• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.43 no.8
• /
• pp.1236-1247
• /
• 2014

Gamma irradiated-treatment of natural medicinal plants can be used to improve extraction transference number and for qualitative improvement of color when applied to functional material exploration. This study investigated the biological activities of Aralia elata cortex extracts upon gamma irradiation. In addition, different physical techniques [photostimulated luminescence (PSL) and thermoluminescence (TL)] were used for irradiation identification of Aralia elata cortex. In PSL analysis, non-irradiated (0 kGy) sample showed a negative result of 400 photon counts (PCs), whereas irradiated (5, 10, and 30 kGy) samples showed positive results of 90,100.00, 312,614.33, and 321,661.67 PCs, respectively. In the TL method, growth curve showed very unusual behaviors around $200^{\circ}C$ upon natural-irradiation of the non-irradiated (0 kGy) sample and around $150{\sim}250^{\circ}C$ for the irradiated (5, 10, and 30 kGy) samples. The TL ratio was 0.1 in non-irradiated samples at 0.011, whereas the values of irradiated samples (5, 10, and 30 kGy) were 0.1 at 1.105, 1.009, and 2.206, respectively. For phenolics of gamma-irradiated Aralia elata cortex, water and 50% ethanol extracts had the highest amounts, $17.30{\pm}0.40mg/g$ and $18.87{\pm}0.46mg/g$ at 10 kGy irradiation, respectively. The inhibitory activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme and xanthin oxidase were higher in both irradiated water and 50% ethanol extracts than in non-irradiated ones. For pancreatin ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities, water and 50% ethanol extracts containing $200{\mu}g/mL$ of phenolics showed high inhibitory activities of 60~100% at all irradiation doses (0~30 kGy). This result confirmed that Aralia elata cortex extracts have greater anti-diabetic effects than acabose as a diabetic remedy. Gamma-irradiated Aralia elata cortex extracts are useful as a functional material with anti-diabetic effects. Thus, Aralia elata cortex extracts can be used as a functional material with various biological activities, and gamma-irradiation can be used to amplify biological activities in plants.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2019

Purpose: Aster glehnii (AG) and Aster yomena (AY) are medicinal plants that belong to the family Compositea and grow widely in Korea. Plants in the genus Aster have been used to treat snakebite wounds or bruises in oriental medicine. This study compared the effects of anti-oxidants and anti-adipocyte differentiation according to the species (the aerial parts of AG and AY). Methods: AG and AY were extracted using 70% ethanol (-E) and water (-W) at room temperature. The anti-oxidant activities were measured by total phenol contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), DPPH and $ABTS^+$ assay. In addition, correlation analysis was performed for the anti-oxidant compounds and effect. The level of anti-adipocyte differentiation was assessed using an oil red O assay on pre-adipocytes. Results: AG-W showed higher TPC ($6.92{\mu}g/mL$) and AG-E presented higher TFC ($8.22{\mu}g/mL$) than the other extracts. Furthermore, AG-E exhibited higher radical scavenging activity in the DPPH and $ABTS^+$ assay ($IC_{50}$: 104.88 and $30.06{\mu}g/mL$). In the cytotoxicity assay, AG and AY extracts at concentrations less than $100{\mu}g/mL$ were non toxic. AG-W reduced the lipid accumulation of 3T3-L1 cells significantly after differentiation (70.49%) compared to the other extracts. Conclusion: These results show that the water extract of AG has anti-oxidant effects and reduces the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, AG has utility as a functional food material for its anti-oxidant activities and ability to prevent lipid accumulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.40 no.12
• /
• pp.1757-1763
• /
• 2011

The physico-chemical properties of broccoli sprouts cultivated in a plant factory system with different lighting conditions were investigated. We reported that there were significant differences among the chemical and nutritional properties of the broccoli sprouts grown under different light sources. Two kinds of sugars (glucose and fructose) were detected in the plants. The amount of glucose was 2.94~3.12% and that of fructose was 1.54~2.04%. Total chlorophyll was $1,157{\pm}0.004$ mg% and chlorophyll-a $777{\pm}0.01$ mg%. All over the test materials, 2 kinds of organic acids (citric acid and malic acid) were detected. The level of citric acid was 908~1,136 mg% and its highest level was under the (Blue LED) light source. The level of malic acid was 514~834 mg% and its highest level was under the (Red LED) light source. Seven different minerals were also analyzed. The amount of K was 518 mg% and its amount was significantly higher than that of Mg or Na. There were also negligible amounts of Zn, Fe and Cu. The amounts of vitamin A, C and E under the Red LED were, $860.62{\pm}0.02\;{\mu}gRE$, $134.570{\pm}0.14$ mg% and $1.44{\pm}0.1$ IU. The amounts under the Blue LED were, $432.48{\pm}0.05\;{\mu}gRE$, $137.05{\pm}0.1$ mg% and $1.11{\pm}0.12$ IU. The amounts under both Red and Blue LEDs were, $667.33{\pm}0.11\;{\mu}gRE$, $118.50{\pm}0.09$ mg% and $1.47{\pm}0.1$ IU. And finally, the amounts under a White LED were, $640.25{\pm}0.08\;{\mu}gRE$, $119.87{\pm}0.07$ mg% and $1.31{\pm}0.15$ IU. In this study, significant changes were shown in the chemical and nutritional properties of the broccoli sprouts. These findings indicate that LED light sources stimulated germination of the plants.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.17-27
• /
• 2022

