History of Natto and Its Relatives (1405-2012 - SoyInfo Center

Japan. Phone: 03-992-3735.
982. Okada, Noriyuki; Hadioetomo, Ratna Siri; Nikkuni, S.;
Katoh, K.; Ohta, T. 1983. Vitamin B-12 content of fermented
foods in the tropics. Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo Kenkyu
Hokoku (Report of the National Food Research Institute) No.
43. p. 126-29. Oct. [7 ref. Eng]
• Summary: Vegetarian foods containing signifi cant amounts
of vitamin B-12 per 100 gm according to a biological
assay method using Lactobacillus leichmanii were: tempeh
(Indonesia) 4.6 mcg (micrograms), natto fermented soybeans
(actually thua-nao, Thailand) 1.5 mcg, and fermented tofu
(Singapore, also called Sufu) 1.1 mcg. Flesh-based foods
with a high B-12 content included Ka-pi shrimp paste
(Thailand) 5.3 mcg, kung-jom fermented shrimp (Thailand)
2.5 mcg, fi sh sauce, 3 month fermentation (Thailand) 2.4,
and fi sh sauce (Thailand) 1.3 mcg, and fi sh sauce (Japan) 1.0
mcg.
Of these foods transported from tropical countries,
tempeh was especially interesting because it is made of
soybeans and had the highest B-12 content of any food
measured. However not all tempeh samples contained such
large amounts. “For example, a fresh sample of tempeh
which was transported from Indonesia as rapidly as possible
contained a very low amount, 0.7 mcg/100 gm, and tempehs
prepared in the laboratory by using the tempeh-making
fungus, Rhizopus oligosporus, contained only 0.02 to 0.06
mcg/100 gm. However the low vitamin B-12 content in
tempeh which was transported from Indonesia increased to
a value of 8 mcg/100 gm when the sample was incubated at
30ºC, unlike in the tempeh prepared in the laboratory. It is
probable that microorganisms accompanied with tempehmaking
fungus were associated with the production of
vitamin B-12 in Indonesian tempeh. Further studies will be
required to identify the microorganisms capable of producing
vitamin B-12, and useful for the fermentation food industry.”
Address: 1,3-5. National Food Research Inst. (Shokuhin
Sogo Kenkyujo), Kannon-dai 2-1-2, Yatabe-machi, Tsukubagun,
Ibaraki-ken 305, Japan; 2. Bagian Mikrobiologi,
Departemen Botani, Fakultas Pertanian, Institut Pertanian
Bogor, Jl. Raya Pajajaran, Bogor, Indonesia.
983. Okada, Noriyuki; Tabei, Hideo; Mori, K.; Katoh, K.;
Yanagimoto, M. 1983. Baioassei-hô de kenshutsu sareru
nattô no bitamin B-12 chi ni tsuite [On the vitamin B-12
values detected in natto by applying a microbiological assay
method]. Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo Kenkyu Hokoku (Report
of the National Food Research Institute) No. 43. p. 121-25.
Oct. [12 ref. Jap; eng]
• Summary: “Natto has long been considered to contain
vitamin B-12. The B-12 content of natto determined
by a microbiological assay method using Lactobacillus
leichmannii ranged from 0.01-0.08 micrograms/100 gm.
These values are almost the same as those reported by other
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 318
authors. Although the commercial nattos analysed were not
perfectly pure products, the possibility that the B-12-like
activities detected in natto were produced by contaminants
could be ruled out, since comparable values were found in
purely fermented nattos made by using several strains of
Bacillus natto isolated from commercial samples. However
B. natto did not produce detectable amounts of B-12 in the
liquid medium in which B. megaterium, known as a B-12
producer, did. Moreover the response of the natto extract to
L. leichmannii was different from that of the B-12 standard
and that of the ‘natto’ extract made by using B. megaterium.
It is probable that the B-12-like activities detected in natto
did not correspond to that of B-12.” Address: National Food
Research Inst. (Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo), Kannon-dai 2-1-
2, Yatabe-machi, Tsukuba-gun, Ibaraki-ken 305, Japan.
984. Taira, Harue; Takahashi, Haruo; Okano, Hirobumi;
Nagashima, Shigeru. 1983. Kokusan Daizu no hinshitsu.
IV. Ibaragi-ken daizu saibai hinshu no nattô kakô tekisei
[Quality of soybean seeds grown in Japan. IV. Suitability
of soybean varieties grown in Ibaraki prefecture for natto
production]. Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo Kenkyu Hokoku
(Report of the National Food Research Institute) No. 43. p.
62-71. Oct. [28 ref. Jap; eng]
Address: 1. National Food Research Inst. (Shokuhin Sogo
Kenkyujo), Kannon-dai 2-1-2, Yatabe-machi, Tsukuba-gun,
Ibaraki-ken 305; 2. Ibaraki Food Research Institute. Higashi
Ibaraki-gun, Ibaraki-ken; 3. Ibaraki Agric. Exp. Station,
Mito, Ibaraki-ken; 4. Okame Natto Honpo Ltd., Higashi
Ibaraki-gun, Ibaraki-ken. All: Japan.
985. Taira, Hirokadzu; Suzuki, Norio. 1983. Nattô no
shishitsu kanryô oyobi shibôsan sosei [Lipid content and
fatty acid composition of natto]. Shokuhin Sogo Kenkyujo
Kenkyu Hokoku (Report of the National Food Research
Institute) No. 43. p. 58-61. Oct. (Chem. Abst. 101:71315.
1984). [8 ref. Jap; eng]
Address: 1. National Food Research Inst. (Shokuhin Sogo
Kenkyujo), Kannon-dai 2-1-2, Yatabe-machi, Tsukuba-gun,
Ibaraki-ken 305, Japan; 2. Taishi Shokuhin Kogyo Ltd.,
Towada, Aomori prefecture, Japan.
986. Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko. 1983. George
Ohsawa and the macrobiotic movement: Noboru Muramoto
(Document part). Soyfoods Center, P.O. Box 234, Lafayette,
CA 94549. 46 p. See p. 39-40. Nov. 10. 28 cm. Unpublished
typescript.
• Summary: “In June 1971 Noboru Muramoto emigrated
to America from Japan and lived with the Aiharas in San
Francisco at GOMF. In Japan he had studied Chinese
literature and philosophy at Tohoku University and
Kanazawa University, then began his own study and practice
of herbal medicine. He had begun studying Ohsawa’s
writings in 1942, then studied with Ohsawa after 1964, while