Blue-green algae, Nostoc commune and Aphanothece sacrum suringar contain much amounts of dietary fiber. Pectin-like substance (OOSS) was extracted from the algae by the method of ammonium oxalate-oxalic acid solution. The hypocholesterolemic effect of the two kinds of algae and OOSS obtained from them was examined in the rats fed a cholesterol diet.
The atherogenic diets containing 5% algae and 1.65% OOSS from ishikurage or 1.50% OOSS from suizenji-nori were given to five-week-old Wistar rats for 21 days. Serum and liver cholesterol concentrations were significantly depressed in those rats fed ishikurage and OOSS from the both algae, however, suizenji-nori did not affect serum and liver cholesterol concentration.
Among them, OOSS found in ishikurage was the most effective in lowering the serum and liver cholesterol concentrations.

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Dried shiitake mushrooms were rehydrated with ultrasonic-irradiation in search for rational rehydration methods. Its effects on the texture properties and the preference test were studied. The following results were obtained; water absorption by the shiitake mushrooms, the color of yellowing of the rehydration liquid and its browning were greater with ultrasonic-irradiation than in the control without the irradiation. The irradiated shiitake mushrooms had less hardness and gumminess and were softer. Irradiation time was 20 min and total immersion time was 2 h for Jyodonko and 1 h for Jyokoshin at 5°C and 25°C which are within a suitable rehydration range. Under these conditions, water absorption reached 90% of the maximum and the shiitake mushrooms scored high preference points in such properties as softness and gumminess. Irradiation slightly affected on the content of RNA and the composition of 5'-GMP, 5'-AMP, 5'-UMP, 5'-CMP and free amino acids in steam-cooked shiitake mushrooms.

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The effects of heating rate on the changes of free amino acids and adenosine triphosphate-related compounds during cooking of various meats were examined in relation to the “umami” intensity of the extracts prepared from these meats.
In all meats, free amino acids, inosine and hypoxanthine increased, but inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) decreased during cooking. Rates of these changes were different with species of meat, and with different heating rates.
The “umami” intensity values of these meats were calculated using Yamaguchi's equation (1967) on the basis of the molar concentrations of IMP and glutamic acid in meats. On cooking, the calculated “umami” intensity increased in sea bream, yellowfin tuna and keta salmon, but decreased in threeline grunt and beef. These changes in calculated “umami” intensity during cooking were in good agreement with the results obtained by the sensory evaluation of the extracts prepared from the meats of threeline grunt, pork and sea bream.

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The effect of kiwi fruit juice on tenderness of pork for using daily cooking was investigated. The results obtained were as follows :
1) Evaluation of tenderness was made by a texturometer and sensory comparison. These results showed that the pork sorked for 20 min in the kiwi fruit juice, equivalent to 50% of the pork's weight, was in the optimum condition in terms of tenderness and deliciousness in our experimental conditions. On the other hand, because it lost the texture unique to meat and became too tender, the pork sorked in the kiwi fruit juice for 24 h was not liked by all panels.
2) The changes in muscular tissue treated with kiwi fruit juice were shown by microscopy. The myofibril located on the surface of the pork was granulated. As for the heated pork, these granules were piled on the surface of the pork.
3) The comparison in SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern of myofibrils was made between the surface pork and the inside pork. It has been found out that the kiwi fruit juice treatment discomposed the myosin of the surface pork into 150, 000 dalton fragments.
These results suggest that pork becomes tender when the myofibrils on the surface granulate and it is the best way for daily cooking to sork pork for 20 min in the kiwi fruit juice equal to 50% of the pork's weight.

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In this study we examined the effect of temperature on self-degradation of a highly purified protease derived from kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis). The results obtained were as follows :
1) A protease was purified to homogeneity from kiwi fruit with a 42% activity yield.
2) Caseinolytic activity of purified protease increased linearly up to 20 min at 30°C.
3) The purified protease maintained nearly all of its caseinolytic activity after 30 min at 30-50°C, but the activity completely disappeared after 20 min at 70°C and after 3 min at 100°C.
4) The purified protease maintained not only peptide chain of itself but also its caseinolytic activity after 24 h at 30°C. On the other hand, after heating for 24 h at 50°C, the caseinolytic activity decreased to a level of 8% even though the peptide chain of itself had not degraded.
These results suggest that the protease purified from kiwi fruit has a high resistance against self-degradation by heat treatment.

