We examined the antioxidant and antibacterial capacities of fukugetin and five flavonoids from Fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica). Their capacities were compared with those of known structural analogs. Antioxidant capacities of the compounds were determined using different assays: radical scavenging capacity [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)] ; oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) ; and superoxide scavenging activity. All the compounds showed strong antioxidant capacity in all methods. In particular, fukugetin, a biflavonoid composed of the monomers naringenin and luteolin, showed highest antioxidant capacity among the compounds tested. The values were comparable to those of known antioxidants. In the DPPH and ABTS assays, the luteolin structure of fukugetin appeared to contribute to its antioxidant capacity. In the ORAC assay, the high antioxidant capacity of fukugetin resulted from the additive effect of naringenin and luteolin structures. Fukugetin also showed antibacterial capacity against some gram-positive bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration estimated by disk diffusion method was 0.125－1mg/mℓ, which is equivalent to known flavonoids such as kaempferol or quercetin. Our results showed the potential of fukugetin not only as an antioxidant but also as an antibacterial agent.

　An efficient method to extract phospholipids (PLs) from the residues of squid processing was studied. Considering its application to various foods, PL extraction with hexane-ethanol (HE) was tested and shown to achieve 75%-85% extraction efficiency compared to that with chloroform-methanol. Analysis of the lipid composition using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) revealed that 51.3% of lipids in the internal organs of squids (goro) were triacylglycerols (TGs), whereas PLs accounted for only 19.2%. In contrast, the lipid composition in squid arms (geso), mantle hemlines (suso), and fins (mimi) was similar. In squid arms, the TG content was extremely low at 3.3% and the PL content was as high as 50.9%. The HE extract from geso was subjected to acetone fractionation and preparative TLC to obtain highly purified PLs. The purified PLs were analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the fatty acid composition and found to contain 10.8% icosapentaenoic acid and 19.0% docosahexaenoic acid, which are highly unsaturated fatty acids. When converted into the extracted amount per 1.0 kg fresh Japanese common squid, we found that 6.7 and 8.0g PLs could be extracted from goro and geso, respectively.

　Novel lactic acid bacteria Enterococcus sp. AG34 was isolated from sugar cane bagasse. AG34 was grown in sugar cane juice and produced γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), for which addition of yeast extract was not necessary. AG34 was inoculated into sugar cane juice containing 0.2% sodium glutamate and cultured at 30℃. GABA-enriched Kokuto containing 357.4 mg GABA per 100 g Kokuto was made from juice that was fermented for 24 h. In addition, the data suggested that AG34 does not produce any substance that inhibits the solidification of Kokuto.

　With the goal of developing a jerky meat product that takes advantage of the characteristics of emu neck meat, we designed a production process and tested a composition ratio for a pickle solution. Relative to meat weight, the pickle solution contained water at 40%, salt at 2.5%, coarsely ground black pepper at 1.0%, garlic powder at 2.0%, ginger powder at 0.1%, trehalose at 3.0%, a color-developing agent at 0.3%, sodium ascorbate at 0.2%, and trisodium phosphate at 0.3%. After boiling for 1 min, the mixture was left to cool before being used. Following pickling in this solution for 2 days, emu neck meat was ground and mixed in a food processor for 1 min. The obtained ground meat was then shaped into a 5.0mm-thick patty. Subsequently, this patty was subjected to preliminary drying (55℃, 120 min), main drying (60℃, 60 min), preliminary smoking (60℃, 60 min), and finally main smoking (67℃, 60 min) to produce a jerky meat product. The emu neck jerky meat produced in this process had significantly subdued animal odor, exhibited excellent physical properties and coloration, and satisfied the standards of Japanese food hygiene legislation. From a physicochemical perspective, the emu jerky meat produced in the present study contained more protein, less fat, fewer calories, and more iron than commercially available products, reflecting the characteristics of emu neck meat. Compared to commercially available products, our emu jerky meat exhibited better physical properties, had improved coloration and sensory aesthetics, and contained less salt. These attributes demonstrate that we successfully developed a health-oriented emu jerky meat product with excellent texture, color, taste, and flavor.