Abaecin is a proline-rich anti-bacterial peptide which is known to have high activity against Gram-negative bacteria and it is originally isolated from honeybee Apis mellifera. Since the anti-bacterial peptides including abaecin were identified in the hemolymph of A. mellifera infected with Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, this result implies that honeybees express abaecin for defense against natural infection. Anti-microbial peptides including abaecin were also identified in the adult hemolymph of bumblebees. To investigate pharmacological and toxicological properties of abaecin from Bombus ussurensis, biological activities were evaluated by conducting anti-tumor, anti-microbial and cytotoxic activity assays. Abaecin exhibited significantly high anti-tumor activity against ovarian tumor cells SK-OV-3 and NIH; OVCAR-3 at 100 μM after 72 h treatment. Interestingly, abaecin showed none of anti-microbial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Since abaecin exhibited extremely low level of hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes, it may serve as a good model peptide for studying its potential as a selective anti-tumor drug.

This study aimed to provide volatile flavor compounds of three onion products through thermal process and alcohol fermentation, to meet the quality standard of onion products. The identified components of onion extracts (OE) included 49 (18 sulfur-containing compounds, 5 alcohols, 8 acids, 3 ketones, 4 esters, 4 aromatic compounds, 2 aldehydes, 1 pyrazines and 4 miscellaneous compounds), and 55 (17 sulfur-containing compounds, 15 alcohols, 5 acids, 11 ketones, 3 aromatic compounds, 2 aldehydes and 1 pyrazine) in autoclave-sterilized onion extracts (SOE); and 69 (10 sulfur-containing compounds, 27 alcohols, 11 acids, 11 ketones, 6 esters, 1 aromatic compound and 3 pyrazines) in onion wine (OW), respectively. Among the major flavor classes, sulfur-containing compounds (36.8%), acids (31.3%) and aldehydes (13.6%) in OE were changed to alcohols (46.5%) and ketones (27.3%) in SOE whereas, alcohols (56.3%) and acids (26.6%) in OW. Moreover, 1,3-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone were highly detected in SOE whereas, acetic acid, 3-methylbutanol, 2-phenylethanol and 1,2,3-propanetriol in OW.

This study investigated the quality characteristics and biological activities of rice germ fermented by Bacillus spp. During the milling process, the contents of rice germ in the rice bran (Control) were adjusted to 30% (RG30) and 70% (RG70). The approximate composition, pH, total acidity, total soluble solid, total sugar, polyphenol and flavonoid contents were measured. DPPH radical scavenging activity, xanthine oxidase (XO) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activities were also determined. We observed that the moisture content decreased after fermentation, while the crude protein was significantly increased. Fermentation remarkably lowered the pH from 5.83~6.26 to 4.77~4.93, thereby elevating the total acidity. Fermentation also increased the total solid contents, from 0.40~0.87 °Bx to 1.63~2.20 °Bx. The total sugar decreased to 136.81~151.53 mg/mL from 377.56~450.64 mg/mL. Polyphenol contents were the highest in control (0.59 and 0.73 mg/mL before and after fermentation, respectively). Fermentation significantly affected the increase of the polyphenols in both rice germ 30% and 70% samples, from 0.26 and 0.28 mg GAE/g before fermentation, to 0.52 and 0.70 mg GAE/g after fermentation, respectively. There was a slight increase in the flavonoid contents after fermentation. The IC50 value of the electron donating ability, as evaluated by the DPPH method, was the lowest in control (3.77 and 3.36 mg/mL before and after fermentation, respectively). Fermentation increased the XO inhibition activity up to 63.69% in control, 49.81% in rice germ 30%, and 59.32% in rice germ 70%. The ACE inhibition activities were also increased in the fermented control, rice germ 30% and 70%, to 40.51%, 22.69% and 33.91%, respectively.

