• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.18-25
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• 2018

Proteins play a key role in many functions such as metabolic activity, differentiation, as cargos and cell fate regulators. It is necessary to know about the markers involved in male fertility in order to develop remedies for the treatment of male infertility. But, the role of the proteins is not limited to particular function in the biological systems. Some of the proteins act as ion channels such as catsper and proteins like Nanos acts as a translational repressor in germ cells and expressed in prenatal period whose role in male fertility is uncertain. Rbm5 is a pre mRNA splicing factor necessary for sperm differentiation whose loss of function results deficit in sperm production. DEFB114 is a beta defensin family protein necessary for sperm motility in LPS challenged mice where as TEX 101 is a plasma membrane specific germ cell protein whose function is not clearly known u to now. Gpr56 is another adhesion protein whose null mutation leads to arrest of production of pups in rats. Amyloid precursor protein role in Alzheimer's disease is already known but it plays an important role in male fertility also but its function is uncertain and has to be considered while targeting APP during the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The study on amyloid precursor protein in male fertility is a novel thing but requires further study in correlation to alzheimer's disease.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.297-309
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• 2016

Around the world, fermentation of foods has been adopted over many generations, primarily due to their commercial significance with enriched flavors and high-profile nutrients. The increasing application of fermented foods is further promoted by recent evidence on their health benefits, beyond the traditionally recognized effects on the digestive system. With recent advances in the understanding of gut-brain interactions, there have also been reports suggesting the fermented food's efficacy, particularly for cognitive function improvements. These results are strengthened by the proposed biological effects of fermented foods, including neuroprotection against neurotoxicity and reactive oxygen species. This paper reviews the beneficial health effects of fermented foods with particular emphasis on cognitive enhancement and neuroprotective effects. With an extensive review of fermented foods and their potential cognitive benefits, this paper may promote commercially feasible applications of fermented foods as natural remedies to cognitive problems.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2008

This study was performed to improve of Health Functional Food(HFF) through investigating the label system. The logo on HFF to increase the reliance, understanding and quality warranty for consumers was developed through competition. In order to investigate the consumer's awareness about HFF label system a nationwide survey was conducted in metropolitan areas (6 cities) and middle-sizes cities (6 cities). The subjects was 2000(male 519, female 1481) adults aged 20 over, and information was collected by in-person interviews. The major results were as follows. 63.0% of consumer responded they need certification mark for HFF and trust function information of text/graphic format than text format. 85.3% of consumers chose the long claim including the mechanism because 38% reported that they could confide the information, 36% reported it is easy to understand and 26% reported that they thought it is more effective than short claim. As 58.8% of the total consumers answered that the manufacturers marked the nutrition function claim without the permit of the KFDA, a reliable certification mark developed by this research is expected to contribute in improving the label system of HFF, rising reliability and perception of consumer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.331-337
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• 2009

The principal objective of the present study was to survey the demands of an education program for evaluations of the efficacy of health functional foods. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 2,225 members of the Biofood Network Center. A total of 101 (4.6%) individuals responded, 54.5% of the respondents were male and 45.5% were female; the respondents' occupations (in order of prevalence) were as follows: company worker (48.5%)>researcher (27.7%)>student (13.9%)>professor (5.0%)>pharmacist (2%), and dietitian (2%). The businesses in which the respondents worked were (again in order of prevalence) as follows: research & development (64.4%)>marketing (11.9%)>consultation and education (5.9%)>manufacturing and others (17.9%). 41.6% of the respondents reported experience in businesses relevant to KFDA approval for functional ingredients and health functional foods. The results showed that 63.4% of the respondents had previously been educated about functional foods; the types of education program reported were (in order of prevalence): 'overview and acts of health functional food' (n=49)>'standards and specification for health functional food' (n=41)>'efficacy evaluation-human study' (n=24)>'safety evaluation' (n=21)>'efficacy evaluation-in vivo study' (n=13)>and 'others' (n=10). Respondents preferred off-line education programs (62.4%) to on-line programs (22.8%). The preferred duration of an educational program was '$2{\sim}3$ days: total $14{\sim}24$ hours' (30.7%); thus, short-term programs were favored. The primary requirements of a program, from the perspective of the learner, were as follows (scored on a 7-point scale); 'efficacy evaluation and case study-human study' (5.80 points)>'standards and specification for health functional food' (5.72 points)>safety evaluation' (5.7 points)>'overview and acts of health functional food' (5.67 points) and 'efficacy evaluation methods of health functional food by efficacy (intensive)' (5.67 points). Preference for functionality was as follows; 'body weight & body fat' (21.8%), 'immune function' (18.8%) > 'blood glucose' (10.9%). In summary, the educational demand for 'efficacy evaluation and case study' was highest among the curriculum options provided, and with regard to functionality, 'body weight & body fat', 'immune function' and 'skin care' were considered most important by respondents. These results differed among respondents with different jobs and duties, and this suggests that customized education programs for health functional food should be developed.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.208-219
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• 2019

