The objective of this study was to determine the ultrasonication-assisted extraction conditions that maximize the DPPH radical scavenging activity of extracts obtained from the stems of Lespedeza bicolor Turcz through the application of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Before delving into the analysis of extraction conditions using the RSM model, we conducted efficiency validation of ultrasonication-assisted extraction and executed single-factor experiments for ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature. The data obtained from these single-factor experiments were employed to construct the Box-Behnken Design (BBD). In these results, in the single-factor experiments, it was evident that the parameters for ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature exhibited quadratic trends. The single-factor experiments allowed us to discern the trends for each parameter leading to the maximum antioxidant capacity, and this data was subsequently applied to the BBD. Following the completion of initial experiments, a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model was constructed based on Box-Behnken Design (BBD). According to the predictive model developed in this study, it was anticipated that performing ultrasonic-assisted extraction for 85.0412 minutes at an ethanol concentration of 32.573% and an extraction temperature of 51.5608°C will result in a DPPH radical scavenging activity of 79.7146%. The predictive results were statistically verified through a comparative analysis with actual measurements and ANOVA analysis, confirming the statistical significance of the model. The finding of this study underscore the significance of optimizing extraction conditions in the precise quantification of the antioxidant potential for economic advantages in both experimental and industrial contexts.

Paecilomyces tenuipes (P. tenuipes) is a fungus cultivated artificially by South Korean researchers, utilizing rice bran as its substrate. The increased demand for this fungus has not been met with successful cultivation methods for fruiting body production in natural environments. Therefore, we tested the effect on the growth of P. tenuipes using a Solid media based on pests. In this results, the Solid media based on M.alternatus was effective in increasing the growth of P. tenuipes and the content of cordycepin. Moreover, we confirmed the conditions for manufacturing a Solid media based on M.alternatus for P. tenuipes growth. We suggested that the growth-promoting compounds offers valuable insights for optimizing fungal cultivation conditions, thereby enhancing productivity and contributing to a broader understanding of fungal physiology in varying nutritional environments.

Mushrooms play crucial roles as reservoirs of naturally occurring bioactive compounds. Among these, Cordyceps militaris is significant because of its well-established reputation for organoleptic excellence and positive health effects, which have led to its widespread commercialization. In contrast, the key properties of Paecilomyces variotii, an ectomycorrhizal symbiont, has received limited attention. In alignment with current research trends, the study of the mycelia and culture media of these mushrooms hold promise in identifying potential sources of valuable bioactive compounds. In the present study, we investigated C. militaris and P. variotii for their phenolic acids and sterols, assessing antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory effects, and anti-proliferative activity. Interestingly, P. variotii mycelia exhibited higher concentrations of ergosterol and phenolic compounds, with comparable levels observed in the fruiting bodies, along with superior antioxidant activity compared to that of C. militaris. In contrast, C. militaris mycelia demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects (which were absent in P. variotii mycelia) and cytotoxicity comparable to, and at times exceeding, that of its fruiting bodies (in contrast to P. variotii). In addition, the species analyzed in this study displayed variations in growth rates and mycelial production, which merit consideration for potential future applications and further study.

멸강나방은 중국 내 개체군이 북쪽 지역으로 2차 이주를 할 때, 봄철 제트기류를 타고 국내로 유입되는 비래해 충이다. 집단으로 발생 시 벼, 옥수수, 수수 등 여러 작물에 큰 피해를 준다. 2020년과 2021년 북방접경 세 지역(백령 도, 연천, 고성)과 수원 지역에서 성페로몬트랩을 이용하여 멸강나방의 성충 발생 시기를 탐지하였다. 일반적으 로 수원지역은 4월 하순 혹은 5월 상순에 최초 유인되었으나 두 해 여러 지역에서 공통적으로 탐지되는 시기는 6월 초중순이었다. 미국 해양대기청(NOAA)에서 제공하는 역궤적 분석프로그램(HYSPLIT)을 이용하여 각 지 역에서 멸강나방이 포획된 날짜 별 지상 300, 500, 700, 1000 m의 36~72시간 역궤적 분석을 수행하였다. 이후 같은 시기에 중국 내 멸강나방이 분포할 가능성이 높은 지역(32~40 ºN)을 비래 근원지로 추정하였다. 2021년 수원과 백령도에서 공통적으로 산둥성(山东省)이 근원지로 추정되었다. 공통적으로 산둥성(山东省)과 장수성(江苏 省)이 주 비래지로 추정되었고, 추가적으로 백령도는 허베이성(河北省), 수원은 안후이성(安徽省), 허베이성(河 北省), 저장성(浙江省)도 가능성이 있는 지역으로 추정되었다.

