In this study, we examined the manufacture of dolphin fish sauce using Koji that made of Okara. From the results of brewing test using raw fish meat and the Koji made by Okara, it was expected that the extract content and nitrogen content were high. Then, the steamed fish meat, two kinds of Koji starter, Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae, and two kinds of Koji materials Okara or soy sauce Koji, are used to perform test brewing. The sensory evaluation scores of the fish soy sauce using A.sojae which usually used in soy sauce manufacturing were higher than that of one made not using Koji. In addition, the sensory rating was enhanced by using Koji made by A.oryzae and Okara. The results suggested that the amount of nitrogen, organic acids, sweet-tasting amino acids, and umami amino acids increased because of the use of Okara Koji. Multivariate analysis of the increase in the sensory rating indicated that these aspects influence the sensory rating. We prepared fish sauce with Okara of low availability and A.oryzae used for soy sauce production. In comparison with fish sauce using normal soy sauce Koji by sensory evaluation, we clarified that the better taste of the present fish sauce was correlated to the high levels of sweet-tasting amino acid, umami amino acid and malic acid.

　Kuzu-mochi, which is a traditional Japanese sweet, is made from fermented wheat starch. In this study, we examined changes in wheat starch granules and the microflora during the fermentation of wheat starch. Large, broken granules of starch and gram-positive bacilli were observed during the fermentation process. The pH ranged from 3 to 4 throughout the process. Lactic acid and acetic acid were detected in each fermentation period, with lactic acid being the predominant acid. This result indicates that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are heterolactic fermenters. Viable cell count was determined at the same pH as that of the fermentation medium, and microorganisms that can grow in acidic conditions were isolated. The microflora present during the fermentation process included 2—3 species of aerobic bacteria, fungi and yeast, and approximately 10 species of LAB. PCR-denaturing-gradient-gel-electrophoresis profiles indicated that the microflora remained stable from the pre-fermentation period to about 6 months post-fermentation. Furthermore, the supernatant collected during the pre-fermentation period showed starch hydrolysis activity, and wheat starch was broken by its enzyme. These results suggest that the bacterial community present at the pre-fermentation period can serve as a starter culture for the traditional processing of fermented wheat starch.

　In this work, we evaluated the use of different pitaya fruits in the preparation of malt wort used in the subsequent production of low-malt beers with characteristic colours. Pitaya extracts and juices were obtained from the fruits of Hylocereus polyrhizus (red pitaya) and H. undatus (white pitaya). Preparation procedures were modified to optimize the influence of natural light and temperature on pitaya betacyanins during pitaya sterilization and storage. Our results showed that a sterilization temperature of 70℃, time of 30 min, and growth in the shade resulted in improved wort sterilization, with the characteristic colour of pitaya juice. Under identical culture conditions, using the wort containing sterilized whole and red flesh pitaya juice with an initial betacyanin concentration of 164 mg/ℓ, the ethanol concentration was greater than 5.9%, with betacyanin retention of over 50% at the end of maturation. Additionally, sensory evaluation of the obtained low-malt beers showed that the use of juice from red flesh pitaya was preferred to that of whole red pitaya by most testers. This is the first report describing the processing of low-malt beer using pitaya juice.

　The fruit of the 'Hiratanenashi' persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) over-ripens on the tree by late November as a result of senescence processes. On-tree over-ripened fruits were harvested at this time, and the degree of fruit softening was measured. The 'softening degree' index ranged from 1.5 (firm to moderately soft) to 4 (very soft, or part of the peel ruptured). To clarify the fruit softening processes resulting from on-tree senescence, internal ethylene concentrations, gene expression of ethylene synthesis, and cell-wall-degrading enzymes were investigated in 'Hiratanenashi' persimmon. The internal ethylene concentration increased concomitantly with softening progress. The expression of two ACC synthase (ACS) genes, DkACS1 and DkACS2, and two ACC oxidase (ACO) genes, DkACO1 and DkACO2 were investigated using quantitative PCR. The ACS genes were rate limiting for ethylene production, but ACO genes were constitutive. Genes encoding three polygalacturonases (PG), two pectin methylesterases (PE), two β-galactosidases (Gal), and one α-arabinofuranosidase (Arf) were isolated from an expressed sequence tag (EST) library of on-tree softened pulp, and their expression was investigated. Among these eight isolated genes, the expression of DkPG1, DkPG2, DkGal1, and DkArf1 increased concomitantly with softening progress. In contrast, the expression of DkPG3, DkPE1, DkPE2, and DkGal2 was maintained at low levels throughout the softening progress. These results suggest that DkPG1, DkPG2, DkGal1, and DkArf1 play a coordinated role in on-tree fruit softening that follows PE action by senescence in 'Hiratanenashi'. Two of the PG genes are thought to contribute to a jelly- or soup-like texture at softening degree 4.

　Cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) has been efficiently applied to complexation of vitamin E in brown rice (Rice) and unpolished six-row barley (Barley). The results are shown as follows. ① Rice showed a higher vitamin E content than that of Barley, whereas the composition and contents of tocopherol and tocotrienol of Rice were similar to those of Barley. ② Production of cyclodextrin (CD) from Rice with CGTase showed a tendency to increase in cultivars having lower amylose content. ③ CD was produced from Rice and Barley with CGTase below 30% ethanol concentration. The composition of CD depended on the ethanol concentration of and raw material used. ④ The vitamin E-CD complex was produced below 30% of ethanol concentration by treating Rice and Barley with CGTase, and the content of vitamin E in the complex increased with increasing in ethanol concentration. ⑤ The complex exhibited a high water-solubility (about 90% or higher) below 30% ethanol concentration. ⑥ The complex produced in the presence of ethanol exhibited that the antioxidant capacity increased with increasing ethanol concentration to 30%.