Object: Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide in brown marine algae. Gagome kombu (Kjellmaniella crassifolia) is a Japanese edible seaweed and contains fucoidan abundantly. Recently, it was reported that fucoidan from Gagome kombu (GKF) had anti-tumor, immune-enhancing and anti-coagulant activities. In this study, we conducted a safety of GFK on the healthy adult.
Methods: Thirty-two healthy volunteers were randomly divided into 4 groups and administered a standard volume and three times volume of two kinds of test drinks containing GKF for 4 weeks.
Result: No abnormal changes were observed after test drinks ingestion on blood chemistry, urinalysis, hematological data and blood pressure. No severe adverse events related to test drinks were observed. Moreover, increase of Th1 cells was observed in immunological analysis.
Conclusion: This study suggests that GKF is safe in healthy adults.

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Fish sausage is a common food in Japan. It is mainly made from surimi, which contains a high amount of fish protein. Although it has been reported that the administration of fish protein reduces blood total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides in experimental animals, it has not been studied whether the intake of fish protein improves blood cholesterol profiles in humans. In the present study, male subjects (n = 20) with fasting blood LDL-cholesterol (140–179 mg/dL) were enrolled. Subjects consumed a total of 225 g of fish sausage daily for 8 weeks, and the total ingestion dose of fish protein was 13.5 g/day. Blood total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic index were significantly reduced (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively), and HDL-cholesterol was significantly increased (p < 0.01) by fish sausage intake after 4 and/or 8 weeks of intervention without side effects. These results imply that the short-term intake of fish protein achieved by the eating of fish sausage improves cholesterol profiles in hypercholesterolemia subjects.

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We evaluated the safety of fucoidan from Gagome Kombu (GKF) in genotoxicity tests. In bacterial reverse mutation test, GKF had no reverse mutation inducing activity on five bacterial strains with or without S9 metabolic activation. In chromosome aberration test, GKF had neither structural nor numerical chromosome aberration inducibility with or without S9 metabolic activation. In micronucleus test, neither formation of micronuclei nor decrease of mironucleated reticulocytes was observed in the bone marrow of the mice treated by GKF. These results indicate that GKF has no genotoxic activities under the condition of this study.

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We analyzed the relation between subjective fatigue by hard exercise and stress hormone and cytokine data. The subjects are eight healthy men who had exercise experience. In this experiment, hard exercise was carried out in the first place. After two-hour rest, a performance test was carried out. The blood test was conducted 4 times (before exercise, after exercise, rest, and a performance test). Subjective fatigue was indicated using visual analogue scale (VAS). After the hard exercise and performance test, VAS increased and showed the significant difference. Lactic acid, adrenaline, noradrenaline, growth hormone, IL-6, and IL-8 increased after each exercise and showed the significant difference. Subjective fatigue and the value of lactic acid, and IL-6 showed significant positive correlations. These results suggest that lactic acid, and IL-6 may become an index of fatigue in this exertion model.

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Objective: The soybean has long been an important protein source for approximately 5000 years in Oriental countries. Therefore, soy protein has been widely investigated for its variety of function. However, the side effects had been reported for its close structure of the female hormone, estrogen. In this report, we prepare a new soy peptide derivative and focus on the potency, with special attention to the linkage of peripheral leukocytes in number, emotional hormone and brain blood flow.
Method: Dried powder of soybean-protein or peptide were administered orally at dosage 8g (dry weight) suspension, the blood sample was collected before and after one week at the same hour and served for assessment in order to avoid circadian rhythm.
Results: The cell numbers were up-regulated in the group that had a smaller number of leukocytes before the test, but in the larger number group before the test, they were down-regulated in the soybean-protein and peptide. Therefore, when the number of all subjects were totaled and make mean, indicating no difference. As for the leukocyte subsets, lymphocyte numbers of CD_11b⁺ cells, and CD₅₆⁺ cells significantly increased after ingestion of a single gradient in the soybean-peptide group. On the contrary, only CD₁₉⁺ cell counts were down regulated. In the soybean-peptide group, the adrenalin level in serum, which is regarded as one of the emotional hormones, was down regulated, and another emotional hormone, dopamine, was up regulated. There were no change of CD positive cells and emotional hormones in the soy protein and placebo group. In NIRS, a significant increase in amplitude of all the frequency bands was observed in the peptide group just after 5 min of administration by the sample, peptide.
Conclusion: These results indicate that the soybean peptides can regulate the leukocyte subsets and emotional hormones are also closely related with the change of the brain blood flow in healthy young volunteers.

