This study analyzed the chemical characteristics and physiological activity of five kinds of fresh vegetables produced in trees in early spring and tried to use them as basic data for wild vegetable producers and processed food manufacturers using wild vegetables. The crude protein, minerals, ascorbic acid, folate, total phenol, total flavonoid, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitory activity were determined. Five spring wild vegetables contain high protein and phosphorus, indicating that they are useful food ingredients as sources of protein and phosphorus. Vitamin C content was high in R. venicifera and C. sinensis shoots, and in particular, R. venicifera and A. cortex shoots have high folic acid (folate) contents of 1,903.91 ug% and 1,525.35 ug%, respectively, which is considered a good food for folic acid intake in spring. The total phenol content was between 0.52% and 1.27%, and it was the highest in C. sinensis of 1.27%, followed by the order of R. venicifera, A.cortex, K.pictus, and A. elata, which tended to be consistent with the total flavonoid content. As for DPPH radical scavenging ability, C. sinensis (55.93%) showed the highest activity, and ACE inhibitory activity showed the highest activity in A. cortex (88.04%).

본 연구는 노루궁뎅이버섯 균사체로 발효시킨 엄나무 추출물의 항산화 및 항아밀로이드 활성을 알아보고자 하였다. 항산화 활성은 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS) radical 소거 측정법을 사용하여 관찰하였다. 엄나무 추출물(KP), 노루궁뎅이버섯 균사체 추출물(HE), 엄나무 발효물(KP-HE)에서 모두 라디칼 소거활성이 관찰되었다. 그러나 KP-HE가 KP와 HE에 비해서 더 높은 소거 활성을 갖는 것으로 관찰되었다. KP-HE는 peroxyl radical에 의한 DNA의 산화적 손상을 억제하였다. 알츠하이머병 (Alzheimer's disease: AD)과 관련 있는 Aβ1-42의 응집에 KP, HE, KP-HE가 어떤 영향을 미치는 지를 알아보았다. KP와 HE는 Aβ1-42의 응집에 거의 영향을 미치지 않았고 KP-HE는 Aβ1-42의 응집을 효과적으로 억제하였다. 또한 Aβ1-42에 의한 신경세포 사멸에 엄나무 발효물을 300 μg/mL 농도로 전 처리한 세포생존율은 20.3% 높게 증가되었다. 또한 엄나무 발효물을 50 μg/mL 농도로 처리했을 경우 세포 내 ROS의 축적이 유의적으로 감소되었다. 결론적으로 본 연구에서 관찰된 결과들을 통해 엄나무 발효물은 항산화 및 항아밀로이드 활성을 가지는 것으로 확인되었다. 따라서 엄나무 발효물은 알츠하이머병과 같은 퇴행성 뇌질환을 예방할 수 있는 식품소재로 이용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

본 연구는 신경퇴행성질환과 밀접한 관련이 있는 neurofilament-L(NF-L)의 산화적 손상에 엄나무 발효물이 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 하였다. 용액 상에서 peroxyl radical을 생성하는 AAPH를 처리하여 NFL의 산화적 변형을 유도하고 엄나무 추출물(KP), 노루궁뎅이버섯 균사체 추출물(HE), 엄나무 발효물(KP-HE)을 각각 처리하여 어떤 영향을 미치는 지를 알아보고자 하였다. KP와 HE는 peroxyl radical에 의한 NF-L의 산화적 손상을 막지 못했으나 KP-HE는 NF-L의 변형을 효과적으로 억제하였다. KP-HE는 peroxyl radical에 의한 NF-L 변형에서 나타나는 dityrosine 형성을 효과적으로 억제하였고 peroxyl radical 소거활성도 증가시켰다. 파킨슨병 환자에서 발견되는 신경독성물질인 tetrahydropapaveroline(THP)에 의한 NFL의 변형에 KP, HE, KP-HE가 미치는 영향을 관찰하였다. 그 결과 KP-HE는 KP와 HE에 비해서 THP에 의한 NF-L의 변형을 효과적으로 억제하는 것으로 관찰되었다. 또한 KP-HE는 THP에 의한 NF-L 변형에서 나타나는 dityrosine 형성도 효과적으로 억제하였고 THP에 의해 유도되는 활성산소 생성도 현저히 감소시켰다. 이와 같은 결과들은 KP-HE가 활성산소와 신경독성물질에 의한 산화적 스트레스로부터 세포를 보호해 줄 수 있을 것으로 사료되었다. 그러므로 엄나무 발효물은 신경퇴행성질환을 예방할 수 있는 식품소재로 이용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

Abstract In this study, the antioxidant activity of water and ethanol extracts from Hibiscus esculentus, Cirsium japonicum, Zizania latifolia and Kalopanax pictus for functional food source were examined. The optimal conditions for phenolic compounds extraction from medicinal plants were at 50% ethanol with Hibiscus esculentus and Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense, at 40% ethanol with Kalopanax pictus and at 60% ethanol with Zizania latifolia. The total phenolic contents from the extracts of medical plants were determined to be 2.72~34.15 mg/g in the water extracts and 2.83~34.23 mg/g in the ethanol extracts. The electron-donating abilities (EDA) of the water and ethanol extracts were both above 74% at the low concentration of 50 μg/mL. The ABTS radical-cation decolorization was above 88% at 100 μg/mL concentration in all the extracts of various medicinal plants. The antioxidant protection factor (PF) in the water and ethanol extracts of the Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense extracts was 1.73 ± 0.02 PF and 1.76 ± 0.01 PF at 50 μg/mL concentration respectively, and was higher than those of the other medicinal-plant extracts. The TBARs inhibition rates of all the medicinal-plant extracts, were above 80% at the 50 μg/mL concentration except Hibiscus esculentus. These results confirmed that the various oriental medicinal plants (Hibiscus esculentus, Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense, Kalopanax pictus and Zizania latifolia) that were included in this study are useful anti-oxidant and functional-food resources.