Commercialized production of onion vinegar, which has biological activities formed through alcohol and acetic acid fermentation, requires standardization. The objective of this study was to determine optimal conditions of sugar contents (11~15 °Brix) and agitation rate (100~300 rpm) of fermenter in the alcohol-acetic fermentation for producing onion vinegar. The alcohol and total acidity contents increased, whereas contents of total sugars decreased during alcohol fermentation. Contents of alcohol of 13 and 15 °Brix reactants were about 8% in 36 hr and total acidities of all samples were below 0.2% in 60 hr. During acetic fermentation, total acidity increased with highest value at 9 days (3.2% in 100 rpm), 10 days (4.1% in 200 rpm) and 8 days (4.3% in 300 rpm), respectively. From these results, sugar contents (13 °Brix) were measured for alcohol fermentation and agitation rate (300 rpm) for fast fermentation method of vinegar. The contents of total phenols, flavonoids and quercetin in onion vinegar were 33.3 mg/100 g, 3.0 mg/100 g and 2.0 mg/100 g, respectively. Onion vinegar showed an antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes. Antioxidant effect of onion vinegar was 26.23% in DPPH radical inhibition and 58.58% in superoxide dismutase like activity, respectively. Fibrinolytic activity was 1.51 plasmin unit/mL in onion vinegar. In conclusion, onion vinegar processed by alcohol and acetic fermentation had nutritional values and potential biological activities.

Bombolitin is a venom peptide originally isolated from bumblebees and possesses various biological activities, including hemolytic activity. Bombolitins exhibit amphipathic α-helical structure in lipid-membrane-mimicking environments. To investigate their pharmacological and toxicological properties, anti-tumor, anti-microbial and cytotoxic activities of bombolitins from Bombus ardens and Bombus ussurensis were evaluated. Bombolitins of the two species exhibited extremely high anti-tumor activity against ovarian tumor cells SK-OV-3 and NIH; OVCAR-3 at 25-50 μM, which is 2-fold more potent than other wasp venom peptides studied to date (Yoon et al., 2015; Yoon et al., 2016). The two bombolitins showed significantly high antimicrobial activity. However, bombolotin of B. ussurensis showed no antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. In addition to their high levels of anti-tumor activity, bombolitins showed considerable levels of hemolytic activity. Thus, to utilize bombolitins as a potential candidate for anti-tumor peptide drugs, further studies for reducing cytotoxic properties of bombolitns is essential.

Mimosa pudica (미모사), Argemone mexicana (멕시코 가시양귀비) Leucus aspara (꿀풀과 일종), Polygonum hydropiper (여뀌), Blumea lacera (국화과 일종) 등 5종의 식물 헥산추출물들의 팥바구미 성충에 대한 살충, 성충우화억제력 및 녹두 종실피해 방제력이 검증되었다. 그 결과, 밭바구미 성충 살충력은 35-69%이었으며, 녹두에 추출물을 처리한 후 성충우화 방제율은 33-63%, 종실 피해 방제율은 13-49%이었다. 추출물의 농도가 증가할수록 살충력, 성충우화 및 종실피해 방제율 등이 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 이와 같이 5종의 식물 헥산추출물들은 밭바구미 친환경 방제제로 이용가능성이 있을 것으로 판단된다.

본 연구에서는 볶음 처리 후 여주의 총 phenolics, 총 flavonoids, 갈변물질(MRPs, maillard reaction products), 항산화 활성 및 α-glucosidase 저해활성을 비교하였다. 또한 alkaloids 유도체와 쓴맛 저감 효과를 평가하였다. 볶음 온도 및 시간이 증가함에 따라 볶음 처리된 여주는 총 phenolics, 총 flavonoids, MRPs, 항산화 활성 및 α-glucosidase 저해활성 역시 증가하였으나, alkaloid계 화합물 및 쓴맛은 감소하였다. 특히 200℃에서 15분 동안 볶은 여주는 총 phenolics, 총 flavonoids, MRPs, 항산화 활성 및 α-glucosidase 저해활성이 가장 높았고 alkaloid계 화합물 및 쓴맛은 가장 낮게 나타났다. 이 결과로부터 볶음 여주는 쓴맛이 저감되고 이들 추출물은 식품에서도 잠재적인 천연 항산화제로 사용할 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다.

