• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.102-106
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• 1999

To investigate the effect of wormwood extract on intestinal Microorganisms of human, we examined the changes of the intestinal microflora of 6 volunteers for 13 days. Numbers of total anaerobes in feces of 6 volunteers showed 1010cfu/g before and after intake of wormwood extract. In case of beneficial Microorganisms, wormwood extract did not have an effect on the growth of bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus spp. On the other hand, the growth of C. perfringens and E. coli, the harmful Microorganisms of human intestines, was inhibited by the wormwood extract.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.267-270
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• 1997

To industrialize the foods using wormwood extract, the optimal extraction yield of growth-inhibitory component of wormwood (Artemisia princeps) against Clostridium perfringens in vitro was investigated at various conditions. The optimal extraction of wormwood was produced from the condition of $40^{\circ}C$, 4 hours and 100% ethanol (30 volume).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.230-233
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• 2002

Superoxide is involved in causing inflammation, cancer, and arteriosclerosis in many cases. Taking antioxidant material can be helpful in preventing the diseases. Natural food such as barley, wormwood, sea tangle, and soybean contain antioxidant ingredients. Antioxidant activity increase was determined by fermenting them with microorganism. To determine the activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) solution was used. When barley, wormwood, sea tangle, and soybean were fermented with Bacillus lichenifomis Bl, antioxidant activities of each fermented product increased 2.6, 1.6, 2.7, and 1.7 folds, respectively. Also, absorbance of fermented soybean was higher than that of soybean at the range of 250~290nm, which might be involved in differences of antioxidant activity of the two. Paraquat suppressed Esherichia coli DH5$\alpha$ growth by making superoxide inside the strain. However, when ethanol extract from fermented soybean was added into the GM (glucose-mineral) media containing the strain, its growth was recovered, suggesting that ethanol extract can move across E. coli, and can function as anti-oxidant material in vivo. Thus, it will be possible to develope antioxidant material from fermented soybean which can be taken orally.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.338-345
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• 2019

The selection of a suitable solvent is very important when preparing an extract. However, the effect of ethanol solvent concentration in the extraction of sweet wormwood tea has not been reported. Thus, extracts were prepared from sweet wormwood tea using water and various ethanol concentrations, and the phenolic compounds, antioxidants and anti-enzyme activities of the extracts were analyzed. The phenolic acid and flavonoid components differed according to extraction solvent, which also resulted in different antioxidant and antienzyme activities. In particular, flavonoid rhamnetin was not extracted using 80% and 99.5% ethanol and was highest when 60% ethanol was used for extraction. In the case of chlorogenic acid, the highest extraction efficiency was obtained with 80% ethanol. These results suggest the need for research to increase specific extraction efficiency by targeting major compounds that affect physiological activity.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.256-261
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• 2007

Apoptosis is a step of the cell cycle which is important in the regulation of immune cell populations. Chungkookjang is a Korean traditional fermented soybean containing microorganisms, enzymes, and bioactive compounds which was used in the treatment of mouse spleen as well as thymus cells (CH1-fermented soybean containing barley, wormwood, and sea tangle; CH2-fermented soybean) and was found to exhibit substantially reduced small DNA fragmentation. An MTT assay showed that the treatment of CH1 and CH2 into the mouse splenocytes and thymocytes sharply increased their survival. Moreover, a FACS analysis also showed that CH1 and CH2 are effective at suppressing the apoptosis of splenocytes and thymocytes. The fermented soybean isoflavone concentrations, which are implicated in lowering breast and prostate cancers, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and improving bone health, were determined using Capillary Electrophoresis-Electrochemical Detection (CE-ED). The amount of Daidzein in fermented soybean significantly increased by 44-fold dramatically, compared with those in unfermented soybean. In this study, we demonstrated that ethanol extracts of Chungkookjang promote the survival of the mouse spleen and thymus cells in culture by suppressing their apoptotic death. Future studies should investigate which genes are related to apoptosis of the immune cells.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.178-186
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• 2014

Many recent studies have focused on maintaining a healthy life by preventing and/or postponing the aging process. Numerous studies have reported that continuous exposure to reactive oxygen species can stimulate skin aging and that excessive accumulation of fat can cause an impaired skin barrier and tissue structure alterations. Thus, the maintenance of antioxidant homeostasis and the suppression of adipose accumulation are important strategies for skin anti-aging. Here, we prepared three types of extracts [whole juice, acetone-perchloric acid (PCA), and ethanol] from 20 fruits and medicinal herbs native to the Gyeongnam area of Korea. The total phenolic content of each extract was analyzed, and we observed higher total phenolic contents in the medicinal herbs. Consistent with this, the results of the oxygen radical absorbance activity capacity assay indicated that the in vitro antioxidant activities of the medicinal herb extracts were stronger than those of the fruit extracts. The fruits and medicinal herbs had strong effects on cell-based systems, including $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress in human keratinocytes and 3T3-L1 lipid accumulation. Nishimura Wase persimmon, Taishu persimmon, wrinkled giant hyssop, sweet wormwood, Chinese cedar, red perilla, tan shen, hiyodori-jogo, and cramp bark may be natural anti-aging materials with effective antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities. Taken together, our findings may provide scientific evidence supporting the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals from fruits and medicinal herbs.