The purpose of this study was to improve the nutrition and the permeability of functional plants by using cryogenic grinding technology. Barley sprouts, Curcuma longa L., Dendropanax morbifera LEV., Phellinus linteus were dried, ground and extracted in different temperature conditions. Powder size of barley sprouts and Curcuma longa L. were about 50 μm and Dendropanax morbifera LEV. and Phellinus linteus were about 20 μm. Cryogenic ground of Barley sprouts preserved 18.27-124.65% of nutrients such as protein, ash, carbohydrate, beta carotene, minerals, vitamins. Cryogenic grinding powder of Curcuma longa L. show high nutrients retention rate of lipid and carbohydrate. Permeability was measured by Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeability Assay (PAMPA) to predict passive gastrointestinal absorption. Permeability of saponarin, which is marker compound of Barley sprouts, is 9.88 times higher in cryogenic grinding powder than ambient grinding powder. Curcumin permability is 3.1 times higher than ambient grinded powder. As a result, particle size, nutrition, protein digestion degree and permeability demonstrated a positive relationship with the decreasing grinding temperature for the powders. These results confirm that the cryogenic grinding method had good suitability to increase functionality of plants, since it could minimize the heat generated while processing and effectively reduce the particle size.

A cultivar (Malus domestica cv. Fuji) of apple was selected to make apple peel (AP) powder by three different powdering methods. Frozen AP was thawed and subsequently was dried or ground without drying. After AP was dried by hot-air drying at 60°C or freeze-drying, the dried AP was ground using a conventional blender. Separately, the thawed AP was powered by using a cryogenic micro grinding technology (CMGT). The ground AP and three types of AP powder were extracted using deionized water, 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100% methanol, followed by vacuum evaporation. The total phenolics contents (TPC), total flavonoids contents (TFC), DPPH, and ABTS radical scavenging capacities of each extract were compared to determine an efficient powdering method. Lyophilized AP powder extract using 60% methanol showed the highest TPC and DPPH radical scavenging capacity. In contrast, 60% methanol extract of the powder by CMGT, resulting in the smallest particle, exhibited the highest TFC and ABTS radical scavenging capacity. This study suggests that the extraction yield of bioactive compounds from AP may be varied according to different powdering methods and that a new powdering process such as CMGT may be applicable to develop functional foods efficiently.

A novel halophilic archaeon designated strain CBA1114T was isolated from solar salt in the Republic of Korea. Strain CBA1114T, which is a coccoid and stained Gram-negative, grew in the presence of 15-30% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 20%) and at 20-50°C (optimum, 40°C) and pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0). Strain CBA1114T required Mg2+ for growth. Strain CBA1114T had three 16S rRNA genes, rrnA, rrnB and rrnC; similarities between the sequences were 99.7 and 99.9%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain CBA1114T showed a 91.7% similarity to that of Haloterrigena thermotolerans PR5T. In multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA), five housekeeping genes, atpB, EF-2, radA, rpoB’ and secY, were found to be closely related to those of the members of the genera Halorientalis (89.7% similarity of the atpB gene sequence), Halomicroarcula (91.9 %, EF-2), Haloterrigena (85.4 %, radA), Natronoarchaeum (89.2 %, rpoB’) and Natrinema (75.7 %, secY). A phylogenetic tree generated from the results of 16S rRNA gene and MLSA of the five housekeeping genes showed that strain CBA1114T was closely related to the species of the genus Halorientalis in the family Halobacteriaceae. The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester and unidentified lipids. According to the results of phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, we designate strain CBA1114T as Halostella salina gen. nov., sp. nov., which represents a novel species of a novel genus within the family Halobacteriaceae.

Lactic acid bacteria were cultivated from the gut of insects and analyzed. The gut samples were obtained from Anoplocnemis dallasi, Apis mellifera, Diestrammena coreana, Gonolabis marginalis, and Mycalesis gotama. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the culture-dependent lactic acid bacteria isolated from the insect gut samples belonged to the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Weissella. The genera Enterococcus and Lactococcus were dominant, constituting 57% and 25% of the isolated strains, respectively. The distribution of lactic acid bacteria was found to differ according to the insect species. However, because culture-dependent methods identify only a portion of lactic acid bacterial communities, the use of culture-independent methods in future studies will be required to complement the methods used in the present study.