In a previous study, we fractionated crude polysaccharide (AME-CP) with macrophage-stimulating activity from a hot-water extract (AME) of Astragalus membranaceus. AME-CP contained glucose (Glc) as a main component sugar, suggesting that it might be rich in starch-like compounds (SLC). To enhance the immunostimulating activity of AME-CP by pruning SLC rarely known to contribute to activity, hydrolysate (AME-SH) was prepared by digesting with starch-related enzymes, including α-amylase and amyloglucosidase. AME-SH was found to contain substances with molecular weights ranging from 3.9 to 84.4 kDa. These substances were primarily composed of galactose, galacturonic acid, Glc, arabinose, rhamnose, and mannose. AME-SH significantly enhanced the production of macrophage-stimulating factors, including nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12, in RAW 264.7 cells compared to AME-CP. Treatment of splenocytes isolated from C3H/HeN mice with AME-SH not only promoted IL-6 secretion, but also induced mitogenic activity. In addition, AME-SH promoted the secretion of hematopoietic growth factors including IL-6 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in Peyer's patch (PP) cells and stimulated bone marrow cell proliferation through these PP cells. In conclusion, hydrolysate (AME-SH) digested from AME-CP with starch-related enzymes could be used as a potential immunostimulant.

To increase industrial applicability of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) as immunostimulating materials, hot-water extract (AME) was prepared from AM and fermented with Kimchi-lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus sakei & Leuconostoc mesenteroides) to prepare fermented AM-postbiotics (FAME). Although FAME prepared from AM-postbiotics did not show a significant enhancement in macrophage stimulating activity compared to non-fermented AME, crude polysaccharide (FAME-CP) fractionated by EtOH precipitation from FAME showed significantly higher macrophage stimulating activity than AME-CP. Compared to AME-CP, FAME-CP showed dramatic changes in component sugar and molecular weight distribution. FAME-CP was a polysaccharide with a major molecular weight distribution of 113.4 kDa containing Man (44.2%), Glc (19.3%), Gal (10.2%), GalA (10.2%), and Ara (7.4%) as sugar components. FAME-CP with enhanced macrophage stimulatory activity not only increased expression levels of mRNA genes encoding macrophage-activated factors (iNOS, TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-6, and COX-2), but also led the nuclear translocation of activated p65 and c-Jun. In conclusion, crude polysaccharide from AM-postbiotics fermented with lactic acid bacteria could increase industrial applicability as a functional material with enhanced immunostimulating activity than AME-CP.

To enhance the bioavailability and bioactivities of mixed herbal medicines (RW), they were fermented with lactic-acid bacteria isolated from kimchi into postbiotics (FRW). Then, from the results of the 16s rRNA sequencing analysis, lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi were identified to be of two species, namely Lactobacillus sakei and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The FRW prepared from the RW were extracted using hot water (HW) and 70% EtOH (EtOH) for comparison of their macrophage-stimulating activities. Based on a comparison of the activities of the FRW extracts, nitric oxide (NO) production of HW was significantly higher than that in EtOH. An analysis of the chemical properties of the extracts showed that HW had higher contents of neutral sugar and uronic acid than EtOH as well as contained a large amount of glucose. In addition, crude polysaccharide (CP) was prepared to enhance the macrophage-stimulating activity. The FRW-CP not only secreted immunostimulatory mediators but also increased the expression of immunostimulatory genes (iNOS, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6). The fractionated FRW-CP contained about 90% neutral sugars, and these sugars were mainly composed of glucose, galacturonic acid, and arabinose. Thus, FRW prepared by fermentation of RW with kimchi lactic acid bacteria were found to be immunostimulatory modulators.

본 연구에서는 DNA barcode 시험법을 이용하여 시중 유통 중인 도미와 옥돔 수산가공식품의 위변조현황을 분석하였다. 참돔 12건, 돌돔 4건, 황돔 7건, 감성돔 2건, 나일틸라피아 7건, 옥돔 6건, 옥두어 8건 총 46건의 시료에 대해 실험을 진행하였다. 생물 종 판별에 주로 이용되는 mitochondrial DNA의 COX I (cytochrome C oxidase subunit I) 유전자 영역을 분석하여 원재료의 종을 판정하였다. NCBI에서 제공하는 BLAST Search 프로그램을 이용하여 분석된 염기서열과 NCBI에 등록된 각각 어류의 유전자 염기서열을 비교하였다. 분석 결과 염기서열 상동 성(identity)이 97% 이상인 종을 원재료 종으로 판별하였다. DNA barcode 시험법을 이용해 시중 유통되는 참돔, 돌돔, 황돔, 감성돔, 나일틸라피아, 옥돔, 옥두 수산가공품 46건에 대해 조사한 결과 위변조 사례는 나타나지 않았다. 그러나 시장에서 통용되는 일반명칭과 식품공전에 기술된 표준명칭이 상이하여 소비자의 혼란을 야기할 수 있어 수산물 가공식품 표기에 일반명칭과 더불어 표준명칭 또는 학명을 같이 기술하여야 할 것으로 판단되었다.

