Antioxidative, Antimicrobial and Anticytotoxic Activities of Seungmagalgeuntang and Fermented Seungmagalgeuntang

Abstract

Seungmagalgeuntang (SG) is broadly used in traditional Oriental medicine especially in Korea, China, and Japan, for its many pharmacological effects. This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidative, antimicrobial, and anticytotoxic activities of SG and fermented seungmagalgeuntang (FSG). DPPH radical scavenging activities of SG and FSG were 70% and 74%, respectively, which increased slightly by fermentation. Nitrite scavenging activities were strongly altered at pH 1.2, (36.4% in SG and 38.3% in FSG) by addition of 200 μg/g. Superoxide dismutase-like activities were from 21.5% to 23.3% at a concentration of 0.4 mg/mL, and the highest value were observed in FSG. Total flavonoid contents of SG and FSG were 47.1 and 52.1 μg/L, respectively which shows an increase upon fermentation. In the antimicrobial activity test, MIC50 values of SG and FSG were 800 μg/mL for Candida albicans and 3,200 and 1,600 μg/mL for Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Antibacterial effects were higher in FSG compared to SG. Anticytotoxic cadmium toxicities ranged from 63.5% to 76.1% at 10 μg/mL of SG and FSG, and the highest value was observed in FSG. In the sensory evaluation, color, flavor, and overall preference values were higher in FSG.