• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.801-809
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• 2015

Homotypic cell adhesion (homotypic aggregation) in activated monocytes plays a central role in physiological and pathological processes including inflammatory responses, differentiation and migration. The extract of the Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc. fruit (Maesil) has potential benefits to human health; such as anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer activities. Indeed, Maesil extract may modulate inflammatory responses via interference with homotypic aggregation in monocytes. In the present study, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the therapeutic efficacy of Maesil extract in inflammatory diseases were investigated. It was found that Maesil extract inhibited homotypic aggregation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated monocytes. This was mediated by reduction of nitric oxide (NO) production, partly via inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in LPS-activated THP-1 cells. It was confirmed that NO inhibition is a key mechanism in Maesil induced blockade of monocyte aggregation through identification of reversal of this inhibitory effect by the NO-producing agent S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP). In addition, Maesil extract significantly attenuated LPS-induced IκB-α phosphorylation and NF-κB translocation into the nucleus. In conclusion, Maesil extract exerts anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of homotypic aggregation of LPS-activated monocytes through mechanisms involving the suppression of NO production and NF-κB activity, suggesting Maesil extract as a potential therapeutic candidate for the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.688-694
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• 2021

Turanose is a potential candidate for use as a functional sweetener because of its gentle taste, low calorie, and non-cariogenicity. The aim of this study was to replace sucrose with turanose to produce health-beneficial maesil-cheong. Quality effects of turanose on maesil-cheong were evaluated by determining the contents of free sugars, organic acids, amygdalin, and antioxidant activity. The pH and Brix values of sucrose- and turanose-based maesil-cheong remained at the same level between 2.83 and 3.00 and 54.6-58.6°Bx, respectively, after 90-day storage. Among oxalic, malic, and citric acids, citric acid content was the highest in both maesil-cheong samples. Turanose did not significantly hydrolyze in maesil-cheong, whereas sucrose was completely hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose. Thus, turanose is suitable for the development of acidic maesil-cheong to improve its health promoting effect. Turanose showed product qualities similar to sucrose-based maesil-cheong. Turanose can be used as a functional sweetener or bulking agent in processed foods.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 2019

This study was carried out to produce the health functional food maesil cheong by replacing sucrose with isomaltooligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide. The substitution levels of these oligosaccharides were between 10% and 100%. A 1:1 (w/w) mixture of maesil and sugar was adopted for preparing maesil cheong. The pH of maesil cheong remained unchanged (between 2.72 and 3.00) during 90-day storage period, regardless of oligosaccharide content. Citric and malic acids were identified in maesil cheong; citric acid accounted for 71-82% of the total organic acid content. Sucrose was completely liquefied in the sample after 30 days and was hydrolyzed steadily into fructose and glucose over the storage period. More than 75% of isomaltooligosaccharides remained in maesil cheong after 90 days when sucrose was completely replaced with isomaltooligosaccharide. However, fructooligosaccharides were mostly decomposed at the end of storage period. Thus, isomaltooligosaccharides may be suitable for acidic maesil cheong products to expect its health functional effect.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.311-316
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• 2008

We studied changes in a high-proof maesil liqueur during a 5 month leaching and ripening period at $10^{\circ}C,\;20^{\circ}C$, and $30^{\circ}C$. Titratable acidity increased after 2 months at all temperatures, but pH only changed after 2 months at $30^{\circ}C$. The absorbance at 420 nm increased significantly during a high temperature leaching and ripening period. The alcohol concentration was similar for maesil liqueurs held at $10^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$ for 2 months. The levels of reducing sugars and polyphenols were also higher for liqueurs stored at higher temperatures. The major free sugars present after one month (in order of decreasing concentration) were fructose, glucose, sucrose, and maltose. The major organic acids were citric, lactic, malic, succinic and acetic acid The total organic acid content of maesil liqueur decreased after 1 month at $10^{\circ}C$ but increased until 2 months at $20^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2002

The effects of nitrite scavenging. electron donating and N-nitrosodimethylamine(NDMA) formation in vitro arid green tea(Camellia sinensis) and Maesil(Prunus mume) were studied. The green tea and Maesil extracts were tested for their nitrite-scavenging effect under the different pH conditions such as pH 1.2, 4.2 aud 6.0. The effects of nitrite-scavenging in all concentrations were diminished in the alkali condition, while its effects in the acidic condition of pH 1.2 were reached of more than 99.0% by adding above 0.5ml of green tea extract. And also, nitrite-scavenging effect by adding 3ml of Maesil extract was about 77.0%. The electron donating ability(EDA) of green tea and Maesil extracts was 70.6%, 75.1%, respectively. The formation of NDMA was very effectiveness which was inhibited 82.1%, 73.2% at reaction mixture of pH 2.5 adding 3ml of above extracts. respectively . The ground CW. TW1 and TW2 (refer to Table 1) diets were incubated with 10m1 simulated saliva and 40m1 gastric juice at 37$^{\circ}C$ for 2hrs. NDMA formation was inhibited at all levels of green tea and Measil extracts.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.989-996
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• 2008

