Recently, consumers’ awareness of the importance of the intestinal action of lactic acid bacteria and intestinal microbes is increasing, as well as interest in yogurt. In this study, yogurt was prepared with three mixed strains (lactic acid bacteria combination, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp., and Bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilussei, 1:1:1) by adding oats flour, and the quality characteristics of yogurt were investigated, while stored at a storage temperature of 4℃ for 12 days. According to the storage period, the control as wel as the oat yogurt showed slight decrease in pH, and no significant change in acidity. Sugar content slightly increased. and brightness decreased, in the control and the oat yogurt. Visible cell numbers increased during storage, and decreased on the 12th day. Viscosity in the oat yogurt was 7,580 cP, which was approximately eight times higher than that of the control group, and decreased gradually according to the storage period. Antioxidant activity (DPPH) was approximately two times higher in the oat-added yogurt, and slightly increased with the storage period, decreased on the 12th day of storage, and β-glucan was detected only in oat-added yogurt.

Sprouts have various health benefits. Specifically, wheat sprouts are rich in bioactive compounds, such as vitamins and polyphenols. Elicitation induces and enhances secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) treatments on the growth profile, free amino acid content, and antioxidant activity of germinated wheat (Triticum aestivum). Wheat seeds were germinated at 20℃ for 10 days and treated with 0, 2, 4, 7.5, and 10 mM of NaCl 10 days before harvesting. Treating the soil bed with NaCl increased the nutritional component amounts, such as free amino acids and γ- aminobutyric acid. The chlorophyll a and b concentrations were the highest in the hydroponic system treated with 7.5 mM NaCl. In addition, the polyphenol and flavonoid contents of sprouts treated with 2 and 7.5 mM NaCl were 1.94 and 1.34 times higher than that of the control sprouts (0 mM NaCl, water only), respectively. These results suggest that 2 to 4 mM NaCl treatments improve the nutritional and food quality of wheat sprouts more than water only.

In this study, we investigated the effects of adding oat and lactic acid bacteria on the quality and functionality of yogurt. Yogurt was fermented with various lactic acid bacteria,; Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), Lactobacillus delbrueckii sub. bulgaricus (LB), and Streptococcus thermophilussei (ST) and quality properties, β-glucan content, antioxidant activity were estimated. The quality of control and oat added yogurt (OY) showed significant differences depending on the type of strain and combination. The addition of oats significantly accelerated the lactic acid bacteria production, decreased the pH, and increased the titratable acidity and count of the viable cells compared to the control. Acid production was highest in ST, with the complex strains containing ST and LALBST showing high quality characteristics. The viscosity of oat yogurt was higher than that of the control group, and LALBST was also significantly higher than that of the control group. The β-glucan content of OY was 0.14-0.2%, and the organic acid content and antioxidant activity were also significantly increased by the addition of oats. As a result, it is thought that the addition of oats and a combination of lactic acid bacteria can be used for improving the quality and functionality of yogurt.

In this study, the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of wheat sprouts grown in wild fields and cultivated fields and harvested at various times were analyzed to compare the quality characteristics of the wheat sprouts as a function of their cultivation and harvest time, as well as for the development of functional materials. The total polyphenolic and flavonoid content, as well as antioxidant activity of the wheat extracts, were subsequently analyzed. The ABTS radical scavenging activity of the wheat extract increased from 16.97 mg TEAC/g sample on cultivation day three in cultivated field wheat sprouts to 25.99 mg TEAC/g sample after seven days of wild field cultivation. The total polyphenol content increased from 17.08 mg GA eq/100 g in cultivated field wheat sprouts grown for three days to 28.70 mg GA eq/100 g after seven days of wild field cultivation. In addition, the flavonoid content increased from 7.02 mg catechin eq/100 g (7 days) to 8.47 mg/g after 12 days of wild field cultivation. Notably, the activity subsequently decreased. These results suggest that the wheat sprouts with higher biological activity were those produced from the wild field after 20 days.

Barley’s nutritional value as a health food is increasing due to its excellent nutritional functionality. In this study, the levels of β-glucan, total polyphenols, and total flavonoids were analyzed in the ethanol extracts of different barley cultivars (Hinchalssal, Heuksoojeongchal, Betaone, Ganghochung, and Saechalssal). Also, the free radical scavenging abilities of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzo-thiaxoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) were measured to determine their antioxidant activity. The results confirmed that Betaone extract contained highly activefunctional components and exhibitedantioxidant activity. Next, we evaluated the hepatoprotective and inhibitory effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by barley ethanol extracts after inducing oxidative stress with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) in HepG2 cells. Hinchalssal and Saechalssal extracts showed the most significant cytoprotective effect and also reduced ROS production significantly. These results suggest that Hinchalssal, Saechalssal, and Betaone represent potential natural antioxidant and hepatoprotective agents.

With the aim of developing region specialized crops, this study was conducted to clarify effects of variant and cultivation region on antioxidative activities in various black soybean (Glycine max L.) seed tissues. Three black soybean varieties (SCEL-1, Wonheug, and Cheongja 3) were each cultivated in 4 different regions (Jeonju, Pyeongchang, Paju, and Cheonan). Harvested seeds were used to assess DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, and total polyphenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin content. SCEL-1 soybean hull contained higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity (61% and 85% respectively) compared to Wonheug (40% and 50% respectively). SCEL-1 cultivated in Pyeongchang displayed the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid content (1,189 mg GAE/ 100g sample and 951 mg CTE/ 100g sample, respectively). Total anthocyanin content was ranked in the following order: SCEL-1>Wonheug>Cheongja 3. All black soybeans showed much higher antioxidant activity in the soybean hull than in the dehulled soybean. The antioxidant activity of black soybeans cultivated at high latitudes was high. These results suggest that the best black soybean variant for high beneficial biological activities is the SCEL-1 variant. For a complete understanding of the potential of black soybean as functional foods, we plan to further analyze their antioxidant activities in future studies.

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.