Gastrodia elata has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating headaches, dizziness, and convulsive illness for centuries. G. elata has traditionally been processed by steaming or blanching to increase the content and quality of its main ingredients. This study aimed to identify changes in physicochemical properties and active ingredients of G. elata depending on the steaming time. Data of this study could be used to develop traditional medicine and health foods. No steaming was used as a control. Steaming time was 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, or 120 min. The drying yield according to the steaming time ranged from 20.2% to 22.9%, with the lowest drying yield at 120 min. As the steaming time increased, gastrodin content increased more than that in fresh G. elata due to inhibition of β-glucosidase enzyme activity, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol condensation, and parishin decomposition. Steamed G. elata did not show higher total polyphenols, total flavonoids, or ABTS radical scavenging activities than fresh G. elata even with an increase of steaming time. The steaming time to improve the quality of G. elata may varied depending on the size of G. elata. Thus, it is important to set the steaming time taking these characteristics into consideration.

To apply UV-C as a non-heating sterilization method to increase the microbiological safety of fresh seedless watermelon products, reductions in E. coli and quality changes by treatment dose (0, 2, 4, 8, 14, 20 kJ/m2) were investigated. The pH, sugar content, and hardness of watermelon inoculated with E. coli were not significantly different according to the UV-C treatment dose, but the polyphenol content was significantly decreased compared to the controls (425.4 GAE μg/g F.W.). When treated with 2 and 4 kJ/m2, the lycopene content was 31.6 and 30.9 μg/g F.W., respectively, which was increased compared to the controls (28.5 μg/g F.W.). The arginine and citrulline content was also significantly increased compared to the controls. The number of E. coli was significantly decreased compared to the controls following UV-C treatment. Considering the degree of E. coli reduction, lycopene content, arginine content, citrulline content, and UV-C irradiation time, subsequent experiments were conducted by selecting a UV-C treatment dose of 2 kJ/m2. The results of confirming the degree of reduction in the number of E. coli colonies by a single treatment and combined treatment with UV-C 2 kJ/m2 and 70% ethanol showed that the combined treatment was most effective as colonies were decreased by 2.3 log CFU/g compared to the controls. Therefore, it is judged that UV-C 2 kJ/m2 radiation and combined treatment with 70% ethanol could be applied as a non-heating sterilization method for fresh watermelon slices.

Although aronia (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) contains higher levels of polyphenols and more antioxidant activity than other berries, it is a berry that is difficult to eat raw due to its strong astringent taste and lack of sweetness. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of tannin reduction of aronia by bioconversion method using mushroom mycelia cultures. Aronia and liquid cultures of Lentinula edodes and Phellinus linteus mycelia were mixed and then treated for 48 hours at 60°C. Tannin content, total polyphenol, total flavonoid and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS radical-scavenging activities and FRAP activities) were investigated. The tannin content decreased from 64.2 mg ECE/g to 57.9 mg ECE/g (9.8% reduction) when treated with liquid culture of L. edodes and from 77.3 mg ECE/g to 47.9 mg ECE/g (38.1% reduction) from treatment with a liquid culture of P. linteus. Therefore treatment with mushroom mycelia culture solution may improve the palatability of aronia reducing the astringent taste.

This study investigated the quality characteristics of black soybean sediments to diversify the availability of soybean. The cooking method selected for black soybean sediment preparation was a pressure cooking process without soaking, considering the isoflavone content. The black soybean sediments were prepared by the addition of 0, 10, 30, 50 and 100% (w/w) black soybean. When 0% to 100% black soybean was added to the black soybean sediments, the moisture and crude protein contents increased from 53.17% to 54.41% and from 12.07% to 21.68%, respectively. The total isoflavone content of the black soybean sediments was increased from 2.69 μg/g to 696.09 μg/g, respectively, by the addition of black soybean. The anthocyanin content of the black soybean sediments ranged from 279.29 μg/g to 387.8 μg/g by the addition of black soybean. The total polyphenol content and the total flavonoid content of the black soybean sediments range from 1.72 mg/g to 2.00 mg/g and 0.89 mg/g to 0.92 mg/g, respectively, by the addition of black soybean. Given the isoflavones, total polyphenol, and anthocyanin content of the black soybean sediments, it is appropriate that the ratio of added black soybeans is at least 50% after the pressure-cooking process, regardless of soaking.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality characteristics and antioxidant activity by collecting four times on six samples of Jeonbuk regional soybean pastes (Doenjang) traditionally prepared for this study. The water content of samples decreased according to progress of the aging period and the water content of the fourth sample collected was 42.40~59.64% (p<0.05). The salinity of the fourth Doenjang samples was 11.80~18.60%. The amino-type nitrogen content was 122.67~540.33 mg% immediately after the preparation of Doenjang in the Jeonbuk region and the content of the fourth collection samples increased from 251.49 to 982.36 mg% (p<0.05). The isoflavone glycosides decreased but daidzein, genistein and glycitein, which are aglycones, increased during aging periods. The total polyphenol content of the fourth collected samples was 11.99~19.27 mg GAE/g (p<0.05). The DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity and FARP of the fourth Doenjang samples were 51.88~81.21%, 84.14~90.32%, and 1.08~3.11 mg Trolox/g, respectively. As a result of quality analysis on Doenjang, the superiority of traditional Doenjang has been proven by the increase of amino nitrogen content and antioxidant activity according to the aging period. However, factor analysis on quality differences of regional Doenjang should be conducted to ensure standardization and quality improvement.

