• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1422-1429
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• 2016

Kombucha is a slightly sour beverage fermented by symbiotic micro-organisms, including bacteria and yeasts. In this study, we examined the biological activities of citrus Kombucha (CK) produced by addition of citrus extract to original Kombucha (K). After fermentation for 10 days, radical scavenging activity examined by ABTS and DPPH assays increased by approximately 20% compared to that of K. Moreover, content of total phenolic compounds significantly increased by 60% compared to that of K. Cell proliferation assays utilizing MTT showed that CK treatment significantly inhibited growth of bladder cancer cells, T-24 and 5637, in a dose-dependent manner with $IC_{50}$ values of 4 and 7 mg/mL, respectively. Annexin V staining showed that CK treatment led to apoptosis of cells in a dose-dependent manner. T-24 cells were more sensitive to CK treatment than 5637 cells, as 8 mg/mL of CK resulted in 97% apoptosis of T-24 cells. Western blotting showed that CK treatment led to up-regulation of apoptotic proteins, including caspases-3, -8, -9, and PARP, in bladder cells not in K-treated cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CK may be developed as a functional beverage.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.766-773
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• 2015

This study analyzes the chemical composition of green tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea and black tea with respect to extraction temperature and time. The optimum extraction conditions for these teas were determined by assessing the chemical composition of tea brewed at different temperature (50, 60, 70, $80^{\circ}C$) and extraction times (1, 3, 5, 10 minute). Catechins contents were the largest at 5 minutes and generally declined by 10 minutes. Green tea catechins contents were highest when brewed at $70^{\circ}C$ and besides other teas a change of the trend variation at 70 and $80^{\circ}C$. These temperatures did not extract theaflavins in green tea. Extract temperature and time did not significantly affect theaflavins content of white tea, yellow tea, and oolong tea. Black tea, however, was noticeably dependent on extract conditions, which were most effective at $70^{\circ}C$, brewed for 5 minutes. Caffeine content of green tea, yellow tea, and oolong tea was highest at 5 minutes, but temperature did not appear to affect the content. White tea and black tea caffeine content was highest when brewed at $70^{\circ}C$ for 5 minutes. Theobromine content of green tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, and black tea did not show major differences between the study times or temperature, though the content in white tea increased with higher temperatures when brewed for 5 minutes. The extraction of phenolic compounds increased until 5 minutes, and showed not further increase at 10 minutes. Antioxidant capacity of green tea, white tea, and yellow tea were maximized at $70^{\circ}C$ for 5 minutes or $80^{\circ}C$ for 3 minutes, while oolong and black tea were reached maximum antioxidants at $70^{\circ}C$ for 5 minutes. In general, to optimize the beneficial chemical content of brewed tea, a water temperature of $70^{\circ}C$ for 5 minutes is recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.176-181
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• 2004

Gluconacetobacter hansenii TF-2, an isolate from black tea fungus, was statically cultivated to ferment cellulose gel from citrus juice. The juice prepared by press filtering of peeled citrus fruit contained 135.5 mg of total sugar/mL, 1.23% of total acid, and average pH of the juice was 3.98. The bacterium produced cellulose gel optimally on the surface of culture broth containing 17% of citrus juice and 10$^{\circ}$Brix of total sugar. The optimum temperature was 3$0^{\circ}C$ for producing acetic acid and gel formation. The bacterium could not produce acetic acid on gel formation at 4$0^{\circ}C$. The optimum pH was 3.0∼4.0 but was not significantly different between pH 3.0∼4.0. The cultivation for 18 days under optimal conditions produced gel as 14.2$\pm$0.6 mm of thickness and acids equivalent to 1.90$\pm$0.22% of acetic acid. The pH of culture broth was stabilized at 2.6∼2.8 during the cultivation. Remaining sugar content was 27.1$\pm$4.2 mg/mL of total sugar and 6.9 mg/mL of reducing sugar. The gel productivity was 137.8$\pm$9.7 g/L.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1137-1143
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• 1999

