Characterization of a new style tofu coagulated by fermentation of Lactobacillus plantarum SJ‐L‐1.

A new style of tofu coagulated through the fermentation of <italic>Lactobacillus plantarum</italic> SJ‐L‐1 was produced. <italic>L. plantarum</italic> SJ‐L‐1 with a high growth rate and excellent acid production ability was isolated and identified from naturally fermented soy yellow whey. The gene annotation indicated the potential outstanding isoflavone conversion capacity of <italic>L. plantarum</italic> SJ‐L‐1. Furthermore, fermentation tofu was prepared using <italic>L. plantarum</italic> SJ‐L‐1 and <italic>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</italic> 1–16 as the starter microbiota. Compared to traditional MgCl2 tofu and fermented soy whey tofu, SJ‐L‐1 tofu exhibited a slight increase in hardness and better structure uniformity. SJ‐L‐1 tofu also possessed the highest levels of total isoflavone content (76.33 µg/g) and volatile compounds (561.54 µg/kg) among the four styles of tofu. This research indicated that this new type of tofu coagulated through a combination of heat and fermentation of <italic>L. plantarum</italic> SJ‐L‐1 represents a promising candidate for future functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]