11 종의 목이버섯 자실체로부터 얻은 50% EtOH추출물을 사용하여 지방전구세포인 3T3-L1의 지방세포 분화억제 효과를 확인한 모든 strain에서 억제효과가 존재하였다. 털목이에서는 21001 균주가 가장 우수하였고 흑목이에서는 21002 균주가 억제효과가 우수하였다. 전반적으로 털목이가 흑목이에 비해 지방세포 분화억제 효과가 우수하였다. 또한 Adipocyte RNA 발현량과 protein 발현량 측정 실험에서도 털목이 21001 균주가 지방세포 분화억제효과에 있어서 가장 우수하였다. 털목이 21001 버섯을 사용하여 동물실험을 진행한 결과 털목이 자실체 분말이나 50% EtOH 추출물을 급여한 실험에서 체중 감소효과가 나타났으며, 특히 EtOH 추출물 0.2%를 급여한 군에서 유의하게 감소함을 확인하였다(*P<0.05). 동물 희생 후 적출한 간 중량 및 부고환지방량과 혈청 내 중성지방 및 총 콜레스테롤, 혈당, ALT, AST 등도 털목이버섯 21001 EtOH 추출물 0.1% 이상 급여 시 고지방식이만을 급여한 군에 비해 유의차(*P<0.05 이상) 있게 감소함을 확인하였다.
The purpose of this study is to discover a food material having anti-obesity effects and to disseminate information on the effects of the material to people who are interested in anti-obesity. For this study, 11 kinds of Auricularia (wood ear) spp., including 8 strains of Auricularia auricula-polytricha, and 3 strains of A. auricula-judae, were presented by the Jeollanamdo Agricultural Research & Extension Services. 3T3-L1 (preadipocyte cell) was used for identifying the inhibition effect on adipocyte differentiation. As a result, this study found that all the extracts had slightly different degrees of inhibition effects on adipocyte differentiation. Among the A. auricula-polytricha strains, strain 21001 showed the most significant effect (4.58%), and the inhibition effect of strain 21002 (4.43%) was the greatest among A. auricula-judae strains. Overall, the inhibition effect of A. auricula-polytricha strains was greater than that of A. auricula-judae strains. The results of mRNA and protein analysis also demonstrated that the inhibition effect of A. auricula-polytricha 21001 was superior to that of any other strains. An in vivo study using 56 ICR mice (6w, male), was performed for 4 weeks. A. auricula-polytricha 21001, which exhibited the most significant effect in the in vitro study was used to compose six different types of feeds. Daily body weight gain of the high-fat diet containing 0.2% 21001 extract feeding group was 0.22±0.08 g (*p < 0.05), and it was 31.25% lower than that of the high-fat diet feeding group (0.32±0.06). Internal organ weight measurement and blood analysis were performed immediately after animal sacrifice. The results proved that treatment with more than 0.1% of A. auricula-polytricha strain 21001 could significantly reduce (more than *p < 0.05) the weight of liver and epididymal fat, and levels of glucose, total cholesterol, AST, and ALT in blood.