Gastrodia elata Blume often has been used for the treatment of headaches, convulsions, hypertension, and neurodegenerative diseases. The main active constituents are gastrodin, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, vanillyl alcohol, 4-hydroxybenzylaldehyde and parishin A, B, C and E. Because Gastrodia elata has also unacceptable off-odor (swine barnyard-like) for food, there is a need to reduce it as well as allow for greater utilization as a functional food materials. In this study, a major off-odor producing substance of Gastrodia elata was fractionated by steam distillation and silica gel column chromatography. The substance was identified as p-cresol(4-methyl phenol) by GC-MS analysis and comparison of the retention time with that of an authentic compound in GC. The content of p-cresol in fermented Gastrodia elata was decreased. A fermented sample of Latobacillus sakei for 2 days was reduced to 54.7%, when compared with a unfermented sample. The five parishin derivatives in Gastrodia elata were identified by HPLC-MS analyses, and a comparison of HPLC retention times with those of authentic compounds. When compared with parishin derivatives of an unfermented Gastrodia elata, those of Gastrodia elata fermented by L. sakei, increased to 18.3% for 2 days. Increases of about 14.0~38.4% of the total phenolic compounds and 57.4~77.3% total flavonoids were found in fermented extracts, by 3 lactic acid bacteria strains. They were compared with 97.1±2.9 μg/g and 40.9±2.0 μg/g in the unfermented control, respectively. The extracts of Gastrodia elata Blume that were fermented by lactic acid bacteria had higher DPPH free radical scavenging activity and FRAP reducing power than the unfermented control.

본 연구는 국내 재배면적이 확대되고 있는 목이버섯의 부가가치 향상과 소비량 확대를 위해 팽화기술을 접목한 목이버섯 즉석죽을 제조하고, 품질특성을 조사하여 실버층에 쉽게 적용할 수 있는 제품을 개발하고자 하였다. 백미와 흑미를 75~100%와 25~0%로 혼합한 후 비타민 D2와 식이섬유 함량이 높은 건목이버섯을 0~4%로 첨가하여 호화도, 영양성분, 항산화성 및 관능 등을 조사하였다. 즉석죽 분말의 호화도는 건목이버섯 첨가량이 증가할수록, 흑미 첨가량이 감소할수록 최고점도와 유지강도, 강하점도, 최종점도, 노화점도가 증가하는 경향이었다. 백미 80%와 흑미 20%를 혼합한 후 건목이버섯 3%를 첨가한 즉석죽은 비타민 D2 18.53 μg/100 g, 식이섬유 3.73 g/100 g이 함유되어 있어 뼈의 형성과 유지와 배변활동 촉진 효과가 기대되었다. 또한 DPPH free radical 소거능도 56.79%로 나타나, 항산화성이 높아 실버층의 건강에 기여할 것으로 기대되었다. 본 실험 결과, 목이버섯은 기능성 가공제품 개발의 소재로서 사용가치가 매우 높아 실버층뿐 아니라, 다양한 연령층에 적합한 가공제품 생산에 응용가능하리라 생각된다.

Hovenia dulcis var. koreana Nakai is recently known to be a useful tree because of their medicinal function. In 1996, candidate trees were selected from 10 regions in Korea, and a clone bank was established in 1998 by grafted 70 candidate clones of candidate trees in order to breed high-yield superior trees. From 2003 to 2005, five clones were selected and screened by analyzing flowering and fruiting characteristics of 47 clones in the clone bank. “Poong-Sung 1”, a new high-yield superior H. dulcis var. koreana Nakai cultivar was finally selected from the 5 clones. The final selection focused on fruiting characteristics such as the number of fructify lateral (NFL), the number of average bunch per one fructify lateral (NABFL), the number of average bunch per fruiting lateral (NABPFL), the weight of fruit petiole per individual (WFPI) and the yield of individual (YI). Fruit petiole of “Poong-Sung 1” has dark brown skin color and fruit flesh color. Fruiting characteristics of “Poong-Sung 1” showed large better results and selection effects with an average of 19.3Ea (NFL), 4.75Ea (NABFL), 91.68Ea (NABPFL), 4.7 kg (WFPI) and 11.26 kg (YI) which are 158.8%, 147.1%, 233.9%, 401.7% and 412.5% superior compared to the mean of 47 clones, respectively.

A clone bank that contained highly productive and superior genotypes of R. coreanus Miq. was assembled in 1998. The clone bank was composed of a collection of 227 clones from 15 regions in Korea. From the clone bank, 198 clones that regularly completed flowering and fruiting were used as official materials for superior tree breeding. To evaluate the flowering and fruiting, the length of the fruiting lateral (LF), the number of flowers per fruiting lateral (NFL) and the number of fruit per fruiting lateral (NFFL) were investigated. Fruits were harvested when they fully ripen and the fruit length (FL), fruit width (FW), the weight of fruit (WF) and soluble solids were measured. In 2001, 17 of the original 227 clones were identified as being the most superior, and these selected genotypes were tested for regional adaptability in four different regions in 2002. Finally, these advanced selections including “Jung-Keum 1” were evaluated for flowering, fruiting and fruit production characteristics from 2002 to 2005. The new cultivar, “Jung-Keum 1” has dark red fruit color and larger fruit size than the contrast clone that was shown mean value for the most characteristics. Selection effect of the new cultivar were shown 130.8% (NFL), 128.3% (NFFL), 123.6% (WF) and 173.3% (yield/individual; YI) superior in comparison with the contrast clone, respectively.