The application of polyphenol extract from barley bran (BPE) to food was studied. By the method for measuring the rate of discoloration of β-caroten coupled with the autoxidation of linolic acid, antioxidative activity of BPE was found to be dependent upon BPE concentration. By the above-mentioned method, BPE had synergistic antioxidative effect with citric acid. On the basis of these results, the application tests of BPE to cookies containing lard and artificial drinks containing different kinds of natural pigments were done and antioxidative activity was evaluated. BPE suppressed the elevation of POV in cookies and exhibited stronger antioxidative effects with the addition of citric acid than that of dl-α-to-copherol. In artificial drinks containing different kinds of natural pigments, BPE exhibited the same or stronger inhibition to degradatoin of beta-caroten, spirulina blue, termeric and gardenia yellow by UV irradiation that these of L- (+) ascorbic acid. These results suggested that BPE might be used as good natural antioxidants in food containing lipid and juice containing different kinds of natural pigments.

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Previously, we have reported on the mitogenic activity of Aloe arborescens Miller, Aloe barbadensis Miller, and Aloe africana Miller. Six fractions, the non-dialyzable fraction of hot water extracts (KS-F2) from the skin of Aloe arborescens Miller, the dialyzable fraction of hot water extracts (BF-F1) from the flesh of Aloe barbadensis Miller, the dialyzable fraction of hot water extracts (AF-F1), the non-dialyzable fraction of 0.1 M NaOH extracts (AF-F3), From the flesh of Aloe africana Miller, and the non-dialyzable fraction of hot water extracts (AS-F2), and the non- dialyzable fraction of 0.1M NaOH extracts (AS-F3) from the skin of Aloe africana Miller, showed mitogenic activity towards cells from mice (_??_), C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ. In this paper, we report on some properties of polysaccharide fractions from which mitogenic activity was shown. A polysaccharide obtained from KS-F2 and AS-F2 which showed strong mitogenic activity with de protein was fractionated and purified by ion-exchange chromatography by DEAE-Toyopearl 650 M. Each of two fractions from KS-F2 mainly contained neutral sugar, and uronic acid. All of three fractions from AS-F2 contained neutral sugar, and one of them contained uronic acid. These results of mitogen activity assays for the major fractions suggested that the activity components of AS-F2 were located in the fraction containing uronic acid, and those of AS-F2 were located in the fraction that had greater amounts of polysaccharides, such as neutral sugar and uronic acid, than the other fractions. A polysaccharide obtained from six fractions was examined regarding the components and molar ratio of sugar by gaschromatography. Its fraction were composed of large amounts of arabinose and galactose.

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The mucilage in yam tubers is a very important factor for the viscosity of yam, but there are a number of unclarified points regarding protein in yam mucilage. therefore, the present report aims at characteristics of protein of mucilage from three kinds of yams (Tsukuneimo, Ichoimo, Nagaimo). The results obtained were as follows : The yam mucilage were composed mainly of sugar (20-40%) and protein (60-80%). Viscosity, sugar and protein contents of mucilage from yam indicated a high rate in the following order. Tsukuneimo, Ichoimo, and Nagaimo. The viscous protein in mucilage gave several protein (490, 280, 160 and 76kDa) or glycoprotein bands (56, 32, 28 and 20kDa) on Native- and SDS-PAGE. Isoelectric points of the protein in mucilage were mainly pH4.7-5.0 on isoelectric focusing. However, the electrophoretic profiles of the protein in mucilage from the Nagaimo tuber differed from those of the Tsukuneimo and Ichoimo tubers.

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Packaging conditions producing different gas environments and respiration model applicability were studied to design suitable packaging for fresh vegetables and fruit. To develop a respiration model, respiration rates must be calculated at different O₂ and CO₂ concentrations. Changing the sample number instead of the packaging film could produce many different gas environments, making it easier to develop respiration models. The respiration model also was applied to eggplants and bananas and in-package gas compositions were simulated. The resulting model could be applied at 10-30°C.

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Cell wall material (CWM) prepared from apple cultivars, cv. Fuji with excellent storability and cv. Kinsei with poor storability, before and after storage were fractionated into four pectic polysaccharide fractions (CDTA-1, CDTA-2, Na₂CO₃-1 and Na₂CO₃-2), three hemicellulose fractions (KOH-1, KOH-2 and KOH-3) and CWM residue (cellulose rich fraction). Quantitative changes of their fractions from apple cultivars with different storability before and after storage were also compared. In cv. Fuji, the weight of each fraction changed only slighting after storage for 42 day at 20°C, but in cv. Kinsei, the weight of Na₂CO₃-1 fraction containing pectic polysaccharides decreased most markedly among 8 fractions after storage for 42 days at 20°C. The analysis of monosaccharide composition of Na₂CO₃-1 fraction showed that the release of arabinose and galactose from the pectic polysaccharide was markedly higher in cv. Kinsei than in cv. Fuji after storage for 42 days at 20°C, suggesting that the reduction of Na₂CO₃-1 fraction is closely correlated with the release of arabinose and galactose moieties from the pectic polysaccharide of Na₂CO₃-1 fraction accompanied by softening. This suggests that degradation of bulky arabinogalactan side chain in major pectic substances, rhamnogalcturonan I in Na₂CO₃-1, may have an important role in the softening process of apples.

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This study was conducted to evaluate the quality changes of fresh Indian shad Tenualosa ilisha during ice storage in a polystyrene insulated box for 24 days. Chemical and visual analyses were carried out every 4th day. Moisture contents decreased significantly from the 16th day of storage. Total crude protein and ash content slightly decreased throughout the period of study. Non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and free fatty acid (FFA) values increased gradually. A positive relationship was observed between the pH and solubility of the fish myofibrillar proteins where solubility decreased greatly (70% to 41%) as the muscle pH of the stored fish decreased. Both chemical analyses and visual appearance examination showed that the quality of Indian shad was in acceptable condition up to the 19th day of ice storage. Results from chemical analyses were well correlated with basic visual appearance.

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Three kinds of hydrolyzed polysaccharide, branched dextrin (B. D.), hydrolyzed guar gum (H. G.), and hydrolyzed xyloglucan (H. X.) were used in this study. Viscosity of their solutions and some properties of carrageenan gel added to them were investigated. The viscosity of hydrolyzed polysaccharides solutions were relatively low in a high concentration solution and no change was found with temperature. The hardness of carrageenan gel added any hydrolyzed polysaccharides were increased respectively. The rate of leaving the water from the gel stood at 3 °C for 180 minutes decreased by hydrolyzed polysaccharides addition, particularly H. G.. The hardness of freeze-thawing carrageenan gel decreased in comparison with non-freezing gel remarkably, although the addition of hydrolyzed polysaccharides improved them. The rate of leaving the water obtained the same results. The SEM appearance of the carrageenan gel network were found to become fine and thick at hydrolyzed polysaccharides addition. So, it was found that the addition of hydrolyzed polysaccharides increased the stability of carrageenan gel.

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