In this study we assessed the effects of gamma irradiation ($0.5{\sim}3\;kGy$) on the microbial and physico-chemical characteristics of maesil (Prunus mume) stored for 9 days at $20^{\circ}C$. Total aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds were significantly decreased with increases in the irradiation dosage. In terms of the Hunter's color value, irradiated samples evidenced a higher b-value, but a lower a-value than the non-irradiated samples. Hardness was reduced with increment in the irradiation dose level. The contents of total sugar, hydrogen donating activity and organic acids were not affected by irradiation. The reducing sugar contents of the irradiated samples were superior to those of the non-irradiated samples. Vitamin C contents were reduced with the progression of storage periods and increases in the dosage level. These results demonstrated that gamma irradiation of 0.5 to 3 kGy affected the microbiological safety of maesil, but did not affect the physico-chemical characteristics(total sugar, hydrogen donating activity and organic acid) but the Hunter's color value, hardness, and vitamin C contents of the maesil deteriorated with gamma irradiation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 1972

The contents and their seasonal changes of non-volatile organic acids and sugars of various fruits in Korea, apricot(maesil), peach, grape, apple and pears were measured. The organic acid contents were determined by gas chromatography and the free sugars were detected by thin layer chromatography. The results were as follows: 1) The common non-volatile organic acids found in those fruits were oxalic, fumaric, succinic, maleic, tartaric and citric acids: though their contents varied from almost none to 3430mg/100g. 2) Malic acid was contained in all above fruits with generally the highest contents ranging $18{\sim}3430mg/100g$ among different fruits. In every fruits oxalic was the least contained among other organic acids, almost none to trace except apricot(maesil) which contained 10.8mg/100g. 3) It seemed that generally all the non-volatile acids contents decreased after ripening except maleic acid and the cases of an apple and a pear varieties where they increased. 4) Glucose and fructose were detected in all fruits both matured and unripened by thin layer chromatography. Maltose was found in apricot(maesil), peach, grape and apple. Sucrose was detected in apricot(maesil), peach, grape, apple and pear.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.1087-1092
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• 2000

Traditional food soybean curd was prepared using the fresh fruit juice of Schizandra chinensis RUPRECHT(Omija) and Prunus mume(maesil), and investigated the optimal preparative conditions(water addition ratio, heating time of mashed soybean and fresh fruit juice concentration), physical properties, sensory evaluation and shelf-life. Soybean curd coagulated with 0.9% Omija juice showed the highest yield at $85^{\circ}C$, 12.5 times water addition and 5 min heating. For soybean curd coagulated with 1.5% Maesil juice showed the highest yield at $85^{\circ}C$, 10 times water addition and 5 min heating. The physical properties (hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness and gumminess) of soybean curd coagulated with juices of Omija and Maesil showed lower values for hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness and gumminess. However sensory scores of both were evaluated higher than those of coagulated with $CaSO_4$. The shelf-life of soybean curd prepared from Omija and Masil juices and then soaked in 0.1% acetic acid was better than that of coagulated with $CaSO_4$ or soaked in distilled water.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1227-1234
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• 2019

Prunus mume, also known as maesil, is a popular fruit consumed in East Asia (Korea, Japan, and China). It contains high amounts of organic acids, minerals, and polyphenols and has been used as a medication for fever, vomiting, and detoxification. In this study, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of solvent fractions from maesil were evaluated using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays, morphological evaluations, Hoechst 33258 staining, and western blotting. Addition of the maesil methanol fraction (MMF) and the maesil butanol fraction (MBF) significantly and dose-dependently decreased the cell viability of HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Colony-forming assays confirmed that the MMF and MBF treatments decreased colony numbers when compared with untreated control cells. Treatment of HT-29 cells with MMF and MBF caused a distortion of the cell morphology to a shrunken cell mass. Treatment with MMF and MBF also dose-dependently increased nuclear condensation and the formation of apoptotic bodies in HT-29 cells. Treatment with MMF and MBF significantly and dosedependently increased the expression of Bax (a pro-apoptotic protein), caspase-3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 (an anti-apoptotic protein). MMF significantly and dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation induced by bisphenol A, an environmental hormone. Therefore, MMF may have potential use as a functional food and as a possible therapeutic agent for the prevention of colon cancer.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.237-244
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• 2014

The total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacities of ten commercial products of Japanese apricot (maesil) were evaluated, including four kinds of alcoholic drinks, two kinds of soft drinks, and four kinds of concentrate found in the Korean market. The daily per capita consumption (g/capita/day) of each product was calculated from in the existing dataset of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010. Using the combined datasets indicated above, the daily per capita intake of total phenolics from maesil product consumption was found to be 1.05 mg gallic acid equivalents. The daily per capita intake of total flavonoids was determined to be 0.13 mg catechin equivalents, and the daily per capita intake of antioxidant capacities were measured at 0.70 mg vitamin C equivalents (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay), and at 1.04 mg vitamin C equivalents (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay). The daily per capita intakes of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacities were influenced by the daily quantity of consumption of maesil products, as well as their compositional contents.