Background : Even though Kalopanax septemlobus has been used as a traditional crude drug and a dietary health supplement, the wild or cultivated sources of this plant are not economically feasible. Methods and Results : In this study, a cell suspension culture of K. septemlobus using friable calli was established to make source sustainable. A cell suspension culture of K. septemlobus was incubated during 15th day and reached the maximum capacity of saponin production after day 6 (0.42㎍/㎎ of fresh weight). To investigate the effect of elicitors on the product yield of saponins in the K. septemlobus suspension culture, we treated methyl-jasmonic acid and coronatine (COR), which are known as signal molecules. COR positively regulates the total saponin production in the cell suspension of K. septemlobus at a concentration of 1 μM compared with the mock-treated control. Furthermore, the expression of beta-amyrin synthase (KsbAS) was induced by elicitation of COR. Consequently, oleanane-type triterpene saponins, oleanolic acid (2.369 ± 0.98 ㎍/㎎ of extract) were accumulated by only COR. Conclusion : From the above results, COR is an efficient elicitor for inducing saponin biosynthesis in a K. septemlobus suspension culture. Gene expression pattern and analysing precursor of triterpenoid saponin indicate that major target gene of COR in K. septemlobus suspension culture is KsbAS.

The nutritional composition, bioactive components and antioxidant activities of the first and second sprouts of Kalopanax pictus, Cedrela sinensis and Acanthopanax cortex were investigated to increase the utilization of these sprouts. The moisture and crude lipid contents of the first sprout were higher than those of the second sprout, and the crude fiber and carbohydrate contents were higher in the second sprout. The organic acid content of the first sprout was higher than that of the second sprout. The second sprout had higher free amino acid contents in K. pictus and C. sinensis, and the first sprout had a higher content in A. cortex. Especially, the second sprout of K. pictus and C. sinensis had a higher level of glutamic acid, which is a major taste component of foods, than the first sprout. The second sprouts of all the samples had higher mineral levels than the first sprouts. In contrast, the first sprouts had higher total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and showed a higher antioxidant activity level, except for the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the A. cortex. The results of this study show that the nutritive value of the second sprout was higher than that of the first sprout, but the bioactive components value of the second sprout was lower than that of the first sprout. Therefore, additional research is needed on the cultivation condition required to maintain the nutritive values and the antioxidant activities of these sprouts.

The sensory properties of Kalopanax pictus and Cedrela sinensis shoots were analyzed according to their blanching conditions and the thawing methods used. For the Hunter colors, the K. pictus that was blanched without adding salt for 6 min had the highest L value, and the C. sinensis that was blanched with 1% salt for 6 min had the highest L value. The chlorophyll content of K. pictus was 141.1 mg% when it was blanched for 3 min with 2% salt, and the chlorophyll content of C. sinensis that was blanched without adding salt for 6 min was highest (124.8 mg%). When K. pictus and C. sinensis were blanched without salt addition for 3 min, their texture showed a higher value than that of the other samples. The sensory test result showed the highest overall preference for the sample that was blanched without adding salt for 3 min, among all the samples. The L value of the K. pictus that was thawed in a microwave oven was significantly higher than that of the other samples, but the L value of the C. sinensis that was thawed at 4℃ was higher than that of the other samples. As for the overall preference for the samples according to the thawing method used, K. pictus and C. sinensis scored highest in the case of thawing in a microwave oven.

The quality characteristics of kalopanax pictus and Aralica elata shoots during their preservation were investigated according to the salt conditions and storage temperatures to improve the use of the shoots. The results were as follows: the pH of kalopanax pictus shoots duing their storage did not changes with 10% and 12% brine at 4℃ and with 12% brine at 10℃. The pH of Aralica elata shoots is at 4℃ tended to be similar to the kalopanax pictus shoot and decreased at the storage temperature of 10℃. The salinity of the kalopanax pictus and Aralica elata shoots tended to increase during their storage and did not change significantly as their storage temperature changed. The L values of kalopanax pictus and Aralica elata shoots tended to decrease gradually during their storage, and the salt concentrations appeared high. The b value of the kalopanax pictus shoot tended to increase and that of the Aralica elata shoots, to decrease gradually. The a value tended to increase gradually but did not differ with variations in the storage temperatures and salt concentrations. The strength and the hardness of the kalopanax pictus and Aralica elata shoots tended to decreased gradually during their storage and highest in 10% brine at 4℃, and those of Aralica elata shoots were highest in 8-10% brine at 4℃. The Chlorophyll contents of the kalopanax pictus and Aralica elata shoots tended to decrease during their salt storage and did not change significantly as the temperatures and salt concentrations changed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the quality of kalopanax pictus and Aralica elata shoots can be maintained when the are stored in 10% brine at 4℃.

Screening of new antioxidants form oriental medicines resulted in the isolation of a new antioxidative compound and eight known compounds from the stem bark of Kalopanax pictus. On the basis of various spectrosopic studies, the structure of the new compound was determined to be 4-rhamnose-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid methly ester. Other known compounds were identified as ferulic acid, 4,5,6,-trihydroxyflavanone, 2', 4',4' -trihydroxychalcone, caffeic acid, coniferyl alcohol, syringin, 1,3-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid. These compounds showed lipid peroxidation inhibitory acitivity in rat liver microsomes and free radical scavenging acitivity.