The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of duck litter in ducks fed diets containing Houttuynia cordata powder. One-day-old ducklings (Pekin) were randomly divided into two groups and fed a control or 1% H. cordata powder-containing diet for an experimental period of three weeks. The results showed that pH for 1–2 weeks and total nitrogen for 1–3 weeks in duck litter were affected by dietary treatments with 1% H. cordata powder (P < 0.05). For Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs), there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between ducks fed 1% H. cordata and control diets, as shown in the results for acetic acid and propionic acid in duck litter over three weeks; but, this was not the case for propionic acid at 3 weeks. The inclusion of 1% H. cordata powder in the diet had a the positive effect on increasing the total nitrogen and decreasing pH and VFAs in duck litter.

Ninety ducks (one-day-old Pekins, 45 males and 45 females) were used to evaluate the effects of supplementing diets with Houttuynia cordata powder on the fatty acid profiles of duck breast meat. The ducks were allotted to one of the three treatment diets using a completely randomized design, each treatment-group containing three replicate pens with ten birds each (five of each gender). The experimental diets were: 1) Control (basal diet), 2) T1 (Control+ 1% Houttuynia cordata) and 3) T2 (Control+2% Houttuynia cordata). In spite of significant difference, the addition of Houttuynia cordata resulted in higher unsaturated fatty acid and lower saturated fatty acid contents than in the Control group. However, no remarkable difference was observed between 1% and 2 % Houttuynia cordata groups for fatty acid profiles.

The effects of Houttuynia cordata powder on the growth performance of ducks were investigated. Ninety ducks were assigned into one of three dietary treatments as a completely randomized design for 6 weeks: feeds supplemented with 1% or 2% H. cordata and a control group. No significant difference was observed in feed conversion among the three groups (p > 0.05), but addition of H. cordata had a significantly positive effect (p < 0.05) on initial and final body weight, weight gain, and feed intake of the ducks. Furthermore, the effects of chemical treatment (comprising 50 g and 100 g aluminum chloride [AlCl3] per kilogram litter) on the ammonia (NH3) flux in duck litters were also investigated. Duck litter was treated with AlCl3 at a depth of 8 cm by top-dressing; this resulted in a significant difference on NH3 flux (p < 0.05) during the experimental period (but not at 2 weeks). NH3 flux at 6 weeks were reduced by 25.4% and 37.5% by treatment with 1% and 2% H. cordata, respectively, compared with the control groups. In conclusion, enriching the diets of the ducks with 2% H. cordata and adding 100 g AlCl3 to their litter has beneficial effects on increasing their growth performance and reducing NH3 flux in their environment.

국수를 만들 때 다양한 기능성을 가진 어성초의 적절한 첨가 비율을 알아보기 위하여 어성초 분말을 첨가한 복합분의 점도 특성, 국수를 만든 다음 조리시험, 관능검사를 실시하였다. 어성초 분말을 첨가한 복합분은 대조구에 비하여 호화개시 온도, 최고점도, 95℃에서의 점도가 낮아졌다. 그러나 최고점도와 95℃에서 15분 후의 점도와의 차이는 그다지 크지 않았다. 어성초 분말을 첨가한 조리면은 대조구에 비하여 중량과 부피가 감소하였으나 어성초 분말 0.5%, 1.5% 첨가구는 중량에 있어서 대조구와 유의적인 차이를 나타내지는 않았다. 어성초 분말을 0.5% 첨가한 국물의 흡광도는 대조구보다 낮았으나 다른 어성초 분말 첨가구는 대조구보다 높았으며, 유의적인 차이를 나타내었다. 어성초 분말의 첨가량이 많을수록 조리면의 L값은 감소하였으나 a값과 b값은 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 관능검사에서는 어성초 분말을 첨가한 시험구의 색도가 대조구보다 낮았으며, 유의적인 차이를 보였으나 전체적인 기호도에 있어서는 대조구, 어성초 분말 0.5%, 1.5%가 유의적인 차이를 보이지는 않는 것으로 보아 어성초 분말을 첨가한 국수 제조시에 0.5%까지 첨가하는 것은 국수의 품질에 큰 영향을 주지 않을 것으로 생각된다.