김민지 (동의대학교)

김민지 (동의대학교)

Gochujang and Doubanjiang are traditional fermented foods widely consumed in Korea and China. Their distinct ingredients such as glutinous rice and fermented soybean paste in Gochujang, and soybeans and chili peppers in Doubanjiang, lead to differences in microbial fermentation and sugar profiles. Since monosaccharides are key energy sources for microbial growth, analyzing their composition is essential to understand microbial metabolism during fermentation. This study analyzed free monosaccharides in both pastes using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Samples were prepared by Folch extraction to remove lipids and proteins, followed by PMP derivatization. Gochujang contained higher fructose (2051.9 μg/100 mg) and glucose (13,292.4 μg/100 mg) than Doubanjiang (278.3 and 75 μg/100 mg). Doubanjiang had higher rhamnose, fucose, and N-acetylglucosamine. Monosaccharide concentrations ranged from 2.5 ± 0.5 to 37,616.8 ± 4405.4 μg/100 mg in Gochujang and from 1.8 ± 0.2 to 1,807.5 ± 328 μg/100 mg in Doubanjiang. These results show how ingredients and processing affect sugar composition in fermented foods.