In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of buckwheat. The diabetic animal models were divided into four groups: normal mice group (NOR), streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice group (STZ), group treated with seeds of common or tartary buckwheat (SCB or STB), and the group treated with whole plants of common or tartary buckwheat (PCB or PTB). Rutin content was 44-48 times higher in STB or PTB than in SCB. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance were significantly reduced by treatment with STB, PCB, and PTB. Treatment with PTB also decreased the serum glucose level significantly and the serum insulin levels slightly compared with the STZ group. These results suggest that rutin content and antioxidant activity are closely related to the antidiabetic effect of the treatment. Our results demonstrate that the seeds of tartary buckwheat and whole plants of either common or tartary buckwheat have antidiabetic effects-attenuating blood glucose in an animal model of type II diabetes.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.396-402
• /
• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effects of 4 kinds of plant water extract mixture and garlic extract (PMC) administration on serum lipid metabolism in hypercholestrolemic rats. The normal group was administered a cholesterol free diet, the control group a 1% cholesterol diet, and each experimental group was given a diet of 1% cholesterol, 1% plant mixture and 0.3, 0.5, 0.7% garlic extract (PMC-I, PMC-II, PMC-III), respectively. Each diet was administered orally to SD-male rats for 4 weeks. Total cholesterol content decreased by about 20% with administration of PMC. Triglyceride content also decreased from 9.3 to 15.0% compared to the control group, and phospholipid was similar to triglyceride. There was no significant difference in HDL-cholesterol content between the control and experimental groups. LDL-cholesterol content of the normal group was 9.4 times lower than the control group and its content was significantly lower in the PMC-II ($68.45{\pm}12.83\;mg/dl$) and PMC-III ($66.35{\pm}5.18\;mg/dl$) groups than the PMC-I group. VLDL-cholesterol content of the PMC-II and III groups were similar to the normal group. Atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factor (CRF) were significantly lower in the PMC group. Blood glucose content was the lowest in the PMC-II ($189.37{\pm}12.02\;mg/dl$) group among all groups tested. Total protein content was $9.56{\pm}0.87{\sim}10.05{\pm}2.69\;mg/dl$ in the PMC-I~III groups and was significantly higher than the normal group. CPT activity did not show a significant difference among the experimental groups, while COT activity was effective only in the PMC-I group. Serum TBARS content in the PMC-III group was lower than in the normal group. Serum antioxidant activity by DPPH radical scavenging was $83.75{\pm}2.32%$ in the PMC-III group, which was significantly higher than the control group.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.348-352
• /
• 2007

Inflammation is a complex process resulting from a variety of mechanisms. Combined inhibition of the activities of enzymes involved in the process may therefore be considered more important in anti-inflammatory property of plant extracts than any single contribution. In this study, the inhibitory effects of the ethanol extracts of thirty plant foods on the activities of secretory phospholipase $A_{2}$ ($sPLA_{2}$), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) were examined. Several legumes, mungbean sprout and some leaf vegetables inhibited the activity of $sPLA_2$, upstream enzyme of inflammation pathway. Only soybean sprout and mungbean sprout significantly inhibited 12-LOX activity. Although most of extracts inhibited the activities of both COX-1 and COX-2, water dropwort and amaranth showed selectivity for the inhibition of COX-2 over COX-1. Especially, mungbean showed anti-inflammatory property at both upstream and downstream of inflammation pathway with relatively low $IC_{50}$ values for $sPLA_{2}$ and COX-2 enzymes. Mungbean sprout exhibited inhibitory effects on all enzymes related to early and late inflammation and soybean sprout suppressed 12-LOX and COX-2 simultaneously, although the activities of these plants were showed at relatively high concentration. Therefore, mungbean, mungbean sprout, and soybean sprout appear to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by combined inhibition of inflammatory enzymes.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.8
• /
• pp.865-872
• /
• 2014