Probiotics are very closely related to gut microbiome and recognized as beneficial microorganisms for our health. They have various biological effects such as inhibition of pathogenic bacteria, activation of beneficial bacteria, prevention of diarrhea and constipation, enhanced immune activity etc. Prebiotics, non-digestible carbohydrates such as galactooligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide, are utilized by beneficial gut bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, resulting in production of short chain fatty acids which inhibit pathogenic bacteria in the gut and function for human health. Synbiotics are introduced for synergistic effects when probiotics are combined with prebiotics and now commercially available. At the moment many functional ingredients are developed and commercialized. Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics might be hot items in the functional food market and the values will increase according to the results of human gut microbiome researches. To meet the situation, systematic and scientific studies as well as marketing effects should be accompanied.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.244-263
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• 2022

Coronavirus, known as one of the causes of colds including mild upper respiratory tract disease in humans, has mutated into the infectious severe disease, COVID-19 through SARS and MERS. The mortality and symptoms of COVID-19 are related to the ability to regulate innate immunity, which acts as the first barrier against microorganisms and viruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for food that helps to strengthen immunity is rapidly increasing. Functional foods promote general health and alleviate the risk of disease symptoms by activating multiple biological functions. A recent, there is an interest in discovering functional substances that can induce enhancement of immunity and prevent viral infection as well as relieve disease symptoms. Therefore, this article focus to understand the concept of immune response and highlights the recent status of functional foods and research trends that can help prevent and treat viral infections by inducing the enhancement of immune function.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.200-218
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• 2003

Phenolic compounds in food and plant materials belong to the simple phenols, phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoids, stilbenes, tannins, lignans and lignins, all of which are considered as secondary plant metabolites. These compounds may be synthesized by plants during normal development or in response to stress conditions. Phenolics are not distributed uniformly in plants. Insoluble phenolics are components of cell walls while soluble ones are present in vacuoles. A cursory account of phenolics of cereals, beans, pulses, fruits, vegetables and oilseeds is provided in this overview. The information on the bioavailability and absorption of plant phenolics remains fragmentary and diverse. Pharmacological potentials of food phenolics ave extensively evaluated. However, there are many challenges that must be overcome in order to fully understand both the function of phenolics in plant as well as their health effects.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1085-1090
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• 2002

Leuconostoc mesenteroides, the major bacterium in the initial phase of lactate-fermentation in kimchi, produces lactic acid, acetic acid, mannitol, and $CO_2$. It also secrets dextransucrase, which catalyzes the transfer reaction of glucose from sucrose to maltose, synthesizing mainly panose ($6^_2-{\alpha}-D-glucopyranosylmaltose)$, a probiotic oligosaccharide. To use the strain as a starer culture to produce high amount of panose during kimchi fermentation, we screened psychrotrophic strains showing fast growth rate at low temperature among the isolates of Leuconostoc sp. and selected two strains showing high dextransucrase activity. The strains were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, which can be used as function added-starters for lactate-fermented foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.241-248
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of health functional foods and preference for desired onion peel products. Questionnaires were distributed to 582 adults (34.2% male, 65.8% female) living in Gyeongnam province. The major information sources on biological effects of onions cited by respondents were TV/radio (37.1%), followed by nearby people (32.8%) and Internet (11.0%), in that order. Reducing cholesterol effect was the most important factor in terms of perception and concerns relating to biological function of onions. Over 73% of subjects had experience of eating processed onion products, and among all types of onion products, onion juice (53.5%) was the most frequently eaten. The most considered factors for processing onion peel-derived functional foods were taste & odor (29.6%), convenience of eating (28.9%), and nutrition value (27.1%), in that order.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.137-147
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• 2020

Rural Development Administration (RDA) has developed a manufacturing technology which can increase the amount of platycodin D in Platycodon grandiflorum. A study is needed to estimate the value of this new technology and predict the market demand for a new product. This study estimates additional amount of willingness to pay (WTP) using contingent valuation method (CVM) for a new product with the technology that RDA has developed. The survey was created under virtual health functional foods market of Platycodon grandiflorums. It was conducted with 1,000 adult males and females aged between 19 and 59 years old in 17 major cities and provinces nationwide from December 4 to December 7, 2018. The amount of WTP for the health functional Platycodon grandiflorum was drawn using maxinum likelihood estimation method. The estimated average and median WTP values are 21,933.85 won per person and 10,000 won per person, respectively. The independent factors, including the ratio of monthly average health function food consumption to income, the average monthly income level of a household, and existence of family members or relatives engaged in food and nutrition-related professions in a household, have been shown to have a statistically significant influence on the WTP. This study presents the potential magnitude of health functional food market and the value of the new technology based on health functional food market.