γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)-enriched non-centrifugal brown sugar, "Kokuto", was developed by lactic acid fermentation method. Lactobacillus brevis NBRC 3345 was inoculated into sugar cane juice containing added sodium glutamate and yeast extract and cultured at 30℃. Addition of the yeast extract was necessary for GABA production by L. brevis NBRC 3345 from sugar cane juice. Sodium glutamate and yeast extract were added to the sugar cane juice to a concentration of 0.2% each. GABA-enriched Kokuto containing 275mg GABA per 100g Kokuto was made successfully from the juice fermented for 24h. Solid Kokuto could not be produced from juice fermented for 30h. However, it was possible to produce solid Kokuto containing 302mg GABA per 100g Kokuto, when fresh juice and fermented juice were mixed in a ratio of 1:4.

　The effect of the intake of apple vinegar containing yuzu juice on psychological stress was investigated in healthy young women. The subjects used in this study were 16 healthy female university students (22 ± 1 years old), who ingested 100mℓ of the apple vinegar drink twice a day (before breakfast and before supper) for 3 weeks. Next, the changes in the mental stress indices of the group that consumed the drink were compared to those of the control group. In the test, the subjects ingested 100mℓ of the test beverage. 30 minutes after the ingestion, they were subjected to a stressor, which was a simple mental task. After this, they were given a 60-min rest. Blood flow and heart rate variability measurements, electroencephalography, and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to determine the mental stress indices. The blood flow, parasympathetic nerve activity index, and alpha/beta ratio in the group that consumed the drink were significantly higher than those in the control group. There was a correlation between blood flow and alpha waves. From these results, the apple vinegar drink was shown to have a psychological stress-reducing effect.

　This study aimed at elucidating the viscous properties of 'Kitanebari' by comparing its tororo with that of Nagaimo and Ichoimo. Of the three varieties of yam, Nagaimo had the highest water content in its lower part, followed by 'Kitanebari' and Ichoimo. After the yams were grated into tororo, an equal weight of water was added to prepare hydrated tororo, which was then measured for viscosity at 25℃. The hydrated tororo of Ichoimo had the highest viscosity, followed by that of 'Kitanebari' and Nagaimo. The above results indicate that the viscosity of tororo is proportionate to the solid content of the yam. Therefore, a hydrated tororo with a solid content of 10% was prepared for each yam variety, and its viscosity was measured at 25℃. The resulting viscosities were 5,880 mPa・s for 'Kitanebari', 1,750 mPa・s for Nagaimo, and 1,450 mPa・s for Ichoimo. Furthermore, at both low (5℃) and high (50℃) temperatures, the hydrated tororo of 'Kitanebari' with 10% solid content consistently exhibited a high viscosity of 6,100 mPa･s and 5,500 mP, respectively. These findings demonstrate a characteristically high viscosity of this newly developed 'Kitanebari' cultivar unlike that of any conventional yam varieties, thus increasing expectations pertaining to new applications and leading to an increase in demand.

　The internal blue discoloration observed in Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus L.) roots is a physiological disorder that occurs several days after harvest. The incidence of this phenomenon has been shown to be temperature- and cultivar-dependent. In this study, we stored the susceptible cultivar 'Fukuhomare' under different packaging conditions, and investigated the relationship between gas concentrations and the occurrence of internal disorders, focusing on internal blue discoloration. At an ambient temperature of 20℃ with 21% oxygen, blue discoloration was observed after an approximate 5-day storage period. Under 7% oxygen, blue discoloration appeared after approximately 8 days of storage. It appears that by lowering oxygen concentrations, the occurrence of internal disorders, mainly internal discoloration, could be delayed. These results suggest that atmospheric oxygen concentrations affect the occurrence of blue pigmentation in radishes. In addition, low oxygen concentrations as a result of appropriate packaging are found to be effective in preventing the occurrence of internal blue discoloration in the Japanese radish.