This technology is a composition for preventing and treating pain that uses the neuropeptide mPEN, corresponding to amino acids 219–240 of the mouse precursor protein proSAAS, as an active ingredient. It can be formulated not only as a pharmaceutical composition but also as food, health functional food, quasi-drugs, feed, feed additives, and cosmetics.
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with tissue damage that threatens a patient's work and daily life, yet its subjective nature has made effective diagnosis and treatment difficult. Existing anesthetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have failed to adequately control pain due to lack of efficacy or side effects, and there is a shortage of new candidate substances despite the growing demand for non-narcotic analgesic materials.
This technology uses mPEN, consisting of the sequence SVDQDLGPEVPPENVLGALLRV (SEQ ID NO: 1), and has demonstrated inhibitory effects in CFA-induced inflammatory pain and thermal pain models, as well as capsaicin-induced acute pain. Its mechanism has been confirmed by reducing calcium influx in DRG neurons that transmit pain signals and lowering luciferase luminescence in HEK293 cells. It can be applied to pet joint pain relief feed, feed additives for livestock stress and pain management, and preclinical analgesic research using animal models, supporting both animal pain management products and analgesic mechanism studies using rodent-derived sequences.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for research on identifying unresolved somatosensory mechanisms through the discovery of novel receptors and their operating principles.
This technology is a pharmaceutical composition for pain prevention and treatment that uses the neuropeptide hPEN, corresponding to amino acids 221–242 of the human precursor protein proSAAS, as an active ingredient. The same peptide can also be incorporated into food, health functional foods, quasi-drugs, animal feed, feed additives, and cosmetic compositions.
Pain significantly reduces quality of life and social productivity, yet it remains one of the most difficult pathologies to diagnose and treat due to its subjective nature. Existing analgesics, such as anesthetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are often insufficient or cause side effects, failing to completely eliminate pain. There is a critical need for a new, non-narcotic material capable of managing pain from various causes.
This technology utilizes hPEN, consisting of the 22-amino acid sequence AADHDVGSELPPEGVLGALLRV (SEQ ID NO: 1). Pain suppression was confirmed in CFA-induced inflammatory pain models and thermal stimulation pain models, and luciferase luminescence was reduced in hPEN-treated HEK293 cells. Targeted pain includes inflammatory, neuropathic, osteoarthritic, postoperative, and cancer pain, as well as postherpetic neuralgia, fibromyalgia, and migraines. It can be applied to chronic neuropathic pain treatments, injectable peptide formulations for postoperative pain management, and quasi-drug ointments, spray-on patches, or adhesive patches. This provides a new drug candidate that reduces pain without the risk of opioid dependence by using a peptide sequence naturally present in the human body.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for research on identifying unresolved somatosensory mechanisms through the discovery of novel receptors and their operating principles.
This technology involves a manufacturing method and the resulting extract, where raw deodeok is steamed, fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Aspergillus oryzae, and then extracted using methanol. The steaming and fermentation processes break down sugars and generate new compounds not originally present in deodeok.
Rich in saponins and polyphenols, deodeok has long been used as a respiratory and immune-boosting food with medicinal properties comparable to ginseng. However, the public is primarily familiar with ginseng, red ginseng, and especially fermented red ginseng, which converts saponins into an absorbable form. Research on the components and efficacy of bioconverted deodeok has been limited, and there have been no prior cases analyzing the changes in components of deodeok subjected to both steaming and fermentation.
This technology consists of steaming deodeok at 90–110°C, followed by fermentation with yeast or koji mold at 15–40°C for 1–20 days. The resulting extract is characterized by increased sugar breakdown and a reduction in lancemaside A, a representative saponin. UPLC analysis confirmed the same novel compounds in both fermentation groups, with higher concentrations found in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae group. This can be applied to immune-boosting fermented deodeok health supplements, respiratory and throat health beverages, and the discovery of novel bioactive compounds derived from deodeok, effectively applying red ginseng's fermentation strategy to deodeok to enhance the value of local specialty deodeok as a functional ingredient.
This invention was developed with support from the Korea Forest Service for the analysis and isolation of changes in the content of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds through the bioconversion of native Korean deodeok.