In this study, ethanol and hot water extracts of lees from Korean traditional wine (J-B, J-S, J-Y, J-H, and J-W) were prepared, and their effects on blood coagulation, platelet aggregation, and hemolysis of human red blood cells (hRBCs) were investigated to develop functional food ingredients from lees. The pH and brix of the lees ranged from 3.90 to 4.29 and 5.0 to $27.0^{\circ}$, respectively, and there was a huge difference in the water and ethanol content among the lees. The nuruk and additives used affected the color and physicochemical properties of lees. The J-W takju made from only rice and traditional nuruk, which has $13^{\circ}$ brix and 1.8% of alcohol, has potential as functional food ingredient. With regard to the extraction yields of lees, higher yields were obtained from J-H, which contains different medicinal plants, in ethanol, followed by J-W, J-B, J-S, and J-Y. Higher extraction yields of lees were obtained from J-S in hot water, followed by J-B, J-W, J-H, and J-Y, respectively. The ethanol extract of J-H and the hot water extract of J-Y had the highest contents of total polyphenol and total flavonoids among the lees extracts. The 10 lees extracts did not show hemolysis activity against hRBCs up to 5 mg/ml. In an anticoagulation activity assay, the ethanol extracts of three yakju lees (J-B, J-S, and J-Y) and the hot water extract of J-W inhibited thrombin activity, whereas the hot water extract of J-B, J-S, and J-H inhibited blood coagulation factors. In an antiplatelet aggregation activity assay, only the J-W takju lees showed significant inhibition activity. Our results suggest that lees from traditional wine had high potential as a novel antithrombosis agent.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.10
• /
• pp.1151-1156
• /
• 2014

Traditional medicinal plants are widely used to treat many diseases, such as inflammation, infections, and even cancer. Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, a Chinese elm species, is distributed in Korea, China, and Japan. The stem bark is widely employed in Korean traditional medicine to treat dermatitis, mastitis, and edema. The aim of this study was to investigate whether water extract of U. macrocarpa Hance bark (Ulmus cortex) has a immune-modulating function in a mouse model. Three different concentrations (30 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg) of Ulmus cortex water extract (UCWE) were orally administered to mice for 14 days, and their immune responses were analyzed. Cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, and IFN-${\gamma}$, increased in the blood of UCWE-fed groups when compared with a control group. In contrast, the IL-4 level did not change in any of the UCWE-fed groups Cell-mediated cytotoxicity was also assayed using lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK). LAK showed greater cytotoxicity in the UCWE-fed groups than LAK in the control group. Internal organ indices, such as liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus, were similar in all the groups, including the control group, indicating that UCWE may have been nontoxic in the experimental animals. These data suggest that UCWE has an immune-modulating function in a mouse model.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.661-665
• /
• 2012

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants and has been used throughout the world as a food supplement and a folk medicine for thousands of years. Raw garlic has been processed into a variety of commercial garlic products for consumer convenience. The latest new processing technology, 'spontaneous short-term fermentation', has been developed to process raw garlic into black garlic. The physiologically active effects of garlic have been attributed to its organosulfur compounds. In this study, the proximate compositions and the total amino acid content of raw Namhae garlic and black garlic were determined. The two major organosulfur compounds of garlic, $S$-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), and diallyl-disulfide (DADS), were also analyzed using RP-HPLC. The proximate compositions were not different between raw and black garlic. The amount of 13 amino acids was greater in black garlic than in raw garlic among a total of 17 amino acids considered. The black garlic had 2-fold higher levels of SAC and 30-fold higher levels of DADS than the raw garlic. Therefore, it is suggested that consuming black garlic produced by spontaneous short-term fermentation is more effective than consuming raw garlic, in order for consumers to take more physiologically active organosulfur compounds (SAC and DADS), which are the compounds that are good for consumer health.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.22 no.6 s.96
• /
• pp.914-922
• /
• 2006

Korean traditional rice wines and liquors have been long brewed using nuruk or koji, cooked rice, How, yeast and some medicinal plants or herbs. The rosemary shrub (Rosmarinus officinalis L), belonging to the Labiatae family, is well recognized for its aromatic, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumoral properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of rosemary addition on the quality characteristics of Korean traditional rice wine. Wines containing different rosemary concentrations (0, 10, 20 or 30%) were ripened for 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days at 25C. The following quality characteristics were compared: pH, total acid, titratable acidity, amylase activity, color, reducing sugar amount, total sugar and ethanol. Although total acid increased, the pH of rosemary wine rapidly decreased during the rot 5-days of ripening, and these two changes were greatest in the wine containing 10% rosemary. The amount of both reducing sugar and ethanol in the wine rapidly increased during the rot 5-days of ripening, while total sugar content of rosemary wine decreased significantly with increasing ripening periods(p<0.05). According to the Hunter's color results, a significant color change in 'L' value was observed with increasing fermentation period in the wine containing 10% rosemary. Although 'a' value of control (0% rosemary liquor) increased during the ripening period, the addition of rosemary did not significantly affect 'a' or 'b' values. The transmittance of rosemary wines increased with increasing rosemary content but decreased throughout the ripening periods. Amylase activity decreased with increasing rosemary content, especially after a 5-day ripening period.