In order to search for anti -melanin formation agents from Korean medicinal herbs, we selected 21 Korean medicinal herbs, based on a review of Korean traditional medicine books and the recommendations of Korean traditional medical doctors. We tested for i

Irradiated and non-irradiated Korean medicinal herbs were extracted by water and 70% ethanol. Antimicrobial activity of these extracts were investigated against selected food hygiene microoganisms. The ethanol extracts of the non-irradiated Agrimonia pilosa ledebour japonica Nakai, Curcuma longa Linne and Angelica gigas Nakai were completely inhibited on four species of bacteria, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Clostridium perfringenes, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Also, above four strains did not have antibacterial activity in the water-ethanol mixtures. Futhermore, the ethanol extracts of the non-irradiated Agrimonia pilosa ledebour Japonica Nakai, Curcuma ledoaria Roscoe, Curcuma longa Linne and Scutellaria baikalensis George were shown inhibitory effects against Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium islandicum. And the water extract of Scutellaria baikalensis George was the same effect to these molds. Essentially the same results were observed when samples irradiated at a dose of 10 kGy.

본 연구는 한약탕제 찌꺼기를 친환경 퇴비자원으로서 재활용하기 위하여 발효과정을 거친 퇴비(MHWC: medicinal herb waste compost)와 계분퇴비(PMC: poultry manure compost) 및 이를 혼합한 퇴비(MHWC+PMC, 1:1)를 식재 2년생 복분자 포장에 무처리(0), 20, 40 Mg/ha로 처리하여 꽃이 첫 개화한 시기를 기점으로 15, 20, 25 DAF(day after flowering)를 수확시기로 하여 수확한 복분자 과실의 생리활성을 조사하여 비교한 결과는 다음과 같다. 복분자의 총 페놀성 화합물 함량은 15 DAF 과실에서와는 달리 20, 25 DAF 과실에서 유의성 있는 증가를 보였다(p<0.05). 수확시기별로는 25>20>15 DAF 순이었고, 그 함량은 40 MHWC Mg/ha가 가장 높았다. Flavonoid 함량변화는 총 페놀성 화합물 함량변화와 유사하였다. 전자공여효과는 15, 20 DAF 과실에서는 차이가 없었지만, 25 DAF 과실에서는 낮은 효과를 나타내었다. 아질산염 소거효과는 pH 1.2>4.2>6.0 순으로 pH 의존적인 경향이었으며 15, 20 DAF 과실보다 25 DAF 과실이 저하되었다. Tyrosinase 저해효과는 MHWC 처리구가 가장 우수하고 처리량에 따라 저해효과가 증가되었으며 15, 20 DAF 과실은 25 DAF 과실보다 낮은 효과를 보였다. Xanthine oxidase 저해활성은 25 DAF 과실의 MHWC 처리구에서 가장 높았고, PMC 및 MHWC+PMC처리구와 UC와의 차이는 인정하기 어려웠다. 이상의 결과에서 MHWC 처리에 따른 복분자 과실의 생리활성이 증가경향을 보여 친환경퇴비자원으로서 가치가 있는 것으로 사료되었다.

Korean medicinal herb extracts(KMHE) were applied to the preservation of greenhouse produce in order to prove their effectiveness. KMHE showed remarkable antimicrobial effects against Bacillus cereus, Peudomonas syringae, and Corynebacterium xerosis causing the postharvest decay of greenhouse produce. Among KMHE the extracts of Rheum palmatum L. and Coptis chinensis Franch most obviously inhibited the growth of microorganims causing the Postharvest decay of greenhouse produce, which destroyed to undetectable levels when treated with more than 500ppm of KMHE. The activities of KMHE were stable in the wide spectrum of pH and temperature. Direct visualization of microbial cells by using both transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope showed microbial cell membrane the function of which was destroyed by treating with the dilute solutions of KMHE. This change of cellular membrane permeability could be identified in the experiment that O-nitrophenyl--D-galactopyranoside(ONPG), the artificial substrate of -galactosidase, was hydrolyzed in the presence of KMHE, indicating that the membrane was perturbed by KMHE.