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A questionnaire survey on sodium intake was made in 33 female professional nutritionists. The answers to the questions were coded according to a numerical system of rating and the scores of each question were totaled individually (sodium intake score). Concurrently with the questionnaire, sodium content of meals consumed by the same subjects during a 3-day experimental period were determined by two methods: chemical analysis (analyzed value), and calculation using the Japanese Standard Food Composition Table: Supplement to the 3rd edition (calculated value). Twenty four-hour urine of the subjects during this period were also analyzed chemically (urinary sodium value).
Analyzed, calculated and urinary sodium values were compared with each other and relationships between sodium intake scores and these three values were studied.
The results obtained were as follows:
1) The means of calculated, urinary sodium and analyzed values were 3, 806±753mg, 3, 527+868 mg and 3, 162±554mg, respectively.
2) Significant correlation was observed only between sodium intake score and urinary sodium values (r=0.389, p<0.05).
3) Differences in urinary sodium values according to the scores of each question were observed in the case of pickles, dried fish and heavy flavoring, but not in the case of soy bean soup, seasoning and instant noodle.

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Daily intakes of PCBs and pesticides in infants (0-3 year-old) were determined. Diets of 36 infants in a nursery in Osaka Prefecture were collected by duplicate portion method. Of the 36 samples the number, in which each pesticide was detected, was as follows : α-HCH, 36; β-HCH, 32 ; γ-HCH, 8; δ-HCH, 1; ρ, ρ′-DDE, 33; ρ, ρ′-DDD, 2; ρ, ρ′-DDT, 3; dieldrin, 32; fenitrothion, 1; PCBs, 17, respectively. Aldrin, endrin, heptachlor epoxide, captan, captafol, chlorbenzilate, malathion, parathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, phenthoate, EPN and phosalone were below detection limits: intakes of <0.05 μg/day, PCBs, α-HCH, γ-HCH and heptachlor epoxide; <0.1 μg/day, δ-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and ρ, ρ′-DDE ; <0.2 μg/day, β-HCH, ρ, ρ′-DDD and ρ, ρ′-DDT; <0.5 μg/day, captan, captafol, chlorbenzilate, malathion, parathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion, phenthoate, EPN and phosalone. The average daily intake of HCH isomers, DDT complexes, dieldrin and PCBs were 1.00 μg, 0.45 μg (without No. 14), 0.17 μg and 0.22 μg, respectively. On the whole, daily intakes of these environmental contaminants were trace amount, however, it is necessary to watch these contaminants in diets for long periods of time.

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In January the changes in urinary sodium, potassium and chloride ion excretion after salt restriction were investigated in six young female adults with normal kidney function. The observation was continued for seven days. The salt intake was restricted on the second day to 7g/day, and potassium intake was kept constant at 3, 800mg on the second and third day. During the period of seven days body weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, urine flow, and sodium, potassium and chloride in 24 hours' urine and blood were observed. Urine volume ranged between 1, 000 and 1, 300ml/day for seven days. The values of urinary sodium excretion were 6, 053±655mg on the first day, 3, 106±491 on the second day and 4, 362±265 on the third day. The decrease in the second day was significant (ρ<0.001). The value of the third, fourth and seventh day were significantly greater than that of the second day, but their values were lower than the level of the first day. Urinary potassium excretion was on threeconsecutive days were 2, 797±442mg (1st day), 2, 362 ±380 (2nd day) and 3, 160 ±304 (3rd day). The value of the second day indicated a tendency of decrease and the third day's value was significantly greater than that of the second day (ρ<0.01), The third day's level returned to that of the first day. The sodium/potassium ratios in orally ingested foods were 1.1 on the second day, 2.4 on the third day. In urine the ratios on those seven days were 4.0 (1st day), 2.3 (2nd), 2.4 (3rd), 2.6 (4th) and 3.2 (7th).

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“Igesu-ryori, ”a special local food in the southern part of Okayama Prefecture, is made of agar the polysaccharides from the seaweed Ceramium boydenii. In the cooking process, the addition of the extract of rice bran and vinegar is essential. Their roles in the solubilization of agar were analysed by measuring the gel strength and the mineral contents in the solubilized agar. The addition of 3-5% extract of rice bran resulted in an acceleration of agar solubilization and an increased hardness of agar gel, and this effect became greater with the addition of 1-2% vinegar.
Based on our finding that the addition of 0.02% solution of sodium phytate accelerated the solubilization of agar, we concluded that the phytic acid in rice bran and vinegar played an essential role in solubilization of the agar of this seaweed.

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Since exogenous ubiquinone (UQ) has useful clinical effects, UQ contained in foods might also have some effects. We determined UQ content of daily meals using high performance liquid chromatography.
In bread meals, the average contents of UQ-9 and UQ-10 were 0.5mg and 1.4 mg, respectively. As bread and milk in bread meals contained 0.18 of UQ-9 and 0.14 of UQ-10, almost half of UQ-9 and large amounts of UQ-10 in these meals were found to be supplied from subsidiary foods. The average contents of UQ-9 and UQ-10 in rice meals were 0.4mg and 2.4mg, respectively. A considerable amount of UQ-9 was supplied from rice, however, almost all UQ-10 was derived from subsidiary foods in rice meals. The sources of UQ-10 found in this study were fishes, meats and vegetable oils. Since the daily UQ intake derived from meals was 1.2-1.5mg of UQ-9 and 4.2-7.2mg of UQ-10, total intake of UQ-9 and UQ-10 were 19-32% of ordinary amounts admistered clinically. UQ in meals is supplied to the body everyday might have some physiological effects.

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Branched chain amino acids (BCAA), isoleucine 25mg, leucine 50mg and valine 30mg per 100 g of diet, were added to casein 10% diet and wheat gluten 30% diet. SD strain male rats (body weight 160-170g) were raised on four kinds of diets casein, gluten, casein+BCAA and gluten+BCAA diets, in a cage with a wheel for voluntary exercise for 31 days. After 19th day of the experiment, rats in BCAA added diet groups were given non-BCAA diets and rats in non-BCAA diet groups were given BCAA added diets. The number of revolutions of the wheel was used as the amount of the voluntary exercise. The amount of voluntary exercise was greater in casein and casein+BCAA groups than gluten and gluten+BCAA groups respectively, though the difference was not significant statistically. The amount was significantly greater in casein+BCAA group than casein group and tended to be greater in gluten+BCAA group than gluten group. The amount decreased significantly when casein+BCAA diet was changed to casein diet, and tended to decrease when gluten+BCAA diet was changed to gluten diet. It was concluded that the addition of BCAA to the diet increased the amount of voluntary exercise in rats.

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The content of vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) was determined in 27 species of green vegetables by high-performance liquid chromatography and correlation between vitamin K1 content and chlorophyll content was investigated.
A significant positive correlation was found between them (r=0.932, p<0.01). The ratio of vitamin K1 to chlorophyll was about 9 mmol/ mol.

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[in Japanese]

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