Goishi tea, a post-fermented tea, is produced in Otoyo town in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. It is produced by two-step aerobic-anaerobic fermentation process. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the major antioxidant compounds in Goishi tea. Liquid-liquid partitioning and various types of column chromatography were used to obtain the unknown antioxidant compounds in Goishi tea. Subsequently, pyrogallol and t-3, t-4-dihydroxycyclohexane-r-1-carboxylic acid were newly identified as antioxidant compounds by using IR, LC-MS, and NMR analyses. The pyrogallol content in Goishi tea was 11.9mg/g dry weight and its contribution to the O₂^- scavenging activity of Goishi tea was 28.2%. From these results, pyrogallol was determined to be one of the main antioxidant compounds in Goishi tea. Additionally, the change in pyrogallol content during Goishi tea production was investigated. The pyrogallol content increased during steaming and aerobic fermentation (days 1-5), then gradually decreased during the final stage of aerobic fermentation (day 6), anaerobic fermentation, and sun-drying; indicating that pyrogallol was formed mainly during aerobic fermentation. In the future, we intend to investigate the relationship between pyrogallol and the reported food functionalities of Goishi tea, such as its inhibitory effects on hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and diet-induced obesity.

　In this work, nicotianamine content in 142 plant parts of 79 edible plants species was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography, with pre-column derivatization using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride. The change in nicotianamine content in vegetables during cold storage and cooking process was also investigated. Of the 142 plant part studied, nicotianamine was detected in 138 parts. The highest amount of nicotianamine was found in soybean seeds, 289.7μg g^－1 FW, followed by snow pea seeds, 232.1μg g^－1 FW. In a comparison of the nicotianamine content present in different parts of the bean plant belonging to Fabaceae family, the seedpod was found to contain a significantly lesser amount than the seed part. Two squashes, of the Cucumis family, the Kabocha squash seed and Butternut squash seed were also rich in nicotianamine content, which was found to be 149.6μg g^－1 FW and 137.7μg g^－1 FW, respectively. Furthermore, seeds of the White Sapote fruit had a relatively high nicotianamine content of 52.58μg g^－1 FW. In the other four samples of this fruit, either nicotianamine was present in a significantly lesser amount or it could not be detected. The residual percentage of nicotianamine after a period of one week in cold storage was almost the same when compared to fresh samples. A comparison of four cooking methods of three vegetables revealed that the residual nicotianamine content dramatically decreased by 24.3% in beans during the boiling process, in contrast to raw kidney beans. On the other hand, the residual nicotianamine content was nearly the same or changed very little (103.2%－86.7%) in all tested samples after microwaving.

　Cultivation of apples of 'AKIBAE' without leaf-pluck is suggested to be significantly different from the traditional cultivation methods and thought to reduce labor hours.

　Cultivation without leaf-pluck resulted in higher sugar content (without Shadow light Brix), and improved the fruit quality, as determined using non-destructive analytical techniques.

　We found a strong correlation between the softness of the fruit and the starch index when adjusted for parameters such as fruit maturity, pH, acidity, and hardness. The pH and acidity were negatively correlated, while a positive correlation was observed between the hardness of inner flesh and outer softness. Thus, the hardness of inner flesh as a variable had a strong effect on the objective variable, outer softness.

　We investigated the inhibitory actions of oral noncentrifugal cane brown sugar (Kokuto) on mental stress in healthy subjects. When the subjects orally consumed 5 g of Kokuto before a 15-min Uchida-Kraepelin psychodiagnostic test (pre-task group), the salivary levels of stress biomarkers, including chromogranin A, α-amylase, secretory immunoglobulin A, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone, were lower at 5 min after the test compared with those in the control group. However, Kokuto intake after the stress task (post-task group) showed little inhibitory effects. Subjective ratings for mental state using the visual analog scale were significantly lower in the pre-task group than in the control group, while the post-task group showed no significant differences. Moreover, Profile of Mood States scores showed a positive influence on the five negative mood states, which consequently improved vigor, in the pre-task group. These results suggest that oral intake of 5 g of Kokuto may efficiently suppress mental stress.