After ethanol (BM-E and RW-E) and hot-water (BM-HW and RW-HW) extracts were fractionated from two herbal mixtures (BM and RW), their physiological activities were investigated. All extracts consisted of more than 50% of neutral sugar, with their total polyphenol levels higher than flavonoid levels. Radical scavenging activities of EtOH extracts remained significantly higher compared to that of hot-water extracts, and in particular, RW-E showed consistently higher antioxidant activity than BM-E. When anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts were evaluated by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells at 10~500 μg/mL non-cytotoxicity doses, BM-E showed significantly higher levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nitric oxide inhibitory activity than those of hot-water extracts and RW-E. Murine peritoneal macrophage cells were shown to be enhanced in crude polysaccharides (BM-CP and RW-CP fractionated from BM-HW and RW-HW) compared to hot-water extracts and polysaccharide K (PSK, positive control). Especially, RW-CP exhibited higher activity than BM-CP, and component sugar analysis showed that BM-CP mainly contained galacturonic acid, glucose, arabinose, galactose, and xylose (34.5%, 33.9%, 16.1%, 7.1%, and 6.3%, respectively), whereas RW-CP showed different measurements (29.5%, 59.2%, 5.0%, 4.5%, and 0.2%). In conclusion, two herbal mixtures could contain varying sets of physiological activities dependent on different extraction and fractionation methods.

본 연구에서는 민어과 수산물의 표준시료 DNA 염기서열을 분석한 후 DNA barcode 염기서열을 확정하고 검증한 후 시중 유통 중인 민어과 수산가공식품의 위변조 현황을 조사하였다. 표준시료의 미토콘드리아 cytochrome coxidase subunit I유전자를 증폭한 후 증폭된 PCR 산물의 염기서열을 분석하였다. 분석결과 종 판별에 특이적인 655 bp를 선정하여 DNA barcode 염기서열로 하였다. DNA barcode information과 primer set을 이용한 진위판별 정확성을 확인한 결과 PCR 증폭은 모두 확인되었다. NCBI에 등록된 각각 어류의 유전자 염기서열과 비교하였을 때 참조기 100%, 부세 100%, 보구치 100%, 민어 100%의 상동성을 나타내어 실험에 사용된 DNA barcode information 과 primer set의 정확성을 확인하였다. DNA barcode 시험 법을 이용해 시중 유통되는 민어과 수산가공품 32건에 대 해 조사한 결과 위변조 사례는 나타나지 않았다. 그러나 식품공전에 등재된 보구치 대신 백조기라는 일반명이 사용되고 있어 소비자에게 혼란을 야기하고 있었다. 따라서 수산가공품 원재료 표시에 일반명과 더불어 표준명 또는 학명을 표시하여야 할 것으로 판단되었다.

본 연구는 D 대학을 중심으로 DEU-GRIT 검사를 활용하여 대학 신입생의 대학 생활 적응 특성을 분석하는데 그 목적이 있다. 이를 위해, 대학 신입생의 성별과 전공 분야에 따른 대학 생활 적응 수준의 차이를 살펴보고, 대학 생활 적응의 중요한 영역인 학업, 사회, 정서, 진로 적응의 수준을 기반으로 군집화된 대학 신입생의 대학 생활 적응 특성을 살펴보았다. 그리고 DEU-GRIT 검사 규준을 바탕으로 대학 신입생 중 적응에 어려움을 겪는 하위 규준집단을 따로 분류하여 이들의 대학 생활 적응 특성도 살펴보았다. 그 결과, 정서 적응 수준에서 남학생이 여학생에 비해 높은 것으로 나타났으며, 학업 적응과 정서 적응 수준에서 과학기술 전공 분야 학생이 인문사회 전공 분야 학생에 비해 높은 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 대학 생활 적응의 4개 영역 수준을 기준으로 군집 분석을 한 결과, 군집 1은 모든 영역의 적응 수준이 높았지만, 군집 3은 모든 영역의 적응 수준이 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 군집 2는 정서 적응 수준이 높았지만, 군집 4는 정서 적응 수준이 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 한편, DEU-GRIT 검사의 하위 규준집단에서는 학업 적응과 사회 적응 수준이 남학생보다 여학생에게서 높았으며, 대학 생활 적응 전체 및 학업 적응과 정서 적응 수준이 인문사회 전공 분야 학생보다 과학기술 전공 분야 학생에게서 높은 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 하위 규준집단의 대학 생활 적응의 4개 영역 수준을 기준으로 군집 분석 한 결과, 하위 규준집단 군집 1은 정서 적응 수준이 높았으며, 하위 규준집단 군집 2는 정서 및 진로 적응 수준은 낮고 학업 및 사회 적응 수준은 높은 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 하위 규준집단 군집 3은 모든 영역 수준이 낮았으며, 하위 규준집단 군집 4는 사회 및 정서 적응 수준이 낮고 학업 및 진로 적응 수준이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 이는 대학 신입생의 사회 및 정서 적응 측면에서 성별에 따라 맞춤화된 심리상담 프로그램의 개입이 필요하며, 전공 분야에 따라서는 취업 전망에 대한 기대의 높고 낮음에 따른 상대적 정서 개입의 필요성을 시사한다. 또한, 하위 규준집단의 대학 생활에서 정서 및 사회 적응은 대학 생활 적응의 보호 요인으로 작용할 가능성이 있어 이에 대한 구체적인 개입 방안을 고민할 필요가 있음도 시사한다.

