Evodiae Fructus is the dried unripe fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa, and has traditionally been used for treating stomachache and diarrhea. Evodiamine and rutaecarpine, the major biologically active compounds of Evodiae Fructus, are reported to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as inhibit proliferation and metastasis of various cancer cells. The current study investigates the anti-oxidative and anti-cancer effects of the Evodiae Fructus extract, considering varying concentrations of methanol extraction (40, 80, and 95%). High contents of total phenolic compounds were determined in the order of extracts 80, 95, and 40%. Evaluating contents of the 95, 80, and 40% extracts revealed 36.77, 7.29, and 1.86 μg/mg evodiamine, respectively, and 53.02, 17.16, and 3.79 μg/mg rutaecarpine, respectively, with the highest content of both compounds obtained in the 95% extract. DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed to be inversely proportional to the contents of total phenolic compounds, with decreasing SC50 values obtained in the order 80, 95, and 40% extract. The 95 and 80% extracts exerted toxicity to AGS gastric cancer cells, but the 40% extract was non-toxic. Evodiamine is a known anti-cancer agent, and could be responsible for the observed toxicity. Cleavage of PARP, and Caspase-3, -7, -8 and -9 was observed in the 95% extract-treated AGS cells, indicating that cell toxicity exerted by the 95% extract could be attributed to apoptosis.

Skin plays important roles in protecting the internal organs from the chemical-biological risk factors and ultraviolet light. Exposure to the chemical and biological stimuli has a detrimental effect on skin's structure and physiological regulation. Therefore, much attention has been paid to natural products that show biological activities such as anti-oxidation, anti-aging and anti-bacterial activities. In this study, we investigated the skin-related biological activities of Oenothera lamarckiana aerial part extract. The extract contained 229.35 mg TAE (tannic acid equivalents)/g total polyphenolic compounds and the extract showed relative high antioxidant activity (SC50 value: 8.52 μg/mL). The IC50 value against tyrosinase and elastase were 307.94 and 181.51 μg/mL, respectively. This suggested that O. lamarckiana can be applied to whiten skin and slow the aging of skin. O. lamarckiana extract showed a growth inhibitory effect on Staphylococcu epidermidis (minimum inhibitory concentration: 250 μg/mL). Interestingly, O. lamarckiana extract showed no inhibitory effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the paper disc assay. Yet the extract inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the broth dilution assay in a dose-dependent manners. Taken together, O. lamarckiana could have good potential for development as an additive in the cosmetic industry.

Inflammation in the brain has known to be associated with the development of a various neurologiacal diseases. The hallmark of neuro-inflammation is the activation of microglia, brain macrophage. Pro-inflammatory compounds including nitric oxide(NO) are the main cause of neuro-degenerative disease such as Alzheimer"s disease. In the study, we examined whether Harmonia axyridis extracts inhibit the NO production by a direct method using Griess reagent, western blotting and by RT-PCR(Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reactionin) the gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS). Distilled water(H₂O) and methanol(MeOH) extracts of H. axyridis inhibited the protein expression of TNF-α(Tumor Necrosis Factor) and IL-6(Interleukin) in LPS (Lipo-polysaccharide) stimulated BV -2 cells at the concentration of 100 ng/㎖. Incubation of BV-2 cells with the extracts of H₂O of MeOH inhibited the LPS induced NO and iNOS protein. And this inhibition of iNOS protein is concordant with the inhibition of iNOS mRNA expression. These data suggested that H. axyridis extracts may play a crucial role in inhibiting the NO production.

This study was conducted to gather the baseline data on realities of experimental-practice and opinions toward spot-practice, and to examine how to cope with the problems raised at the Department of Food and Nutrition of Junior Technical College in Korea. Ouestionairs were gathered from 42 chairmans of the Department of Food and Nutrition and 140 present dieticians worked in Seoul, Bucheon and Seongnam area. The results are as follows, First, as a whole, each college had 2∼3 experimental laboratory (Lab), in which Cooking Science Lab, Chemistry Lab and Microbiology Lab were occured at higher frequency as Lab`s name. Second, the numbers per experimental-practice class were more than 40 at most colleges. 85% of present dieticians have answered to feel too much numbers per the class during their college days, whereas professors` opinions toward the numbers per class were suitable at 20∼30 persons per class. Third, professors` opinion toward the adquate ratio of the theory subject classes to experimental subject classes was suitable at 60 : 40. Dieticians answered to take the theory subject classes partly or mostly on behalf of the experimental-practice classes. Fourth, the main reasons which inhibited normal experimental-practice class were the class for emphasis on examination, the shortage of experiment budget, the excess of class members, the shortage of experimental Lab. Also, this results showed same propensity to present dieticians` opinion toward the same question above. Fifth, among the experimental-practice subjects established at the Department of Food and Nutrition, Diet Therapy Lab was highest frequency class emphasized on theory followed by Nutrition Counselling Lab, Food Processing and Storage Lab, Food Hygiene Lab and Food Microbiology Lab in that order. Here, Basic Chemistry Lab, Biochemistry Lab, Food Microbiology Lab were pointed as subjects far from the present task of dieticians. Sixth, Department of Food and Nutrition, as a whole, has conferred with spot-practice arrangement. About 50% (all who want to join spot-practice) of second year students took part in spot-practice. In the other way, all colleges except for 2 colleges didn`t give the credit for the spot-practice system. Seventh, according to the on analysis on spot-practice places, manufacturing company was at highest frequency followed by hospitals, elementary school having group feeding system in that order. Especially, 16.7% (5 colleges) of the total colleges sent the students to the research institute related to food industry for spot-practice experience. Eighth, Professors` opinions toward the spot-practice time and periord were preferable on summer vacation of second year and for 1∼2 weeks, respectively. On the contrary, 74 dieticians answered to the adquate period as for 4 weeks. Ninth, 86 dieticians of the total 140 answered to complete the spot-practice during their college days, which helps the present task of them. Lacks of spot-practice program, Lacks of comprehension of upper personnels and lacks of group feeding equipments ranks higher as difficulties in spot-practice management.

