Walnuts are consumed worldwide as healthy food and are rich in functional components. There are several species of walnuts including Japanese native walnuts. It is well known that native walnuts contain more phytochemicals than cultivated ones. Therefore, the composition of the beneficial components found in native walnuts is of scientific interest. This review aimed to summarize the recent findings and potential uses of native walnuts, including their (1) use as food, (2) functional components (general composition, fatty acids, peptides, phytosterols, tocopherols, polyphenols, and other components), and (3) health-related prospects. Through this review, unexpectedly, we found that even though many are interested in the health benefits of Japanese native walnuts, which have functional components much differ to cultivated species, there is limited information on their contents. This review suggests a need to clarify the detailed amounts of these components.

This study aims to analyze the forces acting on the organs from the bolus during swallowing, excluding direct organ contact forces. We simulated the swallowing process of healthy individuals ingesting thickened non-Newtonian foods using a swallowing simulator based on the moving-particle simulation method. The force vectors acting on the organs and the bolus shape were extracted at each time interval. A two-dimensional graph matrix was developed to visualize the temporal and spatial relationships between force and time for comprehensive interpretation and discussion. The graph matrix revealed that the bolus originated from tongue movement and was transferred between the oral cavity and pharynx, with coordinated movements of each organ occurring in pairs with balanced forces of the tongue and other organs. Information on the organ forces may offer a novel perspective for interpreting conventional mechanical indicators such as high-resolution manometry or tongue-pressure measurements.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of changes in vacuum microwave (VMW) drying conditions on the drying kinetics, microstructures and physical properties of shiitake mushrooms. Under the tested conditions of 3 kPa and 20 kPa, low pressure and high microwave power in particular increased the rate of moisture change of shiitake mushrooms. Morphological observations from X-ray computed tomography (CT) images showed that samples dried at 3 kPa had many more porous structures with smaller pores, while clumps of cells formed and led to the formation of larger pores in samples dried at 20 kPa. Under the 20 kPa condition, the apparent density increased, and the internal porosity decreased, immediately after drying. These results implied that shrinkage of the samples occurred in the early stages of drying. However, drying at lower pressure led to the dried samples with lower densities and higher internal porosities because of the puffing effect.

This study aimed to increase resistant starch (RS) content in cooked KDML 105 rice. Various factors were investigated, such as rice type, cultivation area, oil type, rice cooker, and Thai herbs. This study found that the choice of oil and the incorporation of specific Thai herbs had a significant impact on the RS content of cooked KDML 105 rice. Using extra virgin coconut oil increased RS content, while certain Thai herbs, particularly Pandan leaves juice and butterfly pea flower, contributed to both increased RS content. Sao Hai rice had the highest RS content (4.31 ± 0.30 %). Saline soil areas did not significantly affect RS content in KDML 105 rice. Using extra virgin coconut oil and pressure rice cookers increased RS content significantly (1.40 ± 0.23 %). Incorporating four Thai herbs improved RS content. Notably, soaking rice in 2 % citric acid, mixing with extra virgin coconut oil, Thai herb and pressure cooking significantly increased RS content.

This study investigated the effect of single-boiling crystallization of high-yielding sugarcane on sugar and molasses production on a factory-plant scale compared with triple-boiling crystallization of conventional sugarcane. The sugar extraction at the roll-milling process was similar between high-yielding sugarcane KY01-2044 with high fiber and conventional sugarcane NiF8. The weight of sugar yield per sugarcane decreased by 32.6 % compared with the conventional system, whereas the yield of molasses and bagasse increased by 143.1 % and 11.5 %, respectively. The results indicated that sugar, molasses, and bagasse-derived electricity could increase simultaneously when the yields of high-yielding sugarcane were higher by a factor of 1.5 than conventional levels. Furthermore, A-molasses obtained by a single-boiling crystallization had less coloration and better fermentability and operability than conventional C-molasses. In conclusion, this study showed that combining high-yielding sugarcane and single-boiling crystallization could increase sugar production and generate high-quality molasses suitable for biofuel and bagasse-derived electricity production.

A novel method is proposed to estimate the equilibrium moisture content X_e at a specific temperature using the change over time in moisture content during cooking of spaghetti at different rates of temperature increase. In this method, the moisture content X_vT→₀ at infinitely slow heating is the equilibrium moisture content X_e at that temperature, based on the relationship between the average rate of temperature increase v_t in reaching a certain temperature and the moisture content X. X_e estimated by the proposed method was almost consistent with the equilibrium moisture content estimated from the change in moisture content over time at a constant temperature, and the validity of the proposed method was verified.