This technology involves nanoliposomes that encapsulate coenzyme Q10 within a coating layer of phospholipids and the plant sterol β-sitosterol, providing a method to maintain antioxidant activity in foods subjected to heating or high-temperature storage between 50–80°C. The mass ratio of phospholipid to β-sitosterol is adjusted to 10:0.2–1.2, and the ratio of phospholipid to core material to 10:0.15–0.35.
While coenzyme Q10 offers excellent antioxidant and anti-aging benefits, its low water solubility and susceptibility to degradation during processing have limited its absorption. Conventional nanoliposomes used to encapsulate it often suffer from membrane fusion and phospholipid degradation, leading to leakage. While cholesterol has been used to reinforce these membranes, it can increase cardiovascular risk by raising blood cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it fails to prevent coenzyme Q10 degradation in environments like milk pasteurization or the 60–70°C heat sterilization used for fruit juices and canned goods.
This technology dissolves phospholipids, β-sitosterol, and coenzyme Q10 in an organic solvent to form a lipid membrane, which is then hydrated and homogenized 1–4 times using a high-pressure homogenizer at 100–150 MPa. This produces nanoliposomes with a particle size of 110–170 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 50–90%, with composition optimized via central composite design-based response surface methodology. The resulting nanoliposomes exhibit a zeta potential absolute value of 20 mV or higher, a TBARS change rate of 13% or less after 2 hours of heating at 60°C, and over 70% antioxidant activity in intestinal cells. Applicable to pasteurized milk, hot-filled fruit juices, canned goods, and warm beverages in convenience store warmers, this method inhibits oxidative degradation of coenzyme Q10 during heating and warm storage without the use of cholesterol, while enhancing bioavailability.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of various encapsulation application technologies to enhance the food utilization and bioavailability of functional substances, as well as the evaluation of their efficacy.
This technology is a method for producing substituted starch by mixing starch with malic acid and phytic acid to create a weakly acidic dispersion, which is then dried and heat-treated to induce a reaction between the two organic acids and the starch. The process uses 15–30% malic acid and 1.5–2.5% phytic acid relative to the dry starch to inhibit starch retrogradation.
Natural starch has low solubility, retrogrades easily, and its pastes and gels are unstable under heat or agitation, so its properties have traditionally been improved through chemical modification, such as esterification. However, as consumer resistance to chemically modified starch has grown, there is a need for methods to produce modified starch using harmless natural substances.
This technology involves adjusting a malic acid, phytic acid, and starch dispersion to pH 4–6, drying it at 30–50℃, and heat-treating it at 120–140℃ for 2–24 hours, followed by neutralization, washing with water or ethanol, drying, and homogenization. It can be used with various natural and modified starches, including corn, rice, potato, sweet potato, tapioca, and wheat. Simultaneous substitution with the two acids increases viscosity, clarity, solubility, and swelling power despite a low degree of substitution. It can be applied to starchy processed foods like rice cakes and noodles, refrigerated sauces and dessert gels, and as a thickener for clean-label foods, allowing for delayed hardening and preserved texture during shelf life using only organic acids labeled as food additives, without the need for chemical modification labeling.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of a phytic acid-based starch structural modification and utilization platform.
This technology is a deodorant composition that uses fenugreek extract as an active ingredient to eliminate or reduce senile body odor. It can also be formulated into cosmetics, base film layers for patches, personal cleansers, and laundry detergents.
Senile body odor is primarily caused by nonenal, which is produced when palmitoleic acid in sebum decomposes into lipid peroxides. Chemical agents previously used to eliminate this have raised safety concerns. Surfactant-based soaps and body products lack nonenal-removing capabilities and often cause itching and dryness, while air fresheners only temporarily mask odors, which can result in an even more unpleasant mixed scent. Existing natural compositions also have limitations, as they often require complex manufacturing processes with numerous ingredients while offering minimal direct nonenal removal.
This technology utilizes fenugreek seed extract, obtained through water or alcohol (methanol, ethanol, propanol) extraction or ultrasonic extraction, to eliminate not only nonenal but also aldehyde odor components such as octanal, nonanal, and decanal. The extract provides antioxidant effects and protects skin cells from damage caused by nonenal. It can be applied to fabric deodorizing detergents for nursing homes and senior households, body washes and cosmetics for the elderly, and adhesive deodorant patches. This allows for the direct elimination of odor-causing substances using a single natural extract without masking, reducing the risk of skin irritation.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of methods to identify compound combinations with equivalent efficacy representing the overall activity of natural products.
