Applemint, geranium, lemonbalm, rosemary, sage, thyme등 6종 herb의 기능성을 검토하기 위하여 물 및 95% methanol로 추출하여 얻은 추출액의 전자공여능, 항균작용 및 아질산염 소거능을 조사하였다. 전자공여능은 60.7∼92.2%로 95% methanol추출물이 물추출물보다 높게 나타났고 geranium, sage, lemonbalm, thyme, rosemary, applemint 순으로 작용이 우수하였다. 각종 herb추출물의 항균력은 물보다 methanol추출물이 우수하였고 gram음성균보다는 양성균주에서 효과적이었으며 geranium과 rosemary 공시균주에 대하여 광범위한 항균활성을 나타내었고 분획별 항균력 측정결과 geranium은 극성용매 분획에서, rosemary는 비극성 용매 분획에 항균력이 집중되어 있음을 확인하였다. 아질산염 소거능 역시 물추출물 보다는 methanol추출물에서 높은 활성을 보였고 pH 1.2에서 가장 효과적이었으며 pH가 증가할수록 감소하였다.
Six kinds of herbs(applemint, geranium, lemonbalm, rosemary, sage and thyme) were extracted with water and 95% methanol, and the electron donating ability, antibacterial activity and nitrite scavenging effect were examined. The electron donating ability of herbs ranged from 60.7 to 92.2% and the highest value was observed in geranium, followed by sage and lemonbalm. Antibacterial activity of methanol extracts was much stronger than that of water extracts and gram positive bacteria were more sensitive than gram negative bacteria. Rosemary and geranium exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against a wide range of bacteria. Nitrite scavenging activity, which was measured at various pH conditions(1.2, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2), was the highest in all herbs at pH 1.2 and the lowest at pH 4.2, suggesting that it is pH dependent. Methanol fraction also provided higher nitrite scavenging effect than the water fraction.
