A sensory test was conducted to compare the taste of tomato fruits (type: Saturn) cultured with organic fertilizers or inorganic fertilizers.
Ten women judged the taste of the tomato fruits using a scoring method. Analysis of variance was then conducted by the two way classification.
1) In 1980, both No. 3 cluster and 5 cluster of organic fertilized tomato fruits (OF) were judged to have much better taste than those of inorganic fertilized tomato fruits (IF).
2) In 1981, No. 3 cluster of OF was judged to have better taste. But as for No. 1 cluster and 6 cluster, there was little difference.
3) In 1982, No. 3 cluster of OF tasted better by far but no difference was found with No. 1, 2, 4-7 and 8 cluster.
4) As for color, the samples that had a high score in sensory test did not always show a high score in color test.

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A research was made to see how organic fertilizers affected the reducing sugar, orgnic acid andvitamin C contents of Saturn type tomato fruits.
The tomato plants were cultured with the following two types of fertilizers respectively, 1) organic fertilizers with bone meal and rapeseed meal and 2) inorganic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers. The fruits were harvested at fully ripened stage (or expressed as red stage).
1) In 1980, fruits with organic fertilizers contained more reducing sugar and vitamin C than those with inorganic fertilizers.
2) In 1981, organic fertilized fruits contained more vitamin C.
3) In 1982, little difference was detected. However, the components of inorganic fertilized fruits differed remarkably at every cluster, on the other hand organic fertilized fruits were relatively constant.
4) Both fruits grown at the upper cluster contained less water but more reducing sugar and vitamin C than those of under cluster.

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Hen's egg white contains several kinds of proteins, and these are of good quality balanced well in essential amino acids. However, the egg white as processed goods are of limited application on these days. One of the reasons of this limitation was thought to be due to a strong thermal coagulation of egg white. Accordingly, we investigated to find the reducing methods of thermal coagulation of egg white solution. By foaming treatment on native egg white using hand mixer, electric foamer or Waring blender, the thermal coagulation was respectably reduced. The relationship between the freshness of hen's egg and the thermal coagulation was pursued, and it was found that the reducing effect of thermal coagulation by foaming was brought into full play on moderately fresh egg (over 1. 07 of specific gravity) and scarcely on stale egg (under 1. 05 of s. g.). The addition of organic acids (citrate etc.) and oxidizing reagents (hydrogen peroxide, performic acid) before foaming treament facilitated the effect. Irradiations of ultra violet light or supersonic waves on egg white gave an impetus to reducing thermal coagulation. From the results of experiments using several kinds of proteases, pepsin was the most effective on reducing thermal coagulation. Next, a flavinogenic strain of Eremothecium ashbyii was cultured in the medium of egg white solution treated with foaming and additions of the reagents. The mycelia grow up excellently in this medium containing citrate similarly to the medium of peptone.

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Thiamine-binding substances were found in 23 plant foodstuffs such as wheat germ, corn, buckwheat, sesame, radish, green tea, etc. They appeared to be two kinds of substances; one is heatlabile and pronase-sensitive, and the other is heat-stable and pronase-resistant. It would be inferred that the former is protein and the latter is non-protein compound. The binding of thiamine to thiamine-binding proteins was hardly inhibited by thiamine pyrophosphate, oxythiamine and pyrithiamine suggesting that the binding is specific to thiamine.
Furthermore, the thiamine-binding activity in buckwheat seed gradually decreased during 5 days' germination and disappeared over 90 per cent of the initial activity on the 5th day. These metabolic changes in thiamine-binding protein may be involved in the germination of buckwheat seed.

