Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Antimicrobial Activity of Korean Medicinal Herb Extracts

한약재 추출물의 향균활성에 대한 감마선 조사의 영향

Irradiated and non-irradiated Korean medicinal herbs were extracted by water and 70% ethanol. Antimicrobial activity of these extracts were invesigated 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 ehtanol extracts of the non-irradiated Agimonia pilosa ledebour Japonica Nakai, Curcuma Iedoaria Roscoe, Curcuma longa Linne and Scutellaria baikalensis George were shown inhibitory effects against Aspergillus flavus and Pen icillium 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.