This technology features an edible film composition and its manufacturing method, created by blending sweet potato starch acetylated with acetic anhydride with glycerol, pectin, and calcium in specific ratios. It consists of 2.5–3.5 wt% acetylated starch, 1–2 wt% glycerol, 0.5–1 wt% pectin, and 0.1–0.2 wt% calcium.
While edible, biodegradable films have gained attention due to plastic pollution, they have traditionally relied on protein sources like gelatin, corn protein, wheat gluten, soy protein, and casein. Although starch accounts for 50–80% of the dry weight of sweet potatoes, up to 15% of the annual harvest is discarded due to processing and storage challenges. Furthermore, sweet potato starch is difficult to use as a primary material for edible films because it does not dissolve well in room-temperature water.
This technology involves adding 0.1–2 parts by weight of acetic anhydride to 100 parts by weight of a sweet potato starch aqueous solution to acetylate the starch. This is then mixed with 94–95 wt% distilled water, glycerol, pectin, and calcium, and stirred at 85–95°C to gelatinize. Impurities and air bubbles are removed before drying to produce the film. The resulting film shows significantly improved tensile strength, elongation, moisture barrier properties, and water solubility. It can be used for individual packaging of produce like strawberries, edible coatings for tablets and capsules, and water-soluble pouches for instant food, allowing discarded sweet potatoes to be repurposed into plastic-free, edible, or water-soluble packaging.
This invention was developed with support from the Rural Development Administration’s project for the mass production and utilization of beneficial sweet potato components.
This technology is a three-step manufacturing process that first concentrates omega-3 fatty acids from fatty acid-containing materials via solvent crystallization, performs secondary concentration through enzyme-catalyzed ethanolysis, and finally converts them into triglycerides by esterification with glycerol using Lipozyme 435. By combining non-enzymatic and enzymatic methods, high-purity omega-3 triglycerides are obtained.
Demand for omega-3 fatty acids is growing due to their benefits for cardiovascular health, eye health, and immune support. However, existing concentration methods—such as molecular distillation, supercritical extraction, urea fractionation, and silver salt separation—suffer from low concentration efficiency and yield compared to the raw oil. Furthermore, there has been a lack of technology for the mass production of high-purity products in triglyceride form, which offers superior bioavailability and oxidative stability.
This technology involves crystallizing free fatty acids in acetonitrile at -30 to -40°C at a 1:8 to 1:12 weight ratio for 2–4 hours, followed by vacuum filtration to recover the liquid fraction. It then uses Lipozyme RM IM (4–6 wt%) to perform ethanolysis at a 1:1 to 1:2 molar ratio at 20–30°C. Finally, the concentrated fatty acids are mixed with glycerol at a 1:2 to 1:3 molar ratio and reacted with Lipozyme 435 (10–20 wt%) at 60–70°C under 5–20 torr vacuum for 4–8 hours. Raw materials can include fish oil (e.g., tuna oil), vegetable, microbial, or algal oils. Applicable to high-content omega-3 supplements, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the value-added processing of tuna by-products, this method enables efficient mass production of highly bioavailable and stable triglyceride-form omega-3s.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the synthesis of high-concentration ω-3 fatty acid oils via two-stage enzymatic reactions.
This technology features novel heteroaryl derivative compounds, along with their salts, solvates, and stereoisomers, in which a methyl-substituted quinoline or isoquinoline is linked via oxygen to a phenyl group on a quinazolin-4-amine backbone. These compounds selectively inhibit HER2 tyrosine kinase and are used as agents for the treatment and prevention of HER2-related cancers.
HER2 is amplified in 15–30% of breast cancer patients and is associated with brain metastasis; it is also overexpressed in colorectal, gastric, non-small cell lung, and ovarian cancers. However, most drugs reported to date are dual inhibitors that block both EGFR and HER2. Strong inhibition of EGFR often leads to side effects such as acneiform skin rashes and severe diarrhea, creating a persistent need for selective HER2 inhibitors.
This technology consists of detailed series (Chemical Formulas 1-1 through 1-4) featuring side chains such as 2-methoxyethoxy, morpholinoalkoxy, propargyloxy, or triazole methoxy at the 6th and 7th positions of the quinazoline, or amide/cycloalkylamine groups at the 6th position. In experiments, these derivatives showed higher selectivity for HER2 than EGFR and demonstrated cell proliferation inhibitory effects comparable to the existing drug lapatinib. Applicable to the development of HER2-positive breast cancer targeted therapies, HER2-inhibiting anticancer drugs for gastric and ovarian cancers, and the exploration of health supplement ingredients for cancer prevention, this technology provides HER2-selective candidates that reduce the skin rash and diarrhea side effects caused by EGFR inhibition.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for research on platform technology for the discovery of reversible covalent inhibitors.
