Keto acid decarboxylase and keto acid dehydrogenase activity detected during the biosynthesis of flavor compound 3-methylbutanal by the nondairy adjunct culture Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis F9.

3-Methylbutanal is one of the primary substances that contribute to the nutty flavor in cheese. Lactococcus strains have been shown to have higher aminotransferase and α-keto acid decarboxylase activities compared with other microbes, indicating that they might form a higher amount of 3-methylbutanal by decarboxylation. Several dairy lactococcal strains have been successfully applied as adjunct cultures to increase the 3-methylbutanal content of cheese.

A comb-like branched β-D-glucan produced by a Cordyceps sinensis fungus and its protective effect against cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice.

An exopolysaccharide (EPS) was fractionated from fermentation media of a Cordyceps sinensis fungus (Cs-HK1) by ethanol precipitation at 2/5 volume ratio of ethanol/media. Its structural characteristics were elucidated by FT-IR, GC, GC-MS, 1D and 2D NMR combined with periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, partial acid hydrolysis, and methylation analysis. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory activity of EPS was evaluated by the model of cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression.