참외는 유용한 농업생명자원이면서, 생약 및 한약으로 활용할 수 있는 아주 유용한 자원이다. 참외의 생약명(Medicinal name)은 Melonis Pedicellus이며, Cucurbitaceae에 속하는 Cucumis melo Linné의 초본 꽃받침으로 한약재로 널리 사용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 Melonis Pedicellus의 한약 특성을 조사하고 Melonis Pedicellus를 함유 한 34개의 한약 포뮬러를 검토하였다. 이 연구는 꼭지 소재 기반 한약재에 대한 추가 연구를 바탕으로 미활용 한약재의 가치를 제고할 수 있다고 사료된다. 먼저 각 국가의 공정서 및 고문헌 분석을 통해 과체 한약재의 기원을 비교하였다. 특히 중국, 일본, 대만이 아닌 남북한의 약전에서 특이점을 찾아볼 수 있었다. 둘째, Melonis Pedicellus에서 발견된 성분을 조사하였다. 지방산 화합물이 가장 많았으며 셋째로는, Melonis Pedicellus 의 생약학적 관점으로 요약하였다. 그것은 구토 성질이 매우 강하기 때문에 구토 요법에 특별히 사용되어 온 사실을 검증하였다. 끝으로 3세기부터 20세기까지의 31편의 고문을 분석하였고, Melonis Pedicellus를 포함하는 34개의 한약재 포뮬러가 문헌에서 발견되었다. Melonis Pedicellus는 주로 구토 요법에 사용되었기 때문에 대부분의 한약 제제가 구토 요법에 상관성 있게 한약재의 본질이 그 공식에 정확히 반영되었음을 의미한다. 이 연구는 Cucumis melo Linné의 꽃받침이 한약재로 사용되어온 근거를 마련했다. Melonis Pedicellus의 기원은 대부분의 동아시아 국가에서 언급되지 않기 때문에 더 확대하여 조사 범위를 넓혀서 연구할 필요가 있다. 본 연구는 한국한의학연구원 제공 전통의학정보포털(KIOM Oasis Portal)과 전북대학교 한국과학문명학연구소에서 제공하는 고의서 빅데이터를 활용하여 고문헌 정보를 효율적으로 확보하였다. 앞으로 과체(瓜蔕)뿐만이 아니라 감꼭지, 연밥 꼭지, 가지 꼭지 등 다양한 식물들의 꼭지를 연구한다면, 무심코 버릴 수 있는 소재에서 현대적 가치를 발견할 수 있는 좋은 소재가 될 것으로 사료된다.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is a shrub which grows well in a tropical climate. There are large amounts of anthocyanins, organic acids and other compounds in roselle. Mostly, roselle is cultivated to use its red calyx. Its calyx is used as a natural food colorant and commonly consumed as a tea. This quality study was conducted to investigate the characteristics and antioxidant activities of Sulgidduck with roselle calyx powder. Four samples and a control were made with different ratios of added roselle calyx powder (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%). The moisture content of the 0.5%-sample was the highest as 40.60%, and that of the 2%-sample was the lowest as 37.37%. The pH of samples significantly decreased from 6.26 to 3.65 as the amount of roselle calyx powder increased (p<0.05). The L-value of samples also significantly decreased (p<0.05). In contrast, a-value and △E of samples significantly increased with elevated amounts of roselle calyx powder (p<0.05). The b-value of roselle calyx added Sulgidduck samples significantly increased compared to the control (p<0.05). Hardness and chewiness of Sulgidduck samples with added roselle calyx also significantly increased compared to the control (p<0.05). Cohesiveness of Sulgidduck samples with roselle calyx significantly decreased compared to control (p<0.05), with the exception of the 1% sample. There were no significant differences in springiness among samples. Total phenolic contents significantly increased when roselle calyx powder was added above a level of 1.5% (p<0.05). The flavonoid content of the control was the lowest as 0.73. ABTS radical scavenging activity significantly increased with increasing amounts roselle calyx powder (p<0.05). The 2%-sample got the lowest sensory preference scores in sweetness and overall acceptability. In contrast, the control and 1%-sample got the highest sensory preference scores. Based on these study findings, addition of 1% roselle calyx powder optimized the preparation of Sulgidduck and roselle calyx is therefore a useful natural colorant and antioxidant.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of artificial removal of corolla and calyx lobes from open flowers on fruit development and fruit quality of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). Removing the corolla had no significant effect on fruit weight, hardness, length, and diameter, Hunter L, a, b values, sugar content and acidity. However, removing the calyx lobes significantly inhibited longitudinal and transverse growth of the fruits, resulting in diminished fruit size. In addition, merchantable fruit quality significantly decreased upon removing the calyx lobes, and this tendency was increased as more calyx lobes were removed. Nonetheless, removal of the calyx lobes had no effects on fruit color, sugar content, or acidity, similar to the effect of corolla removal.

The antioxidant activity and whitening effect of the distilled water (DW) and ethanol extracts of the Prunus persica flower and calyx were studied. In the oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) assay for antioxidant activity measurement, it was confirmed that the flower extract was stronger than the calyx extract, and that the ethanol extract was relatively stronger than the DW extract. To define the whitening effect, an experiment was conducted involving tyrosinase inhibitory assay and measurement of the melanin content of B16F10. As a result of the use of tyrosinase, the DW extract of calyx showed 53% inhibition as the highest activity. The melanin content inhibitory rates were defined as 57% for the ethanol flower extract and 63% of the ethanol calyx extract, based on a 10 μg/mL concentration. Based on these results, mixture with the whitening effect in the extract of P. persica and another compounds should be researched for development as a cosmetic ingredient.