To enhance the physiological activity of the Rhynchosia volubilis (RV), R. volubilis (RVHE-A) and R. volubilis-added herbal powder (RVHE-B) were fermented with a solid state culture of Hericium erinaceum mycelia (HE). The total isoflavone contents of the non-fermented RV-A (489.9 μg/g) and RV-B (571.1 μg/g) were remarkably increased in fermented RVHE-A (1,836.4 μg/g) and RVHE-B (1,276.7 μg/g). In particular, aglycone isoflavones such as daidzein and genistein were significantly higher in the RVHE-A than any other sample. When hot-water (HW) and EtOH extracts (E) were fractionated from the RV and RVHE, both extracts from the RVHE-A were higher than those from the RV-A in total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. However, the RVHE-B-HW showed a lower polyphenol and flavonoid content level than did RV-B-HW. RVHE-A-HW and -E also had more potent ABTS radical scavenging activity than any extract from the non-fermented RV and other ferments (RVHE-B). In the meanwhile, RVHE-A-HW potently stimulated the production of macrophage activation-related cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-12 (841.7±71.3 pg/mL, 3.9±0.1 ng/mL, 179.3±30.2 pg/mL) from peritoneal macrophage more than RV-A-HW (92.5±1.5 pg/mL, 0.1±0.0 ng/mL, 37.4±5.4 pg/mL) as well as RVHE-B-HW (557.0±21.3 pg/mL, 1.8±0.0 ng/mL, 90.0±10.0 pg/mL). However, all the EtOH extracts did not show significant activity. In addition, the RVHE-A-HW showed a significantly higher intestinal immune system modulating activity through Peyer’s patch and GM-CSF production than did any other extract from RV and RVHE-B. In conclusion, these results suggest that the fermented R. volubilis with H. erinaceum mycelia possesses a possible use as an industrial application as functional food or material.

To enhance the physiological activities of roasted coffee (RC), 30 kinds of green coffee beans (GCB) with different cultivating areas and varieties were fermented with Monascus ruber mycelium (MR) by solid-state culture. After the dried MR-fermented GCB was subjected medium roasting, each RC was extracted with hot-water. Among the hot-water extracts, the highest yield was the hot-water extract of RC from MR-fermented Indonesia Mandheling GCB (15.5%). However, the hot-water extract of RC from MR-fermented Ethiopia Sidamo GCB showed significantly higher polyphenolic contents (3.08 mg GAE/100 mg) and ABTS free radical scavenging activity (25.41 mg AEAC/100 mg). Meanwhile, the hot-water extract of RC from MR-fermented Vietnam Robusta GCB showed not only the effective inhibition of TNF-α level (73.7% inhibition of LPS-stimulated control) from LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells but also significant inhibition of lipogenesis (63.5% inhibition of lipid differentiation control) in 3T3-L1 pre-adipose cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that roasted coffees from Ethiopia Sidamo and Vietnam Robusta green coffee beans fermented with Monascus ruber mycelium using solid-state culture could have industrial applications as functional coffee beverages.

To suggest the development possibility of immunostimulating materials from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) postbiotics, Lactobacillus sakei/Leuconostoc mesenteroides were isolated from Kimchi. Next, two isolated LAB were cultured to prepare postbiotics (LABP) to measure macrophage activity. LABP significantly increased the production of macrophage stimulating factors such as nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. LABP-crude polysaccharides (CP) fractionated from LABP by EtOH precipitation not only showed more potent macrophage stimulating activity but also induced phagocytic activity in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, LABP-CP was identified as polysaccharides with a major monosaccharide composition of mannose (59.1%), glucose (23.0%), and galactose (14.0%) with high-molecular-weight of 103.5~126.7 kDa. In conclusion, postbiotics prepared from LAB isolated from Kimchi were confirmed to have industrial applications as a functional material with immunostimulating activity.