This technology provides an anti-inflammatory composition containing a freeze-dried chicken breast hydrolysate as an active ingredient, obtained by hydrolyzing chicken breast powder with proteases and activated carbon, followed by extraction, hot-air drying, re-extraction with water, and freeze-drying. This freeze-dried product is used in health functional foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, feed additives, and veterinary compositions, and the manufacturing method is also included.
Chronic inflammation is a state of persistent, inappropriate immune system response that, when occurring in the liver or digestive organs, can lead to fatigue, organ dysfunction, and systemic inflammation. Existing anti-inflammatory drugs simply suppress immunity, which can cause complications like cancer or tuberculosis, or are too toxic for long-term use. While plant extracts like burdock or black raspberry have been studied, there have been no prior examples of using chicken breast hydrolysates as anti-inflammatory agents.
This technology utilizes a multi-stage process: the hydrolysate is heated, left to stand at 15–25℃ for primary extraction, filtered, and concentrated; the resulting powder, after sterilization and hot-air drying, is re-extracted with water, filtered, concentrated, and freeze-dried. The resulting freeze-dried product contains 800–1100μg of carnosine, an antioxidant dipeptide, per gram, showing significantly higher anti-inflammatory effects than standard extracts obtained simply by extraction and hot-air drying. Applicable to protein-based health functional foods for chronic inflammation, functional cosmetic ingredients for skin soothing, and feed additives for livestock and pets, this method allows for the production of high-carnosine anti-inflammatory materials from common chicken breast with a lower risk of side effects.
This technology is a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that uses a miRNA-214-3p inhibitor consisting of the oligonucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 2 as an active ingredient. It also encompasses health functional food compositions and pharmaceutical formulations containing the same inhibitor, as well as methods of treatment for non-human subjects.
While the number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's is rapidly increasing due to aging, these conditions have lacked curative treatments. Once damaged, neurons are difficult to recover, leading to progressive symptom deterioration, and the exact causes remain unclear. Existing treatments only slow disease progression, and although differential miRNA expression has been reported in patient bodily fluids, no therapeutic agents directly targeting miRNAs have been attempted.
This technology inhibits miRNA-214-3p to simultaneously regulate the expression of its targets: microglial phagocytosis factors (NCKAP1, WASF2, ABL2), neuroinflammatory factors (TRAF1, TNFSF10, IKBKB), autophagy factors (RUBCN, ATG16L1, ATG12), and nucleocytoplasmic transport factors (TNPO1, IPO11, KPNA1). This restores microglial function in clearing protein aggregates, reduces neuroinflammation, and aids in the resolution of pathological aggregates. Applicable to antisense nucleic acid therapies for ALS, RNA-based drug pipelines for neuroinflammation, and animal models of neurodegeneration, this approach enables a multi-target therapeutic strategy that corrects multiple pathological pathways—phagocytosis, inflammation, autophagy, and nuclear transport—by inhibiting a single miRNA.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the establishment of a novel dementia pathogenesis and personalized treatment strategy platform using patient-specific microglial models.
This technology provides a method for controlling human coronavirus (HCoV) on food or food-contact surfaces using chlorine dioxide (ClO2) treatment or UV-C irradiation. Chlorine dioxide is applied at 100–200 ppm for food and 300–500 ppm for contact surfaces for 1–5 minutes, while UV-C is applied at a dosage of 10–1800 mJ.
Coronaviruses can survive on plastic or stainless steel surfaces for over five days, and up to a month at low temperatures, posing a risk of transmission via contaminated fomites. Heat treatment is unsuitable for fresh food, and sodium hypochlorite, commonly used on food-contact surfaces, is inappropriate for food use as it requires concentrations over 1000 ppm to achieve even minimal reduction in infectivity. Furthermore, UV-C efficacy and dosage standards have historically been inconsistent.
