The purpose of this study was to establish valerenic acid as a marker compound for the standardization of ethanol extract of Valerinan officinalis (valerian) root as a functional health food. We established valerenic acid as a marker compound using HPLC. HPLC was used to quantify the marker compound in the valerian extract after validation of methods with linearity, accuracy, and precision. The specificity for retention time was met by comparative analysis of the valerian extract and standard compound using HPLC. The method showed high linearity of the calibration curve with a coefficient of correlation (R2) of 0.9999. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 10 μg/mL. The accuracy of measurement was 99.88~ 00.68% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) value was 0.59%. In addition, our analytical method yielded a 29% mean content of valerenic acid in the valerian ethanol extract. These results indicate that the established HPLC method facilitated the determination of marker compounds in the valerian extract for the standardization of health functional foods. Key words: Valerinan officinalis, valerenic acid, HPLC, validation, functional health food

Probiotics is known improve the microenvironment of colon; however, the metagenomic DNA study of its lactic acid bacteria in constipation induced by loperamide is not clearly understood. In the present study, we investigated the reduction of the lactic acid bacteria in case of constipation, in normal and loperamide-induced rat. Lactic acid powder (lactic acid bacteria 19) was prepared from Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation. After 2 weeks of oral administration, the group treated with the higher concentration of lactic acid bacteria (109 CFU/mL per kg of body weight) following loperamide treatment was the most effective in increasing number, weight, and water content of feces. A similar but significant increase was found in the group treated with lower concentration of lactic acid bacteria (107 CFU/mL per kg of body weight) after loperamide treatment. The concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid in feces in the loperamide-induced rat with high concentration lactic acid, were significantly higher than that of others. Furthermore, gastrointestinal transit ratio as well as the length and area of intestinal mucosa were significantly increased after treatment with lactic acid bacteria in loperamideinduced rat. Metagenomics DNA analysis indicated that the microorganism homology in cecum was similar between the groups of normal (NOR) and HIG. Our results show that lactic acid bacteria were effective in improving the constipation.