To utilize pepper (Piper nigrum) as an immunostimulatory agent, we isolated macrophage stimulating polysaccharides from pepper and investigated their macrophage activating activities. Hot-water extracts (HW) of black pepper (BP) and white pepper (WP) were prepared, and their macrophage stimulating activities were evaluated using RAW 264.7 cells. BP-HW significantly promoted the secretion of macrophage stimulating factors such as nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12 compared to WP-HW. When BP and WP-HW were fractionated into crude polysaccharides (CP) and low molecules (LM) by ethanol precipitation, BP-CP demonstrated significantly more potent activity. Furthermore, BP-CP not only induced mRNA gene expression of macrophage activation factors, but also promoted nuclear localization of p65 and c-Jun. In addition, component sugar analysis revealed that glucan-type polysaccharides in BP-CP played a crucial role in macrophage activation. Taken together, these findings suggest that black pepper has industrial applicability not only as a spice, but also as an immunostimulatory functional material.

Abstract
서 론
재료 및 방법
    1. 열수추출물의 조제
    2. RAW 264.7 세포주의 배양 및 자극 활성
    3. 열수추출물로부터 조다당 획분의 분획
    4. qRT-PCR을 이용한 mRNA 발현
    5. 면역 형광법을 이용한 전사인자의 관찰
    6. RP-HPLC를 이용한 구성당 분석
    7. 통계처리
결과 및 고찰
    1. 흑후추 및 백후추 열수추출물의 대식세포 활성 비교
    2. 흑후추 및 백후추 열수추출물로부터 분획된 하위 획분의 대식세포 활성 비교
    3. 흑후추에서 분리된 조다당 획분의 대식세포 활성화 인자의 유전자 발현량
    4. 흑후추에서 분리된 조다당 획분에 의한 p65 및 c-Jun의 핵 내 국소화
    5. 흑후추에서 분리된 조다당 획분의 구성당 분포
요약 및 결론
감사의 글
References

• 김다은(국립한국교통대학교 식품영양학전공 학부생) | Da Eun Kim (Undergraduate Student, Major in Food and Nutrition, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong 27909, Korea)
• 신현영(고려대학교 대학원 의생명융합과학과 러닝헬스시스템 융합전공 대학원생) | Hyun Young Shin (Graduate School Student, Transdisciplinary Major in Learning Health Systems, Dept. of Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea)
• 정원비(국립한국교통대학교 식품영양학전공 학부생) | Won Bi Jeong (Undergraduate Student, Major in Food and Nutrition, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong 27909, Korea)
• 김효원(국립한국교통대학교 식품영양학전공 학부생) | Hyo Won Kim (Undergraduate Student, Major in Food and Nutrition, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong 27909, Korea)
• 문수민(국립한국교통대학교 식품영양학전공 학부생) | Su Min Moon (Undergraduate Student, Major in Food and Nutrition, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong 27909, Korea)
• 신광순(경기대학교 식품생물공학과 교수) | Kwang-Soon Shin (Professor, Dept. of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea)
• 유광원(국립한국교통대학교 식품영양학전공 교수) | Kwang-Won Yu (Professor, Major in Food and Nutrition, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong 27909, Korea) Corresponding author