This technology optimizes chlorine dioxide concentrations for food versus contact surfaces to achieve rapid viral reduction, and establishes UV-C dosage ranges for both types of surfaces using a non-thermal approach. Applicable foods include vegetables, meat, and fish, while contact surfaces include stainless steel and polypropylene. This method can be used in fresh produce and seafood processing, disinfection of cutting boards and workstations in commercial kitchens, and sanitization of imported frozen food packaging, effectively blocking viral transmission through food supply chains without compromising freshness.
This invention was developed with research support from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding the survival characteristics and inactivation of the COVID-19 virus.
This technology utilizes hot water extract from banana stalks, previously classified as food waste, as an active ingredient in pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention and treatment of fatty liver disease. The same extract is also used to formulate health functional food compositions for preventing and improving fatty liver, as well as feed and feed additive compositions for companion animals.
Fatty liver is a condition where neutral fat accounts for more than 5% of liver weight. If left untreated, it can lead to hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis, which are major causes of death among middle-aged Koreans. However, there is no definitive treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and most existing drugs are chemically synthesized, posing a risk of hepatotoxicity at high doses. Therefore, there is a need for natural, low-cost treatments that are safer for the human body.
This technology uses hot water extract of banana stalks to improve palmitic acid-induced lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, inhibit the expression of proteins related to lipogenesis, increase AMPK phosphorylation, and reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress. Combining it with banana peel hot water extract creates a synergistic effect that enhances lipid accumulation inhibition. The scope covers alcoholic and non-alcoholic simple fatty liver, as well as liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. It can be applied to liver health supplements, feed for obese pets, and hangover relief or liver protection drinks for professionals, transforming banana processing byproducts into high-value functional ingredients while managing fatty liver without the hepatotoxicity risks of synthetic drugs.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of new treatment methods for skeletal muscle insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using Resolvin D3.
This technology provides a pharmaceutical composition for antiviral use against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and a food composition for improving infection, containing a compound selected from 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, 3-methoxycatechol, or 4-ethylcatechol, or their salts, as an active ingredient. These compounds inhibit viral proliferation and replication while preventing the reactivation of the virus in latently infected cells.
EBV is an oncogenic gammaherpesvirus carried by over 90% of the population. Once infected, it persists for life, alternating between latency and reactivation, and is linked to malignancies such as Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, as well as infectious mononucleosis. Existing anti-herpes drugs like acyclovir or foscarnet target viral DNA polymerase and are effective against alphaherpesviruses, but have limited efficacy against the primary infection or reactivation of gammaherpesviruses, often leaving patients reliant on symptomatic steroid treatment.
This technology utilizes non-cytotoxic, low-molecular-weight catechol derivatives at concentrations of 1–100μM to block not only active-phase viruses but also the reactivation stage of latent infections, which existing drugs cannot address. It includes methods for inhibiting reactivation by treating EBV-latently infected cells with these compounds in vitro. Applications include adjuvant therapy for EBV-associated gastric and nasopharyngeal cancers, prophylactic drugs for post-transplant B-cell lymphoma, and food products for mononucleosis with chronic fatigue, offering a new strategy to break the cycle of viral reactivation from latent reservoirs.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the regulation of the infection life cycle of oncogenic gammaherpesviruses via NAD+-dependent signaling systems.
This technology features the native Korean microalgae strain Dunaliella salina OH214, which is capable of producing lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as compositions containing this strain or its cultures. It also includes methods for producing pigments such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, as well as methods for producing food and feed ingredients.
Lutein and zeaxanthin protect the retina from blue light and reactive oxygen species in the macula, but animals cannot synthesize them and must obtain them through diet. Marigold flowers, the primary source, are expensive due to long breeding times and low yields per cultivation area. Pigments from bacteria or genetically modified microalgae face market resistance due to GMO concerns or unsuitability as food additives, and existing microalgae have limited lutein production capacity.
This technology utilizes a native strain isolated and identified without genetic modification, offering superior lutein production compared to existing Dunaliella salina while also producing beta-carotene. Its salt tolerance allows for the use of seawater as a culture medium. The compositions are used for oral administration, food, food additives, and feed, targeting eye health such as preventing macular degeneration, improving retinal damage, and preventing vision loss. It can be applied to lutein health supplements, feed additives for aquaculture and poultry, and natural yellow food pigments, leveraging Korea's coastal geography to supply non-GMO macular pigments with low energy consumption.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for research on developing microalgae for the production of functional terpenoids.