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A new type enriched rice, “Shingen, ” which contains vitamin B₁, B₂, B₆, E, niacin and panthotenic acid as vitamins and calcium and iron as minerals, was developed and sold first in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1981. When it is mixed with polished rice at the ratio of 1: 200, the levels of those vitamins and minerals in mixture become to be the same levels as those of unpolished raw rice.
We examined the nutritional effect of this new enriched rice on young female students of 20 years old living in Fukuoka City and its suburb. At first they were inquired into the intake of the enriched rice for the last six months and then divided into two groups: 1) intake group was consisted of students who ate the enriched rice at least twice a day as staple food (n=26). 2) no intake group of the enriched rice (control group) ate white rice at least twice a day (n=35). After one month survey of food intake their blood was taken in the morning following overnight fasting. The blood was analysed for its biochemical status as follows: 1) general characteristics of blood (counts of erythrocyte and leucocyte, level of hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH and MCHC etc.), 2) vitamin B₁level, 3) TPP effect in blood and transketolase activity in erythrocyte, 4) α-tocopherol and triglyceride levels in serum. Also, during this survey, we calculated the daily nutrients intakes of subjects on typical three days.
The intake of nutrients of two groups was not different significantly except for vitamin B₁ and C of which intakes were higher in intake group than control, but vitamin E intake was not calculated. Blood characteristics were normal in both groups. Vitamin B₁ level in blood and transketolase activity in erythrocyte of intake group was significantly higher than that of control group (Figs. 3 a and 4). Similarly, in control group TPP effect was higher than that in intake group showing lower B₁level in erythrocyte of contol group. The subjects to be marginal vitamin B₁ deficiency was found in high frequency in control group (the number of subjects; less than 30ng/ml were 9, 30-40ng/ml 10, 40-50ng/ml 7 subjects), comparing to two subjects in intake group, whose erythrocyte showed less TPP effect, suggesting no marginal deficiency. From these results it is suggested that vitamin B₁ intake should be kept higher level in diet for example by the intake of enriched rice.
α-Tocopherol level in serum was not significantly different between both groups. But in control group three subjects showed low α-tocopherol level of less than 5.00μg/ml. Also, F distribution ratio was different significantly in both groups for serum α-tocopherol. This shows thatnew enriched rice intake minimizes the individual variation of serum α-tocopherol level. Triglyceride level in serum was not different in both groups.

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Selenium, mercury, antimony, cesium, scandium, zinc, iron and cobalt contents in tea (green, black, jasmin and oolong tea) from different districts were determined by non-destructive neutronactivation analysis using a high resolution Ge/Li/detector.
The selenium content in green tea ranged from 0.022 to 0.98 μg/g, black tea from 0.021 to 0.42μg/g and jasmin tea from 0.052 to 0.6μg/g.
The mercury content in green tea was found below the sensitivity of the method, and black tea up to 0.034μg/g.
The antimony content in green tea ranged from 0.028 to 0.56μg/g, black tea from 0.27 to 0.69μg/g, jasmin tea from 0.36 to 0.49μg/g and oolong tea was 0.36μg/g.
The cesium content in green tea ranged from 0.010 to 0.23μg/g, black tea from 0.081 to 0.31μg/g, jasmin tea from 0.24 to 0.26μg/g and oolong tea was 0.19μg/g.
The scandium content in green tea ranged from 0.013 to 0.041μg/g, black tea from 0.028 to 0.12μg/g, jasmin tea from 0.12 to 0.14μg/g and oolong tea was 0.079μg/g.
The zinc content in green tea ranged from 21.06 to 52.26μg/g, black tea from 19.73 to 36.06μg/g, jasmin tea from 20.92 to 37.63μg/g and oolong tea was 32.32μg/g.
The iron content in green tea ranged from 67.05 to 123.72μg/g, black tea from 68.10 to 197.40μg/g, jasmin tea from 171.86 to 226.19μg/g and oolong tea was 174.29μg/g.
The cobalt content in green tea ranged from 0.12 to 0.31μg/g, black tea from 0.13 to 0.24μg/g, jasmin tea from 0.21 to 0.23μg/g and oolong tea was 0.24μg/g.
In green tea and black tea infusion antimony, cesium, scandium, zinc, iron and cobalt were detected.

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Vitamin production by the strains of Bifidobacterium infantis, B. breve, B. bfidum, B. longum and B. adolescentis was studied. They accumulated vitamin B₁, B₂, B₆, B₁₂, C, nicotinic acid, folic acid and biotin intracellulary while they excreted vitamin B₆, B₁₂ and folic acid in the medium.
B. longum, B. breve and B. infantis exhibited an appreciable vitamin production. The production of vitamin B₂ and B₆ by B. longum was outstanding. B. breve and B. infantis respectively produced nicotinic acid and biotin to a higher concentration which was distinctive from the case of the other species.
A significance of the intestinal Bifidobacteria, in vitamin nutrition in the host, was discussed.

