This study was to investigate the improvement of immune activities of the extracts from Codonopsis lan-ceolata by stepwise steaming process and high pressure process. The phenol contents was 8.742㎍/㎎ which was higher thanthat from conventional extraction using 70% ethyl alcohol at 80℃ for 24hours. All of extracts at a concentration of 1.0㎎/㎖showed relatively low cytotoxicity on human normal kidney cell (HEK293) in range of 16 19%. The immune B and T cellgrowth was improved by extracts using the steamed and high pressure precess of C. lanceolata up to 180×10⁴cells/㎖ and96×10⁴cells/㎖, respectively. The extract prepared also greatly increased the secretion of both IL-6 and TNF-α from thestepwise steamed and high pressure process. This results can conclude that stepwise steamed and high pressure processeffectively released active biomaterials which could important role in enhancing immune activity in the body.

In general, stepwise hot steaming process is known to be effective in improving its biological activities; however, not much employed in processing Codonopsis lanceolata due to its hardness. The complex processed C. lanceolata showed highest free radical scavenging acitivity as 45.21%. Total phenol and flavonoid content were of complex processed C. lanceolata higher than conventional extract and alone steaming process. It was showed the lower melanogenesis rate on melanin production test by B16F10 cells as 27.46%. High inhibitory of tyrosinase was also measured as 28.61% by adding steamed Codonopsis lanceolata extracts by high pressure extraction of 1.0 mg/ml. And anti-wrinkle activity were 39.08%. In comparing phenolic acids profiles in the extract, in general higher amounts of polyphenol were obtained possibly by easy release of active components during thermal processing, which results in better antioxidant activities than that of general extract. This findings can also be supported by result that the extract by steaming process showed better activities than the general extraction extract.

In general, stepwise hot steaming process is known to be effective in improving its biological activities; however, not much employed in processing Codonopsis lanceolata due to its hardness. In this study, C. lanceolata was first pretreated with warm water at 50℃ and 60℃ for two hours, then steamed for 3 hours. Antioxidant activities of 70% ethanol extracts were compared with the extract from the water solvent: 41.58% vs 8.98% of DPPH radical scavenging activity in adding 1.25mg/ml of steamed extract and water extract, respectively. Reducing power of steamed and fresh C. lanceolata were also measured as 1.39 and 0.71. Total poly phenolic of the steamed extract was estimated as 12.11mg/g, compared to 3.98mg/g fresh C. lanceolata. Total flavonoid contents were also obtained as 11.48mg/g, compared to 7.11mg/g of fresh C. lanceolata. In comparing phenolic acids profiles in the extract, in general higher amounts of gallic acid, trans-ferulic acid, vanillic acid were obtained possibly by easy release of active components during thermal processing, which results in better antioxidant activities than that of water extract. This findings can also be supported by result that the ethanol extract showed better activities than the water extract.