Nelumbo nucifera root(NNR) is used to clear summerheat(暑熱), bear Yang(陽) upwards and stop bleeding as mentioned in traditional Korean medicine. Also, it has been known that NNR is effective for lowering blood pressure and hyperlipidemia. The rhizome is considered to be nutritive, demulcent, diuretic and cholagogue and is used to treat piles, dyspepsia and diarrhea. An increasingly growing market for nutraceuticals and functional foods has triggered the study on natural sources for nutraceuticals, health foods and functional foods. But rhizome was inconvenient to formulate liquid dosage form(extract) by way of hot water because of its limited storage. Also the majority of the consumers have a complaint against the dosage. The purpose of this study was to develop the functional materials from NNR without side effects. We formulated the solid dosage form viz tablet and granule from the lotus root. Sensory evaluation was performed in terms of smell, taste, color and overall of lotus root and all colored forms(brown, dark brown, light green and yellow) of tablet and granule to evaluate the acceptability of the formulated tablets and granules. In sensory evaluation, among the formulated tablets and granules, light green granules obtained best score overall and yellow tablets showed the overall improved acceptability. In conclusion, lotus rhizome could be recommended as functional food. Further studies to clarify bioactive functions of Nelumbo nucifera in experimental animal model on atopic dermatitis are in progress.

• Rajendra Karki
• Kyu-Ho Bang
• Dong-Wook Kim