This study investigated the effect of tea fungus/kombucha beverage(TF) protein concentrations and enzyme activities in serum of both normal and diabetic male rats. Sprague Dawley growing rats were randomly assigned to one control and five diabetic groups. In five diabetic groups, D control group was fed drinking water and the other groups were fed drinking water supplemented with 20 or 40% TF (20 or 40% TFD group, respectively) and 20 or 40% disinfected TF(20 or 40% TFSD group, respectively) for 7 weeks. Diabetes was experimentally induced in all five diabetic groups by streptozotocin injection after 3 week feeding. The diabetic groups were significantly decreased the body weight( 29.4~ 48.6g) compared with those in control group(72.4g). The total liver and kidney weights in all diabetic groups were similar to those in control group, but those relative to body weights in all diabetic groups were heavier than those in control group. The total spleen weight in all diabetic groups was significantly decreased compared with those in control group, but those relative to body weights in all diabetic groups were similar to those in control group. The blood glucose levels were heigher in all diabetic groups than those in control group. The alkaline phosphatase activity in serum was higher in all experimental groups than those in control group, but it was lower in 40% TFD, 20% and 40% TFSD groups than those in D control group. The GPT activity was significantly increased in D control, 20% and 40% TFD groups than in control group. The GOT activity was significantly increased in D control goup than in control group, but those in all TFD and TFSD groups were similar to control group. The total protein concentration in all diabetic groups was significantly decreased compared with that in control group, but the albumin concentration showed almost the same levels in all the experimental groups. The ratio of albumin/globulin, and hem atocrit value were significantly increased in all diabetic groups than in control group. These results show that tea fungus/kombucha beverage with which diabetic rats were fed has not recovered the decreased body weight, lowered serum total protein level, hypertrophy of liver and kidney, hyperglycemia to the normal state.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.891-896
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• 1995

In order to screen natural inhibitor of tyrosinase which catalyzes an enzymatic browning of some foods and in vivo synthesis of melanin, inhibitory effect of 129 edible plants and 15 chemical compounds on the in vivo melanin synthesis by mushroom tyrosinase was analyzed. Among leafy vegetables tested, radish bud, red chicory, Shepherd's purse and small green onion were found to have more than 50% tyrosinase inhibition effect in the descending order. Chinese radish and garlic in root vegetables, and nameko, shiitake and oyster mushroom in mushrooms, and teas showed also more than 50% inhibition effect. Among fruit vegetables tested, red pepper, Chinese quince and avocado were found to have more than 50% tyrosinase inhibition effect, while fruits generally showed low inhibitory effect. Medicinal plants which inhibit tyrosinase more than 50% were mume fructus>cinamomi ramulus>rubi fructus>mori cortex>biotae orientalis folium>puerariae radix, and herbs with more than 50% inhibitory effect were allspice>clove>mustard. In some chemical compounds tested, 4-hexylresorcinol, L-cysteine, glutathione, sodium bisulfite and kojic acid showed powerful inhibition effect on mushroom tyrosinase.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.388-395
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• 2002

The growth of enterobacteria, Bifidobacteriurn adolescentis KCTC 3216 was promoted by natural products bearing antioxidative capacity and combined two, three and four kinds of them. B. adolescentis was showed a good growth by Sophorae flos, Phellodendri cofex, Mori cortex radicis, Aurantii nobilis pericarpium, Angelicae gigantis radix, alone, and two mixed combinations were composed of Paeonia japonica and Theae foiium, Epimedii herba and Angelicae gigantis radix, Paeonia japonica and epimedii herba, Atractylodis rhizoma alba and angelicae gigantis radix, and three mixed combinations were oraganized with Theae folium, Paeonia japonica and epimedii herba, Theae folium, Beiamcanda chinensis and Paeonia japonica, Theae foiium, Astragaii radix and Mori cortex radicis, and four mixed combinations were formed with Seiamcanda chinensis, Angelicae gigantis radix, Epimedii herba, Theae folium, and Angeiicae gigantis radix, Epimedii herba, Paeonia japonica, Theae folium, and Epimedii herba, Paeonia japonica, Sophorae flos, Theae folium. The best four mixed combination for the growth of B. adolescentis was mixture of Epimedii herba, Paeonia iaponica, Sophorae flow and Theae foiium, which promoted 2.6 times than that of control, and its antioxidative capacity was also 5.6 times higher, and the ratio of elimination of hydroxyl radical was more than 80% in each dilution rate. As these combinations of natural products will activate some parts of body, they may be applied to pharmaceuitcal applications, functional foods, antiaging tea, also expected to promote useful entero bacterial growth for fermentative beverage bearing multifunction.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2017