마늘종의 활용성 증대를 위하여 흑마늘종을 제조하고 이화학적 특성, 항산화 활성 및 α-glucosidase 저해 활성을 조사하였다. 마늘종을 정선하고 밀폐 용기에 담아 55 ± 2℃에서 7일간 1차 숙성시키고, 다시 65±2℃에서 14일간 2차 숙성시켜 흑마늘종을 제조하였다. 흑마늘종은 마늘종과 비교하여 산도 및 환원당은 각각 0.41 mL 및 24.98 g/100 g에서 0.91 mL 및 44.86 g/100 g으로 약 2.2배와 2배 정도 증가하였으며, 무기질 중 나트륨과 인은 약간 증가하였으나 칼륨은 감소하였고 칼슘과 철은 거의 변화가 없었다. 한편 원료 마늘종과 비교하여 총 phenolics 함량은 약 1.5배(128.6 mg/100 g) 증가하였고 갈변도는 약 2배(OD420 nm= 2.071) 증가하였으며, 이에 상응하여 DPPH 라디칼 소거활성, ABTS 라디칼 소거활성 및 환원력의 항산화 활성도 증가하였다. 특히 α-glucosidase 저해 활성은 흑마늘종 추출물은 79.2%로 양성 대조구로 사용한 acarbose의 71.81%보다 높았으며, 마늘종 추출물의 31.12%보다는 약 2.3배 활성이 높았다. 이와 같은 결과로부터 마늘종으로부터 기능성이 증진된 흑마늘종 제조가 가능하였다.

This study was carried out to analyze the differences in p-hydroxylbenzyl alcohol (HBA) content, antitumor and anti-obesity activities and tyrosinase inhibitory activity between non-fermented G. elata (NFGP) and fermented G. elata powder. The HBA content, which is an index-component of G. elata decreased from 1.58 mg/g before fermentation to 1.07, 0.32, and 0.13 mg/g after the 1st fermentation (1st FGP), 2nd fermentation (2nd FGP) and 3rd fermentation (3rd FGP), respectively. The anti-proliferation effects on the cell lines HT29 and AGS were significantly higher for the fermented G. elata than the NFGP. The antitumor activity was also increased in a fermentation number-dependent manner. During adipocyte differentiation, the ethanol extract of the 3rd FGP inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells significantly better than NFGP and the 1st FGP, treated at the concentration of 10μg/mL. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the 2nd FGP at 600μg/mL over was higher than that of kojic acid. At the concentration of 1,000μg/mL, the tyrosinase inhibitory activity was increased in a fermentation number-dependent manner. From these results, the fermented G. elata, especially the 3rd FGP, is expected to be good candidate for the development of functional food and agents with antitumor, anti-obesity, and tyrosinase inhibitory potential.

본 연구는 건조 공정을 통하여 인삼의 생리 활성을 유지하기 위해 수행되었다. 인삼의 생리활성을 유지하면서 인삼을 건조하기 위해서 낮은 온도와 압력에서의 균형 잡힌 감압 건조 공정을 적용하였다. 감압 건조 공정은 일반적인 열풍 건조보다 긴 공정 시간이 걸리지만 훨씬 낮은 온도에서 건조를 진행할 수 있기 때문에 열에 불안정한 인삼의 다당류의 파괴를 막을 수 있으며, 동결건조 공정보다 낮은 에너지로도 비슷한 생리 활성을 유지할 수 있어 경제적으로도 이점이 있다. 이러한 결과는 열풍건조 공정의 단점인 높은 온도로 인한 페놀성 화합물과 같은 휘발성 생리 활성 성분들의 파괴를 줄여 높은 항산화 활성을 유지하였다. 더 나아가, 감압건조 공정을 통한 건조인삼의 열수 추출물은 열풍건조와 동결건조 공정을 통한 건조인삼 보다 면역 B세포와 T 세포의 생육도가 증진되었으며, IL-6와 TNF-α와 같은 cytokine의 분비량도 증가하였다. 이러한 결과는 낮은 온도와 압력의 감압 건조 공정을 인삼에 함유된 진세노사이드 외의 열에 약한 성분들의 파괴를 막아 생리활성의 저하를 줄일 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

Previously, we have performed de novo RNA sequencing of Scolpendra subpinipes mutilans using next generation sequencing technology and identified several AMP candidates. Among them, a synthetic peptide (scolopendrasin I) was designed based on SVM algorithm. In this study, we reported that the synthetic peptide scolopendrasin I had an antimicrobial and anticancer activity. As a result, scolopendrasin I showed antibacterial activities against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria strains in radial diffusion assay and colony count assay without hemolytic activity. In addition, we confirmed that scolopendrasin I bound to the surface of bacteria via a specific interaction with lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide, which is one of bacteria cell membrane components. In addition, we found that scolopendrasin I had anticancer activities in the human leukemic T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat using MTS assay. In conclusion, our results suggested that scolopendrasin I could be useful for developing peptide antibiotics and anticancer agents.