1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), a potent a-glycosidase inhibitor, has therapeutic applications in treatments of HIV, Gaucher’s disease, and diabetes. 1-DNJ has been extracted from natural sources (mulberry leaves) for therapeutic purposes; however, 1-DNJ ingredients are in limited supply and are costly to obtain on a large scale. Since certain strains of Bacillus and Streptomyces species reportedly produce 1-DNJ, they may serve as potential sources for high-yield 1-DNJ production. In this study, we obtained evidence for four bacteria that produce 1-DNJ in large quantities by high performance liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography. Investigation of the effect of mulberry leaves powder concentration(1~5%), using the 1-DNJ high-production bacteria, provided evidence for microbial mass production of 1-DNJ.
The caterpillar-shaped Chinese medicinal mushroom (DongChongXiaCao) looks like a worm in the winter and likes a grass in the summer. The fruiting bodies of Cordyceps species have demonstrated various biological activities and used as traditional medicines in Asian countries. The price of wild Cordyceps have been ascending every year as their demand increase. Recently, the artificial cultivation of these fungi has been successfully established and they are currently produced on a rice or pupae media. This study was carried out to investigate the soluble sugar, amino acid and fatty acid profiles in the fruiting-bodies of Cordyceps militaris, C. pruinosa and Paecilomyces. tenuipes formed on the living silkworm (Bombyx mori) host. Soluble sugars such as glycerol, glucose, mannitol and sucrose were found in the fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris, C. pruinosa and P. tenuipes. Total soluble sugar content was 29.23 ㎎g-1in C. militaris, 8.61㎎g-1 in C. pruinosa and 24.00 ㎎g-1in P. tenuipes on dry weight basis. Total free amino acid content was 14.09 ㎎g-1in C. militaris, 34.60㎎g-1 in C. pruinosa and 17.09 ㎎g-1 in P. tenuipes. The content of oleic acid in fatty acids was above high more than 30% regardless of species.