This study compared the contents of low molecular ginsenoside according to fermentation process in low grade fresh ginseng. Low grade fresh ginseng was directly inoculated with a 24 h seed culture of Bifidobacterium Longum B6., Lactobacillus casei., and incubated at 36℃ for 72 h. Bifidobacterium Longum B6 was specifically was found to show the best growth on 3,255×106 CFU/ml after 48 h of fermentation. The content of ginsenoside Rb1, Re and Rd were decreased with the fermentation but ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg2 increased after fermentation process. In the case of low molecular ginsenoside conversion yields were 56.07% of Rh2, 12.03% of Rg3 and 77.11% of Rg2, respectively. In addition, compound-K was irregular conversion yield as long as 72 h of fermentation. This results indicate that fermentation process could increase the low molecular ginsenoside in low grade fresh ginseng.

In this study, we investigated the cosmetic application of Acer mono sap through an ultra-high pressure process. Exposing Acer mono sap to a ultra-high pressure process resulted in 90.1% cell viability of human normal fibroblast cells (CCD-986sk) when added at the highest concentration. Acer mono sap also showed the hightest free radical scavenging activity after the ultra high pressure process. The melanogenesis inhibition rate in cloned M-3 cells was 59.0%. Tyrosinase was inhibited at a rate of 87.2% by adding 100% HPAMS. Anti-wrinkle activity was 78.1%. Acer mono sap showed enhanced storage following the ultra high pressure process. These results indicate that Acer mono sap may be a source for functional cosmetic agents capable of improving antioxidant, whitening, and antiwrinkling effects.

In this study, we investigated antioxidant activities and whitening effects of Acer mono sap by encapsulation of nanoparticles. Acer mono sap was through ultra high pressure process and then encapsulated by lecithin. Nano-encapsulated The nanoparticles of Acer mono sap showed highest free radical scavengering effect as 89.7% in adding sample (1.0 mg/ml), compared to sap of non-encapsulation. It was showed strong inhibition effect on melanin production test by Clone M-3 cells as 47.8%. High inhibitory of tyrosinase was also measured as 85.8% by adding lecithin nano-particle of 1.0 mg/ml. The nano-particles also showed 14.8% of low cytotoxicity against human normal fibroblast cells in adding 1.0 mg/ml of the highest concentration. These results indicate that Acer mono sap may be a source of cosmetic agents capable of improving whitening effect and antioxidant activites.

This study was to investigate the effect of fermentation extracts on the concentration of serotonin and melatonin in the serum of the ICR mice. The ICR mice were divided into water control group, lactobacillus fermentation solution including (Lactobacillus paracasei and Bifidobacterium longum B6) control group, positive control group (milk and doxylamine succinate), negative control group (caffein) and the groups treated with the extracts of Berberis koreana bark (WE: water extracts, FE-L.P: fermentation extracts of Lactobacillus paracasei, FE-B.L: fermentation extracts of Bifidobacterium longum B6). After ten-day feeding treatment, the mean concentration of serotonin for water control, WE, FE-L.P and FEB. L group was 134.72, 183.01, 232.09 and 223.78 ng/ml, respectively. The mean concentration for FE-L.P and FE-B.L group were approximately 66% larger than that for water control group. The mean concentration of melatonin for water control, WE, FE-L.P and FE-B.L group was 76.92, 106.66, 157.56 and 141.81pg/ml, respectively. The mean concentration of melatonin for FE-L.P and FE-B.L group were also larger than that for water control group. Our results indicated that the fermentation extracts of Berberis koreana bark have relatively greater potential to induce secretion of serotonin and melatonin. Therefore, the fermentation extracts have antidepressant effect.