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Wheat gluten was hydrolyzed by six proteases, pepsin, rapidase, actinase, bromelain, bioprase and papain. Peptide fractions possessing molecular weight between 500 and 10, 000 (MW 500-10, 000) were prepared from their gluten hydrolyzates with ultrafiltration. Peptide fractions (MW 500-10, 000) from gluten hydrolyzate by five proteases except for actinase elicited strong bitterness, while one by actinase elicited slight bitterness and umami. Deamidation of the latter peptide fraction in 0.5 N HCl at 120°C for 15 min further decreased its bitterness and increased its umami. This deamidated peptide fraction was separated into two fractions with MW 500-1, 000 and MW 1, 000-10, 000. The addition of the former to the niboshi soup stock have shown to enhance its umami.

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The eating habits of sea vegetables (edible seaweeds) in the Sanin coastal area were investigated by informal interview of the residents. The results were as follows : (1) 27 kinds of sea vegetables were eaten, and many kinds of brown algae were eaten in the eastern part of the Sanin coastal area. On the other hand, in the western part, many kinds of red algae were eaten. (2) The sea vegetables were harvested for the income and self-sufficient food. For instance, wakame, mozuku and iwanori were the efficient sources of income. (3) The properties of sea vegetables that the residents learned from their experiences were utilized in the traditional method of drying, storing, and processing the sea vegetables. (4) The sea vegetables were used as the daily food, the substitutes for the vegetables in the winter and the emergency food in a famine. (5) Many kinds of sea vegetables have been used as the foods for events concerning both Buddhist and Shintoist rituals.
Concerning these characteristics of eating habits of sea vegetables, the regional differences of the kinds of sea vegetables and the foods for events were seen in the eastern and western parts of Sanin coastal area, and these were greatly influenced by the ecological features of sea vegetables, the natural and human living environment in the Sanin coastal area, and the long history of using sea vegetables.

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As a basic study for drycleaning, the effect of surfactant (Aerosol OT) concentration on the adhesion of spherical particles of hydrated iron (III) oxide (Fe₂O₃·H₂O) has been investigated.
The amounts of adhesion to staple fibers of polyester, nylon-6 and cupra rayon were determined in n-hexane, n-heptane, n-undecane, tetrachloroethylene and ethyl alcohol in the presence of the surfactant at dilute concentration, in an incubator at 20°C after 48 h of weak mechanical oscillation.
The amounts of adhesion decreased with the concentration of the surfactant in the solvents except ethyl alcohol; critical concentrations for the depletion of adhered iron oxide were observed at dilute concentrations characteristic to the solvent species.
These observations led a conclusion that the critical amounts of the surfactant necessary for the dispersion of 1 g of the iron oxide were 3.3×10^-4 mol in the petroleum solvents and 2.0×10^-4 mol in tetrachloroethylene, respectively.
In ethyl alcohol, the amount of adhesion was very small as compared with those in the nonpolar solvents and hence no effect of the surfactant was observed.

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The purpose of this study is to examine the role of clothing and personal character in the expression of wearing image by comparing clothing and personal image. The results are as follows :
1) A factor analysis of 37 clothings selected from fashion magazines generated factors for coolness, femininity and modernity. Based on the factor scores, the clothings could be classified into five types : feminine, casual, sporty, elegant and modern.
2) Image of 66 persons was composed of six factors : fineness, elegance, ordinary, familiarity, smallishness and vigor. The persons could be classified into seven groups : general, elegant, activity, cuteness, coolness, healthy and individuality.
3) Wearing image of representative persons was shown by four factors : evaluation, femininity, adultness and modernity. The relation between personal character and clothing design on the wearing image was analyzed by quantification theory III. The evaluation, femininity, or modernity factors were mainly influenced by personal character and clothing design. The adultness factor was chiefly affected by clothing design.

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