The components of the volatile oils from the straws of Oryza sativa L. (Onshinomai, Asamurasaki, Hinohikari) were analyzed by capillary GC/GC-MS. The quantification of volatile compounds in the oils was made by the internal standard method, using palmitic acid as reference substance. Palmitic acid was the most abundant component in these samples, followed by hexahydrofarnesyl acetone and phytol.

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Carotenoids and their fatty acid esters in the carapace of the spiny lobster Panulirus japonicus were investigated. Fatty acid esters of astaxanthin, adonixanthin, and pectenolone were characterized by ¹H-NMR and FAB-MS. The acylated position of adonixanthin and pectenolone monoesters was determined to be a hydroxy group at C-3’ by ¹H-NMR. The fatty acids esterified with these carotenoids were identified as C22:6, C20:4, C20:5, C18:0, C18:1, C17:0, C16:0, C16:1, C14:0, and C12:0 from FAB-MS spectral data. Furthermore, 2,3-didehydrocanthaxanthin (4) was first identified as a natural product.

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Heated frying oils with different chemical properties in terms of AV (acid value), POV (peroxide value), COV (carbonyl value), and contents of polar compounds (PC) and triacylglycerol (TG), as well as color and odor, were obtained. Male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum for 12 weeks a powdered diet (AIN93G; no fat) containing 7 wt% of fresh oil (control) or one of the frying oils described above. The rats were subjected to anthropometric measurements, hematological analyses, and observations of the liver and kidneys. All of the rats grew well, and no gross symptoms attributable to the experimental oils were observed. However, the rats fed a diet containing the heated oil developed apparent liver damage to different degrees regardless of the chemical properties of the ingested oils. Thus, it was suggested that the chemical properties evaluated here had little to do with the cytotoxicity of heated oil, although the properties express quality of oil. Volatile compounds seem to be major candidates for the toxic agents in heated oil because oils with rancid and deteriorated odor show strong toxicity.

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Since 1998, Japan Soap and Detergent Association has been continuously evaluating the concentrations of four surfactants used in household detergents and fabric conditioners in river surface water: linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), polyoxyethylene alkyl ether (AE), alkyldimethylamine oxide (AO) and dialkyl dimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC) in Japanese urban rivers, in order to assess the risks of surfactants on aquatic organisms. Surfactant concentrations in the river water in June and September were found to be lower than those in March and December, the season where water temperature is lower, suggesting that the rates of biodegradation in environmental water differ depending on the water temperature. All the measured surfactant concentrations were below the reported predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) and have been decreasing year by year; suggesting that surfactant risk on aquatic organisms in Japanese rivers is low under current conditions.

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In the present study, the essential oil from seven common spices, Anethum graveolens, Cuminum cyminum, Illicium verum, Myristica fragrans, Nigella sativa, Piper nigrum and Trachyspermum ammi was isolated and its insecticidal, oviposition, egg hatching and developmental inhibitory activities were determined against pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus. These essential oils caused death of adults and larvae of Callosobruchus chinensis when fumigated. The 24-h LC₅₀ values against the adults of the insect were 8.9 μl, 10.8 μl, 11.0 μl, 12.5 μl, 13.6 μl, 14.8 μl and 15.6 μl for N. sativa, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi oils respectively. On the other hand, against larval stage these values were 6.4 μl, 7.9 μl, 8.9 μl, 11.1 μl, 11.7 μl, 12.2 μl and 13.5 μl for N. sativa, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi respectively. These essential oils reduced the oviposition potential, egg hatching rate, pupal formation and emergence of adults of F₁ progeny of the insect when fumigated with sublethal concentrations. These essential oils also caused chronic toxicity as the fumigated insects caused less damage to the stored grains. The essential oil of N. sativa was found most effective against all the different stages of the Callosobruchus chinensis followed by A. graveolens, C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi oils. All the responses were found concentration-dependent. The toxic and developmental inhibitory effects may be due to suffocation and inhibition of various biosynthetic processes of the insects at different developmental stages.

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To investigate anti-inflammatory effects of carotenoids from Halocynthia roretzi, gene expression levels were measured for pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes in the murine macrophage-like cell line, RAW264.7, stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). All-trans alloxanthin, all-trans diatoxanthin, and their 9-cis isomers isolated from H. roretzi significantly suppressed expression of IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA in cells induced by LPS without cytotoxicity. The expression level of IL-1β mRNA in cells treated with 25 μM all-trans alloxanthin for 24 h, followed by stimulation with 0.1 μg/mL LPS for 24 h in the presence of carotenoid decreased to 33.7±3.0% from that of control cells stimulated with LPS alone. All-trans diatoxanthin, 9-cis alloxanthin and 9-cis diatoxanthin also decreased expression of IL-1β mRNA to 25.1±2.1, 28.2±0.9 and 32.9±3.3%, respectively, from that of control cells stimulated with LPS. IL-1β production in culture medium was also suppressed by all-trans alloxanthin and all-trans diatoxanthin. Furthermore, all-trans alloxanthin, all-trans diatoxanthin and their 9-cis isomers suppressed the over-expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and nitric oxide synthase mRNA in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS. The suppressive effects of these carotenoids were remarkable compared to those of β-carotene and zeaxanthin.

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An inhibitor of human tyrosinase activity in rum distillate wastewater was isolated and identified as (S)-(+)-imperanene (1). (S)-(+)-Imperanene significantly inhibited tyrosinase isolated from HMV-II cells (IC₅₀ 1.85 mM). Inhibition kinetics studies revealed that imperanene is a competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase when L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine is used as the substrate. The inhibitory activities of 1, O-β-D-glucopyranosyl imperanene (2) and O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3-methoxyl imperanene (3) were 1>2>3.

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