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Sodium and potassium intake through successive three-day habitual diets of 20 individuals aged. from 16 to 86 years and their 24 hours urinary excretion of sodium and potassium on the three identical days were determined directly by the absorption spectrophotometer. During the same period the blood pressure, was checked at the hospital. The data were analyzed according to the following three age groups; 16 to 29 years (Y group), 33 to 53 years (M group), and 62 to 86 years (O group). The food and urine samples were kept freezed until determination of sodium and potassium. Total sodium intake in mg/day ranged from 6, 019 to 9, 137, the highest being in Y group. Urinary sodium excretion corresponding to 89.7% of sodium intake in the average without age differences, ranging from 5, 452 to 8, 968 mg/day. Correlation between intake and excretion of sodium was highly significant (p<0.001). Total potassium intake in mg/day ranged from 1, 757 to 2, 878, the highest being in O group. Urinary potassium excretion was 82.0% of the intake in the average, declining from Y group to O group like 89.5, 83.1 and 61.6. The sodium: potassium ratio in food fell with the age; Y group 3.6, M group 3.2, and O group 2.4, but that of urine did not indicate any definite age group difference with the values of around 3.5.

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Since little is known about the nitrogen balance in children when the protein intake is about the level of the Japanese recommended dietary allowance (JRDA) and since few data have been reported about the amount of protein intake in daily life, a nitrogen balance study and a nutrition survey were carried out in children aged 1-2 years. The nitrogen balance of 22 children living in a nursing home was studied for 3 days. The amount of ingested food was obtained by weighing the food before and after cooking and after food was ingested. Nitrogen intake was calculated from the weight of ingested food and the nitrogen concentration of the food which was analyzed by the Kjeldahl method. Energy intake was calculated by using the Japanese food composition table. The nutrition survey of a village was done in summer (July) on 15 children and winter (December) on 9 children for 3 consecutive days. Nine of them were studied in both seasons. The amount of food ingested was obtained by the same manner as in the nitrogen balance study. Protein and energy intakes were calculated by using a Japanese food composition table. Height and weight were measured in both studies.
Changes in height and weight of the children at the nursing home were similar to the Japanese average. With an intake of 460 mg nitrogen/kg/day (about the JRDA level for 1-2-year-old children), nitrogen retention was about 90 mg/kg/day. The energy intake of the children at the home was 78 kcal/kg/day, about 8 kcal lower than the JRDA value. The slope of the regression line between nitro-gen intake (x) and nitrogen balance (y) was O. 33, indicating that the protein utilization was about 33 %. Children in the village made normal height and weight gains during the 5 months. Their energy and protein intakes in summer and winter were 74 and 79 kcal/kg/day and 2.30 and 2.47 g/kg/day, respectively. Both the energy and the protein intakes were lower than those of the JRDA.
The results indicate that JRDA of protein for children aged 1-2-year is sufficient to retain adequate body protein even with an energy intake lower than that of the JRDA.

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The study was carried out to investigate the effect of nitrate supplement in drinking water on the nitrate balance, reproduction performance, nitrate levels in plasma, and on milk and stomach contents of pups in rats.
Wistar femal rats were fed ad libitum a commercial diet (CE II-Crea) and drinking water containing 40, 80 and 1, 000 ppm of nitrate nitrogen for 7 weeks and mated at the age of 15 weeks. On the day 14 postpartum, maternal blood and milk, stomach contents and blood of pups were examined.
The results obtained were as follows: Daily intake of nitrate nitrogen per 100 g body weight were 14μg, 436μg, 900μg and 10, 310μg in control group, 40, 80 and 1, 000 ppm groups respectively, and roughly 55-65% of ingested nitrate were excreted in the urine within a 24-hr period. Therefore, it appeared that about 35-45% of administered nitrate retained in the body.
In the 1, 000 ppm dose group, remarkable effects of nitrate intake on the fertility index, normal gestation ratio, number of pups delivered and pups alive at day 4 of lactation were observed. The nitrate levels in plasma, milk and stomach contents of pups were elevated with increase of nitrate intake. When the drinking water was taken with 1, 000 ppm nitrate, the nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen concentration of maternal plasma, milk and stomach contents of pups rose to 12.8±1.3μg/ml, 15.5±0.9μg/g and 27.1±4.1μg/g, respectively. Since milk/maternal plasma ratio for nitrate in all group was approximately 2, the mammary gland appeares to concentrate nitrate.

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The phospholipid content of daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) in the University refectory was examined for 19 days. Phospholipid content of the meal per day was 2.0-5.7 mmol lipid-phosphorus (1.6-4.4g as phospholipid), which corresponds to 0.04-0.17 mmol lipid-P/g dietary fat and 0.58-1.84 mmol lipid-P/kcal energy, respectively. Phosphatidylcholine constituted 0.37-2.4 mmol lipid-P/day (0.3-1.9g as phospholipid) and phosphatidylethanolamine 0.3-0.88 mmol lipid-P/day (0.2-0.7g as phospholipid). Palmitate, stearate, oleate and linoleate were the four major fatty acids in the phospholipid.

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