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Objective: We studied the effect of food consumption and exercise training (EX) on the oxidative stress regulation system and exercise capacity in mice.
Methods: As subjects of this study, we used 46 male mice, which were classified randomly into four groups: one that consumed the reduced coenzyme Q10 (H₂CoQ10: QH), one that consumed QH and took EX, one that took EX, and a control group. All the groups were set to keep running to their limit on a treadmill for animals. We measured the exercise capacity (running time) of each group at the beginning and after three, six, and nine months of this study. For the oxidative stress regulation system, we used reactive oxygen and free radical analysis equipment at the beginning and 6 months later of this study. We measured plasma oxidative stresses (d-ROM test) and plasma anti-oxidant potential (BAP test) to calculate the ratio of d-ROM to BAP. After nine months of this study we measured plasma anti-oxidants (ANTI-ROM test), values of plasma QH and plasma Q10 to calculate the reduced ratio.
Result: As a short-term effect of exercise capacity, prolonged running time were recognized by a combination of QH consumption and EX, and as a long-term effect, prolonged running time was recognized by QH consumption. For the oxidative stress regulation system, d-ROM test and ANTI-ROM test did not show any effect of QH consumption or combination of QH consumption and EX. However an elevated value was indicated in the reduced ratio by a combination of QH consumption and EX.
Conclusion: This study has revealed that a combination of QH consumption and EX has an effect on exercise capacity and the oxidative stress regulation system such as reduced ratio.

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Objective: Lentinus edodes (Shiitake) is a very popular mushroom in Asian cuisine. The water-soluble extract from culture medium of Lentinus edodes mycelia (LEM), which is commercially available as a nutritional supplement, is prepared by hot-water treatment from a solid medium composed of bagasse and defatted-rice bran overgrown for about 4 months with its mycelia. LEM was previously reported to have antioxidant activity and to suppress various oxidative damages. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of 2-week intake of LEM on cerebral ischemic damage induced by hypoxia/ischemia (H/I) followed by reoxygenation in mice were examined.
Method: Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups, fed for two weeks with the control laboratory powder chow, 0.5% LEM-contained chow, or 1% LEM-contained chow, respectively. Cerebral ischemic damage was induced in the mice by H/I (i.e., unilateral ligation of the carotid artery and exposure of 8%O₂ for 30 min). Twenty-four hours after H/I, total plasma oxidative stress, neurological deficits, cerebral infarction volume were evaluated in each group. Furthermore, the number of apoptotic cells in ischemic penumbra, the hippocampal CA1 and CA2, and the somatosensory area of the cortex, were analyzed by TUNEL staining and cleaved caspase-3 immunostaining.
Results: The infarct area assessed 24-h after H/I was extended to the corpus striatum and cortex in the control mice. Treatment of LEM dose dependently improved plasma oxidative stress, neurological deficits, and cerebral infarction volume. Moreover, LEM decreased the levels of dihydroethidium activity as an index of super oxide production and the number of apoptotic cells in ischemic penumbra.
Conclusion: These results show that chronic intake of LEM relieves the hypoxia-induced cerebral ischemic injury, which may be attributed to the antioxidant effects of LEM.

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60 cancer patients between the ages of 20 and 80 who had completed a main treatment were randomly administered Tabebuia Avellanedae (Taheebo) extract 2.0 g/day (usual dosage), 4.0 g/day (2 times dosage), or 6.0 g/day (3 times dosage) for 6 months. A blood biochemical exam, urinalysis, adverse effects, several immunological parameters, urine 8-OHdG and QOLsurvey were evaluated. Five patients dropped out, but there was no direct cause and effect between the extract and dropout. Although several items of the blood biochemical exam revealed slight variation within the normal limits, distinct abnormities were not detected. Furthermore, side effects like allergic symptoms were not found. Immune parameters and urine 8-OHdG did not change significantly. CRP, which is a sensitive marker of inflammation, was significantly improved, and this may suggest the possibility of this extract helping to prevent hardening of blood vessels due to arteriosclerosis. In Japan, long-term food safety tests have rarely been done, therefore we recommend that more of these exams be carried out.

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A 58 year-old man affected by both inoperable pancreatic cancer and colon cancer was treated with chemotherapy gemcitabine and TS1. FR × 6 which contains sixfold effective ingredient, NQ801, was also given simultaneously. Partial response of both pancreatic and colon cancer was obtained by chemotherapy and FR × 6. Further examination of combined therapy will be needed.

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