Antioxidant properties of 29 tea extracts and catechins were evaluated using 4 different antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, WST-1, and ferric thiocyanate assay). The DPPH and the ABTS assays were used to determine the radical scavenging capacity whereas, the WST-1 assay was used to determine superoxide radical scavenging activity. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation was determined using the ferric thiocyanate assay. Significant correlation was observed between the DPPH assay values and those from the ABTS and WST-1 assays (r＝0.988, 0.953). However, lower correlation was observed for values obtained using the DPPH and the ferric thiocyanate assay (r＝0.556). The total catechin content in tea extracts exhibited strong correlation with the antioxidant values determined using DPPH, ABTS, and WST-1 assays (r＝0.973, 0.964, 0.955). Comparison of the determined antioxidant values and the predicted antioxidant values based on catechin content of the extracts revealed that the contribution of catechins to the whole antioxidant activity of the extracts was 95% for DPPH, 104% for ABTS, 92% for WST-1, and 67% for ferric thiocyanate. These results suggest that compounds in the extract, other than catechins, contributed to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

　Fish sauce is a popular condiment for cooking and dipping, especially in Southeastern Asian countries, owing to its distinctive flavor and taste. Biochemically, proteins in fish are degraded into small molecules, which contribute to taste. Fish sauce is prepared with halophilic bacteria, which also contribute to its flavor. In this study, we assessed the chemical properties of 46 fish sauce products from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Italy using chemical and electric nose (e-nose) analyses. Fish sauce products exhibited significant variations in salt concentration, protein degradation products, acidic compounds, as well as flavors characterized with the e-nose. These variations probably arise from differences in procedures for preparation of fish sauce products, and are related to country-specific preferences and acceptance for food taste and flavor selected by consumers.

　Today, information technology has enabled the accumulation of large amounts of data from social websites and the simple extraction of such data using search engines. The history of data extraction would reflect the people's interests and be useful to understand consumer behavior. On the other hand, fish sauce production is gaining interest because inedible fish materials and fish with low market value can be used to produce fish sauce; hence, many varieties of fish sauces are produced throughout Japan. This study aimed to give new value to salmon fish sauce based on data-mining of the internet activity of consumers and electronic sensor analyses of the products. Mining Google search activity indicated that Japanese consumers associate fish sauce produced in Japan with a limited type of dishes, namely nabe cuisine (a Japanese-style stew). It also suggested the increasing popularity of shirako as an ingredient in nabe cuisine. Based on these findings, we attempted to produce salmon fish sauce by supplementing the fermentation materials with shirako, as well as by using salmon of low market value. The products were evaluated with an e-panel, a combination of electronic nose (e-nose), tongue (e-tongue), and eye (e-eye) analyses. The results indicated that the fish sauce products made with low-quality salmon compared favorably to those made with high-quality salmon, and supplementing the fermentation materials with shirako does not significantly affect the flavor, taste, or appearance of the products.

　The quality of the pulp and flesh of fruits and vegetables is a key determinant of their commercial value. In the case of tomatoes, sugar content is an important index of their quality; they also contain lycopene, which has proven health benefits. To preserve these components, non-destructive methods to evaluate the quality of tomatoes are required. For large- and medium-sized tomatoes, this can be achieved using visible near-infrared spectroscopy. To date, however, no calibration curves have been developed for non-destructive measurement of sugar and lycopene content of many different cherry (mini) tomatoes. In this study, we developed a non-destructive method to conduct rapid and simultaneous measurements of sugar and lycopene content in cherry tomatoes, and subsequently generated high-precision calibration curves that were incorporated into an existing measuring instrument. The correlation coefficients of the sugar and lycopene content were 0.97 and 0.96, respectively. Measurement of sugar and lycopene content of many different cherry tomatoes, regardless of their shape, color, and size, was conducted using the calibration curves, and the results were not influenced by the temperature of the fruit. The results of this study suggest that non-destructive methods can be applied to measure sugar and lycopene content of cherry tomatoes, and these methods will contribute to the branding and sale of these tomatoes.