Tea is the most popular beverage in the world. The three main types are green, black, and post-fermented. Post-fermented teas are produced by the microbial fermentation of sun-dried green tea leaves (Camellia sinensis). In this study, the composition of the bacterial communities involved in the production of traditional oriental post-fermented teas (Korean algacha, dancha, and Chinese pu-erh) were investigated using 16S rRNA gene analysis. The dominant microorganisms present in the post-fermented teas included the ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria Rhodobacteraceae and Sphingomonas, and the ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria Pantoea. Cluster analysis confirmed that the microbial populations present in both Korean and Chinese post-fermented teas grouped into the same class. Interestingly, the dominant microorganism present in the Korean post-fermented teas was a bacterium, while for the Chinese post-fermented tea, it was a fungus.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.367-372
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• 2008

Yukwa were added with non-fermented tea (Bucho-cha and Okro-cha), semi-fermented tea (Ooreung-cha), and fermented tea (black tea) to investigate the effect of different kinds of tea powder on quality characteristics of Yukwa during storage. Yukwa samples were used for analysis such as crude lipid, moisture, texture, antioxidative property (TBA value), and sensory test. There were no significant differences on crude lipid, moisture, and texture analysis. Green tea powder treatment showed strong antioxidant activity. In particular, antioxidant property of non-fermented tea exhibited a higher antioxidative effect than that of the other samples. Sensory evaluation showed that sensory scores of samples added with non-fermented tea were significantly higher than the other samples, indicating that the addition with 0.1% of non-fermented tea powder could contribute to the improvement of quality and shelf-life of Yukwa during storage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.148-157
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• 2005

This study was investigated to determine antimicrobial activity of the water and ethanol extracts of Korean wild green tea, semi-fermented tea, and fermented tea. Antimicrobial activity was examined against 8 kinds of several microorganisms. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the water and ethanol extracts of green tea showed the most active antimicrobial activity against B. subtilis 0.2 mg/mL in Gram positive bacteria and P. fluorescens 0.3∼0.5 mg/mL in Gram negative bacteria. But the extracts did not show antimicrobial activity against lactic acid bacteria and yeast at the level of less than 1 mg/mL. Antimicrobial activity got lower as tea got more fermented. Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extracts from green tea, semifermented tea, and fermented tea was stronger than that of water extracts. Antimicrobial activity of the water and ethanol extracts of green tea, semi-fermented tea, and fermented tea was not destroyed at 50∼121$^{\circ}C$, and pH 3∼11, which proved to be very stable when given over heat, acid & alkali treatment. The ethanol extract of green tea, semi-fermented tea, and fermented tea was fractionated in the order of hexane, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and water fraction. The highest antimicrobial activity was found in the water fraction, but not found in hexane fraction, while antimicrobial activity of fermented tea was not found in ether fraction.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2007

The importance of genetic resources conservation and utilization for economy and the health and well-being of societies in general is recognized all over the world. Mulberry genetic resources contain many natural components and are considerable resource for functional sericulture. We carried out antioxidative capacity analysis of mulberry leaves that were collected from Korea and some of foreign countries and preserved in the greenhouse. The mean antioxidant capacity of 34 accessions was 892.30nmol(ascorbic acid equivalent). Also we evaluated fruity characteristics and selected 4 accessions as breeding resources for the production of mulberry fruit. To investigate the effect of tea on antioxidative capacity, five kinds of tea(coffee mix, green tea added brown rice, mulberry leaf tea, Polygonatum odoratum tea and black tea added lemon) were selected and analyzed. Their's antioxidative capacity were 2,531.01nmol, 1,867.42nmol, 1,053.72nmol, 292.71nmol and 188.91nmol, respectively. The antioxidative capacity of drinking water soaked with mulberry leaf showed 891.96nmol.