울릉도 민속식물 31분류군 49점 추출물을 대상으로 최종농도 50μg/mL로 LPS에 의해 유도된 RAW 264.7 대식세포의 NO 생성량을 조사하였다. 그 결과, 다래(Actinidia arguta) 잎 가지, 헛개나무(Hovenia dulcis) 잎, 동백나무(Camellia japonica) 잎 가지, 말오줌나무(Sambucus sieboldiana var. pendula) 잎 가지, 왕호장근(Fallopia sachalinensis) 뿌리 순으로 항염 활성이 우수하게 나타났다. 이 중에서 다래 잎 가지, 헛개나무 잎, 동백나무 잎 가지 추출물을 LPS로 유도된 Raw 264.7 대식세포에서 최종농도가 10, 20, 40, 50μg/mL로 처리하여 NO 생성량과 세포생존율, PGE2 생성량을 측정하였다. 그 결과 다래 잎 가지(IC50=29.21μg/mL), 헛개나무 잎(IC50=27.34μg/mL), 동백나무 잎 가지(IC50=45.68μg/mL) 모두 NO 생성을 농도 의존적으로 유의성 있게 억제하였다. 또한 PGE2 측정결과 다래 잎 가지(IC50=21.06μg/mL), 헛개나무 잎(IC50=33.47μg/mL), 동백나무 잎 가지(IC50=43.90μg/mL)에서도 유의성 있는 억제효과를 보였다. 본 연구결과 다래 잎 가지, 헛개나무 잎, 동백나무 잎 가지의 추출물은 염증 유발의 중요 인자인 NO 및 PGE2 생성을 저해하여 우수한 항염증 효과를 보였다. 이들 소재에 대한 염증억제 유효성분 규명 및 그 작용기전을 추가적으로 연구함으로써 만성 염증질환의 예방과 치료에 효과적으로 사용할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

한국에서 주요하게 재배되는 세 개의 품종(켐벨, 청포도, 머루포도)을 대상으로 껍질과 씨 추출물의 미백효능을 검색하였다. Mouse melanoma인 B16세포에 α-MSH와 샘플을 처리하여 melanin 생성을 측정하였다. 세 품종의 껍질은 효과가 없었으며 켐벨과 청포도의 씨 추출물은 세포독성이 매우 강하였다. 머루포도 씨 추출물은 50μg/ml에서 대조구에 비해 melanin 생성은 51.6±20.5% 이었으며 세포 생존율은 90.4±11.3% 이어서 약간의 세포 독성에도 불구 melanin 생성 억제 효과가 뚜렷하였다. 머루포도 씨 추출물은 B16세포에서 α-MSH에 의한 tyrosinase 발현량 증가를 억제하였다. 이후 연구는 1) 머루포도 씨의 생리활성 단일물질 검색과 2) α-MSH의 신호전달 과정에 추출물 및 생리활성 단일물질이 어떻게 영향을 미치는지 하는 점이고 현재 실험에 진행 중에 있다.

멜라닌 생합성은 tyrosinase의 작용으로 인한 tyrosine의 산화로부터 시작되어 dopaquinone 및 dopachrome가 생성되고 dopachrome는 다시 dihydroxyindole과 dopachrome tautomerase에 의한 dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid 로 전환되는 과정을 거쳐 진행된다 (Alaluf et al.; 2001). 도깨비 부채 뿌리 추출물의 멜라닌 생합성 저해 기전을 검정하기 위하여 melan-a 세포에서의 tyrosinase 및 TRP-2 발현량을 western immunoblotting하여 측정한 결과 도깨비 부채 뿌리 추출물은 TRP-2 발현량에는 영향을 미치지 않으나 tyrosinase의 발현량을 현저히 감소시킴을 확인 할 수 있었고 따라서 이전의 연구와 종합하여 볼 때 도깨비 부채 뿌리 추출물은 멜라닌 생합성의 초기에 주요한 역할을 하는 tyrosinase의 활성 및 발현을 모두 억제함으로써 멜라닌 생성을 감소시키는 것으로 사료된다. 또한 도깨비 부채 뿌리 추출물은 brown guinea pig 피부에서 3% 농도로 도포 시 발적이나 이상 징후를 일으키지 않고 자외선으로 유도된 색소 침착을 감소 시켜 피부 미백 용도의 기능성 원료로써 큰 가능성을 가지고 있는 것으로 판단된다.