In order to solve the abnormal fermentation problems caused by the slow and difficult temperature rise in the saccharification piling during the fermentation of sauce-flavor baijiu under low temperatures in winter. A special oxygen dissolving device made of stainless steel was applied in the second sorghum input of sauce-flavor baijiu, as well as the 1th and 2th rounds of saccharification piling fermentation in this study. In addition, its effects on the saccharification piling temperature, the 1th and 2th rounds of physical and chemical indicators, microbial population, and flavor components are analyzed. The results indicate that the use of a stainless steel oxygen dissolver significantly increased the “piling core” temperature of a saccharification piling and that this improvement was highly correlated with the oxygen dissolver. Additionally, it decreased the water content, sugar concentration, and acidity of the “piling core” of the saccharification piling, all of which were negatively correlated with the height of the dissolved oxygen reactor. Furthermore, the stainless steel special dissolved oxygen device also facilitated the growth and reproduction of saccharification piling microorganisms, particularly yeast. The use of the stainless steel special dissolved oxygen device, therefore, resulted in an increase in the concentration of acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propanol, isoamyl alcohol, β-phenylethanol, ethyl palmitate, and other flavoring compounds. Accordingly, the stainless steel special oxygen dissolving device demonstrates a significant application potential in the 1th and 2th rounds of saccharification piling fermentation of sauce-flavor baijiu.

A 3-O-methylated-galactan WCCP-N-b from Cantharellus cibarius polarizes RAW264.7 macrophages, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), and peritoneal macrophages (PEMs) leading to enhanced secretion of cytokine TNF-α and subsequent cytotoxic effects on HCT116 and CT26 colon cancer cells. Investigation into the mechanism of action suggests that WCCP-N-b polarizes macrophages by targeting Toll-like receptor 2 and activation of MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. Overall, our results indicate that this linear 3-O-methylated-galactan inhibits colon cancer cells via conversion of M0 to M1 macrophages.

The combined effect of γ-linolenic acid (GLA)-rich evening primrose oil and soybean phospholipid on lipid metabolism was investigated. Male ICR mice were fed diets containing 100 g/kg of coconut, safflower or GLA oil, supplemented with 31 g/kg of soybean oil or 50 g/kg of soybean phospholipid, for 21 d. All experimental diets provided the same amount of fatty acids. The diets containing GLA oil significantly reduced hepatic triacylglycerol levels compared with those containing coconut oil. The values obtained from diets containing GLA oil also tended to be lower than those obtained from the diets containing safflower oil. Soybean phospholipid, regardless of the type of dietary fat, reduced hepatic triacylglycerol levels. Therefore, the combination of GLA oil and soybean phospholipid was effective in causing a marked decrease in hepatic triacylglycerol levels. Changes in hepatic fatty acid oxidation and lipogenesis may be responsible for the observed results.

Postmenopausal women have an increased risk of developing metabolic diseases, such as osteoporosis, obesity, and diabetes. Thus, chemoprophylaxis for postmenopausal symptoms through the daily diet is critical. Vanillic acid (VA) is a phenolic compound found in the herbal medicine “Toki” (Angelica acutiloba) and the mycelium of the shiitake mushroom Lentinula edodes. VA has no affinity for estrogen receptors and may offer preventive effects against these diseases. Here, we demonstrate the metabolic effects of VA in ovariectomized mice. Ten-week-old ovariectomized mice were fed a VA-containing diet (100 mg/kg body weight/day) for 10 weeks. Dietary VA significantly prevented femoral bone mineral density loss and also reduced the increases in glucose levels and white adipose tissue weights compared with those in the control group. Furthermore, uterine enlargement was not observed because of these beneficial effects. Our findings suggest that VA has the potential to mitigate postmenopausal symptoms in ovariectomized mice without estrogenic action.

Date fruits supply macronutrients and micronutrients, particularly carbohydrates, amino acids, and minerals. However, the fruits of different date palm cultivars have different nutritional profiles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different pasteurization methods on the antioxidant capacities, polyphenol profiles, and physical properties of the juice of date fruits from two date palm cultivars. The total phenolic and total flavonoid compound contents were higher after thermal pasteurization than after high-pressure processing (HPP) or for the fresh juice. The antioxidant capacity was higher for Khunaizi date palm juice than Barhi date palm juice. SDS-PAGE was performed on the date palm juice samples, and it was found that the juice subjected to HPP retained protein bands but that thermal pasteurization caused the protein bands to disappear. HPP allowed the colour and protein content of the juice to be retained but thermal pasteurization increased the antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content.

Gluten is a component of wheat flour and has a vital function in the manufacturing of processed food via the formation of a three-dimensional network. However, gluten is associated with several diseases, such as wheat allergy and celiac disease, and some humans with gluten hypersensitivity are not able to consume wheat products. To address this problem, not only gluten-free cereal flours but also hydrocolloids and gums as gluten substitutes are used as ingredients for gluten-free products. In this study, gluten-free breadmaking was attempted using only ripe banana flour (RBF) and wheat starch as the materials. To understand the role of RBF for gluten-free breadmaking, unripe banana was ripened and RBF was fractionated into three fractions. It was clarified that the water-soluble low molecular fraction (mainly sugars) in RBF acted as a carbon source for fermentation in the dough and the water-soluble high molecular fraction acted as a gluten substitute. Pectin in the water-soluble high molecular fraction was further analyzed for four fractions separated based on differential solvent solubility. The main pectin was chelate-soluble pectin. The RBF was shown to be a good material for gluten-free breadmaking.