Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological functionalities of Codonopsis lanceolata, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chaenomeles sinensis, Crataegus pinnafida, and their mixtures. We also determined their antioxidative, fibrinolytic, and ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activities. The antioxidative activities of Codonopsis lanceolata, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chaenomeles sinensis, and Crataegus pinnafida were 79%, 88.3%, 89.9%, and 89.3% respectively. Their fibrinolytic activities were 0.80plasmin unit/mi, 0.57 plasmin unit/mi, 0.52 plasmin unit/mi, and 0.53 plasmin unit/mi respectively. The ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity of Codonopsis lanceolata was 25%. The 10-fold diluents of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chaenomeles sinensis, and Crataegus pinnafida showed ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activities of 93.6%, 65.3%, and 61.3% respectively. In antioxidative activity tests of the medicinal plants mixtures at various ratios, the mixtures of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chaenomeles sinensis, and Crataegus pinnafida with Codonopsis lanceolata showed antioxidative activities of approximately 90%. In fibrinolytic activity tests mixtures(1:1) of Codonopsis lanceolata with Chaenomeles sinensis and Crataegus pinnafida exhibited increases of 23% and 24% in activity respectively. In ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity tests, a mixture (4:1) of Codonopsis lanceolata and 10-fold diluted Glycyrrhiza uralensis showed an inhibitory activity of 98%, a mixture (3:1) of Codonopsis lanceolata and 10-fold diluted Chaenomeles sinensis showed an inhibitory activity of 69.6%, and a mixture (1:1) of Codonopsis lanceolata and 10-fold diluted Crataegus pinnafida showed an inhibitory activity of 50.2%. In conclusion, the mixtures of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chaenomeles sinensis, and Crataegus pinnafida with Codonopsis lanceolata will be used as a material for the development of biofunctional foods.