This study investigated unrecorded freshwater bacterial species in Korea. Water and sediment samples were collected from the Nakdong River basin from 2020-2022. Bacterial isolates obtained through the conventional culture method with commercial media were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify unrecorded bacterial species. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the bacterial isolates revealed that a total of 44 bacterial isolates shared 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of more than 98.65%, with validly published bacterial species not reported in Korea yet. These isolates were phylogenetically assigned to 4 phyla, 7 classes, 21 orders, 33 families, and 42 genera. A total of 2, 6, 12, and 24 species belonged to phyla Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Actinomycetota, and Pseudomonadota, respectively. Here, we provide details of these 44 unrecorded bacterial species, including Gram staining, colony and cellular morphologies, biochemical properties, and phylogenetic position.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), which is a traditional Korean crop, has been known as a health food due to its rich nutrition. This study was conducted to evaluate the change in flavonoid content of flowers and seeds during post-flowering growth of Korean tartary buckwheat variety ‘Hwanggeummiso’, with the aim of providing basic data for the development of functional food and feed additive. Tartary buckwheat took 69 and 99 days from the sowing date to reach the flowering and maturity stages, respectively. As a result of examining the flavonoid components of each part of tartary buckwheat, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and isoquercitrin of flowers increased from the flowering period on 22 May (0 days after flowering) to 42 days after flowering, while quercetin increased until 21 days after flowering and then decreased thereafter. In seeds, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and isoquercitrin were most abundant at the time of seed-bearing on 14 days after flowering, and showed a decreasing tendency thereafter. On the other hand, quercetin showed a tendency to increase until 21 days after flowering and then decrease. Overall, the flavonoid content was higher in flowers than in seeds, with rutin being particularly prominent. Based on this, the possibility as food materials and feed additives was confirmed using buckwheat produced in Korea.

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) is a nucleoside analog known for its diverse range of biological activities. This study investigated the effect of different types of sawdust on the production of the bioactive compound cordycepin. The results of the study showed that different types of wood sawdust affected the biosynthesis of cordycepin and a significant increase was observed when the conventional SDB medium was replaced with 1% NaOH treated pine sawdust. To optimize cordycepin production from Paecilomyces tenuipes in a medium containing 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust, we employed Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in its Box-Behnken design (BBD) canonical form. The optimal conditions were determined as follows: a particle size of 109.5111-mesh (140 m) for 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust, an input weight of 21.1679 g/L, and an incubation time of 73.8423 hours. According to our model, this combination is expected to yield a maximum cordycepin content of 896.1428 g/mL. Experimental validation of this prediction was performed using the suggested optimal conditions, resulting in an average cordycepin content of 922.6771 g/mL across three replicates, thus confirming the model's accuracy.

Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) is a unique and valuable medicinal fungus belonging to the Cordyceps species. C. militaris is the only fungus that contains cordycepin which is a biologically active compound. In previous studies, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are known to be effective in increasing cordycepin content, but metabolic profiling of LED-stimulated C. militaris has not been confirmed. Metabolic profiling is essential to understanding the metabolic regulation of cordycepin. This study studied the physiologically active secondary metabolites of C. militaris according to the presence or absence of stimulation of LEDs through GC-MS analysis. Most of the metabolites were detected in both samples, but there was a clear difference in the detected concentration. In particular, C. militaris had a significant difference in amino acid levels when stimulated with LEDs. Our results suggested that LEDs could stimulate amino acid synthesis in C. militaris mycelium to increase the cordycepin content.

Roridin E, a constituent of Podostroma cornu-damae, has excellent medicinal properties and exhibits powerful anticancer effects. However, being a poisonous mushroom, P. cornu-damae is difficult to find in its natural environment. Therefore, only a limited amount of roridin E is isolated from P. cornu-damae. We isolated roridin E from mycelial culture medium of P. cornu-damae and examined its effects on five breast cancer cell lines. The purity of the isolated roridin E was 96%. It exhibited anticancer effects on all five breast cancer cell lines, with an IC50 of at least 0.0006 mg/L. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the investigation of effects of roridin E isolated from the mycelium of P. cornu-damae mushrooms on five breast cancer cell lines. However, safety issues should be investigated and addressed in future studies before roridin E is used in clinical settings.

This study aimed to verify the whitening effect of Cordyceps militaris, which is distributed in several countries worldwide, including Korea, Japan, and China, and has various medical effects. To screen the efficacy of C. militaris, the inhibitory activity of tyrosinase, which was 66% at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, was measured. Thereafter, the survival rate of melanoma cells was measured, and cell experiments were conducted at a concentration of 90% or more in which C. militaris was not toxic to cells. After measuring the inhibitory effect of TRP-1, TRP-2, tyrosinase protein, and mRNA expression, which are factors influencing melanin synthesis, C. militaris was found to decrease in all factors, with an expression level that was significantly lower compared to quercetin. This confirmed that C. militaris stimulated with LED has excellent whitening activity and can be used as a functional whitening cosmetics material.

Cordyceps militaris, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, has multiple health-promoting effects. It is used as a herbal remedy and health food in Asian countries. Cultured mycelia are often used as a substitute for natural C. militaris. In the present study, the mycelia and fruiting bodies of artificially cultured C. militaris were analyzed using a metabolomics approach. The protein and crude fat contents of the mycelia were substantially higher than those of the fruiting bodies. The top three abundant amino acids in the mycelia were proline (3.9 g/100 g), aspartic acid (2.9 g/100 g), and glutamic acid (2.7 g/100 g). The carbohydrate content was similar in the fruiting bodies and mycelia. Analysis revealed that both the fruiting bodies and mycelia are rich in phenolic compounds and exhibit antioxidant activity. Further, six metabolites were significantly different between the mycelia and fruiting bodies. The levels of Ca, glucose, Mg, and Se were higher in the mycelia than in the fruiting bodies. In contrast, mannitol and Zn were more abundant in the fruiting bodies. The current study provides a comprehensive metabolic profile of the mycelia and fruiting bodies of artificially cultured C. militaris. Such an exercise is potentially important for understanding the metabolism of C. militaris and facilitating the use of cultured mycelia as a supplement to C. militaris fruiting bodies in traditional Chinese medicine.