Recently, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases including high blood pressure and heart disease has increased with increased meat consumption in Korea. This study was performed to determine the optimal mixing ratio among ratios of 0, 1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2 of mulberry leaf powder to mulberry fruit powder based on the anti-inflammatory effects. Then, the quality characteristics of the sauce for meat prepared with different mixing ratios (0, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5) of mulberry leaf powder to mulberry fruit powder were assessed. The inhibitory effects of ML2MF1 (2:1 ratio of mulberry leaf powder to mulberry fruit powder) on NO and TNF-α production were superior to those of other mixing ratios. With respect to color values of the sauce for meat prepared with different mixing ratio of mulberry leaf powder to mulberry fruit powder, as the mulberry fruit powder mixing ratios was increased, redness was increased but lightness and yellowness were decreased. The sensory evaluation of ML1MF5S (1:5 ratio of mulberry leaf powder to mulberry fruit powder) sauce for meat showed the highest score with respect to color, smell, taste, harmony with meat and the overall preference. In conclusion, as the mulberry leaf powder mixing ratio was increased, the anti-inflammatory activities were increased. But sensory evaluation scores were increased as the mulberry fruit powder mixing ratio was increased. Therefore, by performing further study, the method to increase mulberry leaf powder in the mixing ratio for improving the sensory evaluation should be provided.

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.

The objectives of present study were to characterize the peptides which were isolated from Korean fermented soybean paste, chungkukjang, and to determine their antioxidant activities. Four fractions were collected from the methanol extract of chungkukjang by using a recycling preparative HPLC. Among fractions, Fr-2 was identified to be highly potent free radical scavenging activity in the assay of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and nitroblue tetrazolium(NBT)-reduction inhibition. Base on antioxidant effects, fraction Fr-2 was employed for the refraction with a prep-column and separated into five fractions of which two fractions were identified to have higher antioxidant activity. To confirm the amino acid constituents of antioxidant fractions Fr-2-2 and Fr-2-3 were analyzed, and eight kinds of amino acids such as aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, lysine, histidine, and arginine were identified as the constituent amino acids. Antioxidant activities of the separated peptides were further assessed cell viability with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl terazolium bromide (MTT), and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of H4IIE cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Chungkukjang peptides have shown their ability to protect H4IIE rat hepatoma cells against H2O2- induced oxidative stress by concentration and time-dependent manner. Therefore, These results indicated that fermented soybean paste chungkukjang will be promoted the antioxidant and radical scavenging activities, and beneficial for health. The antioxidant peptide fractions Fr-2-2 and Fr-2-3 were denominated as P-NICS-1 and P-NICS-2, respectively. However, further studies were required to clarify their amino acid sequences and molecular properties, and physiological significances.