The children of daycare center are sensitive to indoor environmental pollution. This study was a preliminary investigation for improving the environmental and healthy quality of daycare centers. The sampling of sites in daycare centers was undertaken three times such as day-morning (10:00-12:00), afternoon (16:00-20:00), following dawn (04:00-08:00)-at 21 daycare centers located in Seoul, Korea from April, 2012 to July, 2012. The mean concentrations of TVOC were 255.2, 217.0, and 439.4 μg/m3 at morning, afternoon, and following dawn, respectively. The daycare center indoor/outdoor ratios on the most targeted volatile organic compounds were above 1.0 except that for carbon tetrachloride, which was almost 1.0. Significant correlations (p<0.01) were observed between indoor and outdoor carbon tetrachloride, which implies that indoor carbon tetrachloride could be largely accounted for by outdoor sources. The other targeted indoor volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, xylenes, chloroform showed no significant correlations with that of outdoor.

Functional compounds including flavonoids, anthocyanins, polyphneols and antioxidants were extracted from blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) using highly efficient microwave-assisted extraction. And extraction process was modeled and optimized according to response surface methodology (RSM). The independent variables (Xn) were ethanol concentration (X1: 0, 25, 50, 75, 100%), irradiation time (X2: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 min), and microwave power (X3: 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 W). Dependent variables (Yn) were total flavonoid contents (Y1), total anthocyanin contents (Y2), total polyphenol contents (Y3) and antioxidant activity (Y4). Four-dimensional response surface plots were generated based on the fitted second-order polynomial models to get optimal conditions. Estimated optimal conditions for 4 responses were ethanol concentration of 54-72%, irradiation time of 7.1-7.6 min, and microwave power of 243-251 W. Ridge analysis predicted the maximal responses of total flavonoid content, total anthocyanin content, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were 38.00 mg RE/g, 6.80 mg CGE/g, 14.90 mg GAE/g, 89.10%, respectively. Verification experiment was carried out at predicted optimal conditions and experimental values for total flavonoid content, total anthocyanin content, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were 38.10 mg RE/g, 6.72 mg CGE/g, 14.91 mg GAE/g and 89.13%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between predicted and experimental values, indicating good fitness of fitted model and successful application of RSM.

This study investigated quality change of ginseng depending on far-infrared (FIR) drying methods. The ginseng was cut into 2 mm slices and measured moisture content (MC), color, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (DPPH). The color values (L, a, and b) were decreased after far-infrared (FIR) drying. As increase in drying time, color was changed. Considering quality parameters including MC, TPC, TFC, and DPPH, the optimum condition for drying was set at 65℃ for 60 min. Furthermore, we compared color and functional compounds depending on drying process including FIR, freeze-, vacuum, and hot-air drying. The color values of ginseng were decreased when dried using vacuum and hot-air. While the color values of ginseng were increased after freeze drying. Comparison with another drying method, FIR drying presented the highest color difference. FIR and vacuum-dried ginseng indicate higher contents of TPC and TFC than freeze- and hot air-dried ginseng. And hot-air-dried ginseng present the highest DPPH when compared to another drying methods. On the other hand, freeze dried ginseng show the lowest TPC, TFC, and DPPH.

꾸지뽕 열매는 미생물에 의한 오염과 물러짐으로 저장기간이 짧고 유통이 어렵다는 단점이 있다. 농산물에 적용할 수 있는 선도 유지 및 가공법은 여러 방법이 있지만 본 연구에서는 실질적으로 농민들이 적용할 수 있는 블랜칭 처리방법과 열풍 건조법에 대해 연구하였다. 먼저 블랜칭 처리 시간별로 꾸지뽕의 생균수를 측정하여 블랜칭 처리 시간이 증가할수록 미생물이 점차적으로 감소하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 그리고 블랜칭 처리 시간 및 건조 조건에 따른 건조 추세를 비교한 결과, 40℃에서 건조 시 무처리구 보다 블랜칭 처리구가 더 빠른 수분 감소 효과를 나타내었다. 하지만 건조 온도가 증가할수록 무처리구와 블랜칭 처리구 간의 건조 추세 차이는 점점 줄어드는 것을 확인하였다. 최종적으로 블랜칭 및 열풍건조의 최적 조건을 도출하기 위해 반응표면 분석법을 이용하였다. 조건에 따른 total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, 색차(ΔE)의 예측값은 각각 8.62 mg GAE/g, 56.65 mg RE/g, 40.26%, 11.69의 수치를 나타냈다. 최적 범위 내 임의의 조건 즉, 240 sec 블랜칭 처리 시간, 60℃ 건조 온도, 24 h 건조 시간에서 실험값은 10.06 mg GAE/g, 49 mg RE/g. 44.99%, 10.53을 나타냈으며 예측값과 실험값은 유사한 값을 보였다.