Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the leading causes of liver disease in the 21st century. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an advanced form of NAFLD and is a disease of concern in Japan. In this study, essential oil components and bisacurone fractions extracted from turmeric powder with 50% ethanol and fractionated with n-hexane were added to an originally designed high fat and high fructose (HFF-CD) diet and fed to SHRSP5/Dmcr rats for 12 weeks. Blood samples were taken and necropsy was performed to determine liver and lipid weight, serum ALT, AST, TG, liver TG, TBARS levels, and lipid metabolism-related gene expression. Histopathological examination of the liver and systolic blood pressure measurements were also performed. There was a significant decrease in TBARS levels in the liver, an increasing trend in PPAR-α and a decreasing trend in PPAR-γ in the lipid metabolism-related gene test in the BIS and HF groups. In addition, a significant inhibition of systolic blood pressure increase was observed in the BIS and EF groups. These results suggest that a fraction of bisacurone inhibits fat accumulation in the liver by promoting lipid metabolism in NASH model rats. It was also found to have an inhibitory effect on blood pressure elevation in NASH model rats.

Kaki tannins bind tightly to proteins. In this study, we utilized this property to prepare food ingredients for nursing care using substandard astringent persimmon ‘Saijo’ fruits. Pastes mixed with different proportions of soy milk and astringent persimmon paste and foamy samples treated with espuma, one of the cooking utensils, were prepared and evaluated for soluble tannin content (astringency index), density (an indicator of foam raising), sample height (an indicator of foam stability), color tone, and texture evaluation index (hardness stress, adhesion, cohesion). The results indicate that as the percentage of astringent persimmon paste (APP) increased, the sample height, a* (from green to red) and b* values (from blue to yellow), hardness stress, and adhesion increased. When the texture evaluation index were compared with the evaluation criteria for foods for people with swallowing difficulties, it became clear that paste and foam samples with more than 30% astringency persimmon paste met Standard Criterion Ⅲ, suggesting that they are suitable for use as food for nursing care patients.