How Is Nattokinase Made? Fermentation Explained
How Is Nattokinase Made? Fermentation Explained
Nattokinase is an enzyme associated with natto, a traditional Japanese fermented soybean food.
Understanding where nattokinase comes from requires understanding fermentation and the microorganism traditionally involved in producing natto.
What Is Natto?
Natto is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting soybeans with bacteria commonly associated with Bacillus subtilis var. natto.
During fermentation, the microorganisms interact with the soybean substrate and produce a variety of compounds and enzymes.
Nattokinase is one of the enzymes associated with this fermentation process.
What Is Nattokinase?
Nattokinase is a proteolytic enzyme associated with fermented natto.
The name combines:
Natto — the fermented food with which the enzyme is associated
and
Kinase — the name historically given to the enzyme when it was characterized.
Commercial nattokinase ingredients are produced and standardized so their enzyme activity can be measured and expressed using an activity specification.
The Role of Bacillus in Natto Fermentation
Traditional natto production involves bacteria associated with Bacillus subtilis var. natto.
These microorganisms grow during controlled fermentation and produce enzymes as part of their biological activity.
The fermentation environment can influence the characteristics of the resulting material.
Variables can include:
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microorganism strain
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substrate
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temperature
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fermentation time
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moisture
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pH
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oxygen availability
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downstream processing
Commercial manufacturing processes vary, so these factors should not be assumed to be identical among manufacturers.
Fermentation Is a Biological Process
Fermentation uses microorganisms and controlled environmental conditions to transform a starting material.
This is fundamentally different from simply mixing an isolated ingredient into a powder.
During fermentation, microorganisms metabolize nutrients and produce biochemical compounds.
For enzyme production, manufacturers can control fermentation conditions to produce and subsequently recover enzyme-containing material.
From Fermentation to Nattokinase Ingredient
Commercial nattokinase production generally involves more than producing ordinary food-grade natto.
A manufacturing process may involve stages such as:
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selecting an appropriate microorganism and substrate
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conducting controlled fermentation
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recovering enzyme-containing material
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purification or concentration, depending on the process
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drying or stabilization
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standardizing the ingredient
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analytical testing
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packaging and storage
The exact process varies among manufacturers.
A particular manufacturer's process should therefore be evaluated using its actual specifications and documentation rather than assuming that all nattokinase ingredients are produced identically.
Why Standardization Matters
An enzyme ingredient can be standardized according to measured activity.
For nattokinase, activity is commonly expressed in FU — Fibrinolytic Units.
This allows an ingredient to be characterized by activity rather than weight alone.
For example, two nattokinase preparations may contain the same weight of material while providing different measured enzyme activities.
Standardization helps establish an activity specification for the ingredient.
Fermentation Does Not Determine FU by Itself
Fermentation is responsible for producing enzyme-containing material, but the final FU specification depends on the characteristics of the resulting ingredient and subsequent processing and standardization.
This is why a statement such as:
"fermented nattokinase"
does not, by itself, tell you how much measured enzyme activity the finished ingredient provides.
The activity specification must be evaluated separately.
Nattokinase vs Natto
Natto and nattokinase are related, but they are not interchangeable terms.
Natto is the fermented soybean food.
Nattokinase is an enzyme associated with the fermentation of natto.
Eating natto therefore involves consuming a complex fermented food matrix, while a nattokinase supplement generally contains a standardized enzyme preparation.
The composition of the two is not identical.
Why Do Nattokinase Supplements List FU?
Because nattokinase is an enzyme, its weight does not fully describe its activity.
Milligrams tell you:
how much material is present.
FU tell you:
the measured fibrinolytic activity under the applicable assay conditions.
This is why professional evaluation of nattokinase often involves both ingredient quantity and activity specification.
Can Nattokinase Be Soy-Free?
This question requires careful terminology.
Nattokinase is traditionally associated with fermentation involving soybeans. However, the characteristics of a finished commercial enzyme preparation depend on the manufacturing and purification process.
A manufacturer may characterize a particular finished nattokinase ingredient according to specifications concerning soy or allergen status.
Therefore, whether a specific product can appropriately be described as "soy-free" should be determined from the actual ingredient documentation and applicable allergen information.
It should not be assumed solely from the word nattokinase.
What Professional Buyers Should Ask
When evaluating a commercial nattokinase ingredient or product, useful questions include:
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Who manufactures the nattokinase ingredient?
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What organism and fermentation process are used?
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What is the stated activity specification?
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Is activity reported in FU?
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What analytical method is used?
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Is lot-specific documentation available?
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How is the ingredient stabilized?
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What storage conditions are recommended?
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What microbiological testing is performed?
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What allergen documentation is available?
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Is contaminant testing available?
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Does the documentation correspond to the actual production lot?
These questions provide considerably more information than simply asking how many milligrams of nattokinase appear on a label.
Fermentation, Activity and Quality Are Different Concepts
It is useful to distinguish among three related concepts:
Fermentation describes the biological production process.
Activity testing measures enzyme activity.
Quality evaluation considers a broader set of characteristics, including identity, activity, consistency, microbiological specifications, contaminants, manufacturing controls and documentation.
No single measurement answers every quality question.
The Bottom Line
Nattokinase originates from the fermentation process associated with natto.
Commercial nattokinase production involves controlled fermentation followed by downstream processing, standardization and testing according to the manufacturer's process.
The resulting enzyme activity is commonly expressed in Fibrinolytic Units (FU).
Understanding fermentation, enzyme activity and analytical testing makes it easier to evaluate nattokinase ingredients beyond simple label claims.
Continue Learning
What Does FU Mean in Nattokinase?
How Is Nattokinase Potency Tested?
How to Read a Nattokinase Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Enzyme Potency Explained: Milligrams vs Activity Units
Disclaimer
This information is provided for educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.