higher relative proportion of lutein and a lower relative proportion of trans-β-carotene. These findings demonstrate that processing-induced changes in vegetable carotenoids depend on processing conditions and the intrinsic characteristics of individual vegetables, providing useful compositional data to expand information on carotenoids in Korean agricultural products.

4,4′-Diaponeurosporene (4,4′-DIA) is a rare C30 carotenoid with strong antioxidant and immune-enhancing properties. However, microbial producti

Chi Young Hwang and Myung-Ji Seo. J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2026;36:1-12. https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2601.01034

Dongseok Lee, Chi Young Hwang, Eui-Sang Cho, Young-Hyun You, and Myung-Ji Seo. J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2026;36:1-12. https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2601.01015

Bacterial fructan-metabolizing enzymes exhibit substantial structural and mechanistic diversity to support their biotechnological uses. Recent findings on glycoside hydrolase (GH) families 32 and 68 emphasize the conserved catalytic triads, calcium-binding motifs, and domain architectures that define their reaction frameworks. Differences in carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), extended loops, and accessory domains contribute to variations in substrate affinity, polymer length, and the balance between polymerization and hydrolysis. Aggregated data shows that GH68 enzymes generally exhibit higher catalytic efficiencies on sucrose, while GH32 hydrolases display stronger preferences for inulin and short-chain fructooligosaccharides (ScFOS). In gut commensals, distinct fructan utilization operons provide the basis for substrate-driven cross-feeding interactions, with ScFOS typically exhibiting shorter fermentation times compared to high molecular-weight levans. Rapid progress in artificial intelligence for structural predictions, molecular dynamics simulations, and CRISPR-enabled pathway engineering now supports the rational redesign of fructan-active enzymes, enabling the generation of catalysts with customized product profiles, enhanced stability, or altered chain-length distributions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of bacterial fructan-metabolizing enzymes, integrating structural, biochemical, and ecological perspectives to establish a foundation for applying fructan-modifying enzymes to prebiotic production, food texturization, microbiome modulation, and emerging oral enzyme therapeutics.