[in Japanese]

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The present study dealt with the effects of protein and energy intake levels on the changes in urinary nitrogen excretion (UN), dermal nitrogen loss (DN) and nitrogen balance (NB) induced by exercise. Five healthy men served as the subjects. The experiment consisted of five periods; low protein-control (LC), low protein-exercise, (LE), high protein-control (HC), high protein-exercise-1 (HE1) and high protein-exercise-2 (HE2) periods. Protein intake levels were 100mgN/kg/day in LC and LE periods, 288mgN/kg/day in HC and HE1 periods and 289mgN/kg/day in HE2 period. Energy intake levels were 43.8kcal/kg/day in LC and LE periods, 44kcal/kg/day in HC and HE1 periods and 59.9kcal/kg/day in HE2 period. Subjects were loaded with treadmill running of 30 min at the speed of 150m/min every morning in the exercise periods.
The results were as follows;
1. The amount of UN was significantly higher in LE period than that in LC period (p<0.01). The amount of UN in HE1 period was higher than that in HC period, though the difference was not significant. The amount of UN in HE2 period was significantly lower than those in HC and HE1 periods (p<0.05).
2. Transient increases of UN were observed immediately after exercise loading in LE and HE periods. After those increases, UN in exercise periods was kept higher than that in control periods. Twenty-four-hour sum of N in hourly urine was higher in exercise period than that in control period in each protein intake period.
3. The amount of DN was significantly increased by exercise in each protein intake level. Significant increases of DN were found in high protein intake periods compared with those in low protein intake periods.
4. Nitrogen balance in LE period was significantly more negative than that in LC period (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in NB between HC and HE1 periods. Nitrogen balance in HE2 period was significantly more positive compared with those in HC and HE1 periods (p<0.05).

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The digestion and absorption of a fermented milk protein in adult rats were compared with those of non-fermented milk powder in rats as a control. Two groups of rats were given fermented or nonfermented milk powder after 20 hours fasting and 6 rats of each group were sacrificed at regular intervals after feeding. The nitrogen distribution in the stomach contents and free amino acid concentrations in the portal blood plasma were determined.
In the stomach contents, both the non-protein and amino nitrogen were higher for fermented milk powder group than for non-fermented one. The pH values in fundus were lower for rats fed fermented milk powder than for those fed non-fermented milk powder, but there was no difference in antrum pylori between them. The effluence of nitrogen from the stomach of rats fed fermented milk powder was more rapid than that of rats fed non-fermented milk powder. The free amino acid concentration in the portal blood plasma increased during the first 1 hour after feeding of the fermented milk powder, followed by a gradual decrease. On rats' being fed the non-fermented milk powder, the plasma amino acid concentration reached the maximum value 4.5 hours after feeding.
These results suggest that the digestion and absorption of milk protein may be accelerated to a certain extent with milk powder fermented by lactic acid bacteria.

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In mice ingested dietary fibers (apple pulp, wheat bran, cellulose, konjac, konjac flour, pectin, guar gum and wool), the effects of fiber intake on fecal weight and on intestinal transit time were studied.
Two series of studies for 8 weeks were conducted. In the first series of study to examine the effect of apple pulp, wheat bran, pectin and guar gum, the experiments were carried out repeatedly at the interval of a week as follows: Animals were given a fiber-free diet (basal diet) at the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th week, 5% fiber diet at the 2nd week, 10% fiber diet at the 4th week, 20% fiber diet at the 6th week, 30% fiber diet at the 8th week. The experiments in the second series were carried out under the same conditions as those in the first series to examine the effect of apple pulp, cellulose, konjac, konjac flour and wool. The transit time was measuered on the first day of each experimental period, and the food intake and feces weight were measured during the last 3 days of each experimental period.
The results obtained were as follows:
1) Konjac, apple pulp and pectin increased fecal wet weight significantly.
2) Cellulose was most effective to the increase of fecal dry weight followed by apple pulp, wheat bran, konjac and wool.
3) Guar gum and konjac flour scarcely increased fecal weight.
4) Apple pulp and wheat bran were most effective to shorten the intestinal transit time followed by pectin, konjac and wool. Cellulose and konjac flour were slightly effective to shorten the transit time, but guar gum was ineffective.
5) Coefficients of correlation in regression equation of fecal weight to fiber intake and of transit time to fecal weight were the highest value in the mouse ingested apple pulp or wheat bran.

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We observed the effects of salt loading and restriction of drinking water on the growth rate, blood pressure, urinary kallikrein excretion and concentration of plasma angiotensin II in the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Seven-week-old male rats were divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each according to the kinds of food and drink; CE-2 food and drink of water ad libitum, CE-2 food and 20ml of water per day, CE-2 food containing 4% NaCl and drink of water ad libitum, CE-2 food containing 4% NaCl and 30 ml of water per day and CE-2 food and drink of 1% NaCl solution ad libitum. Rats were fed for 13 weeks.
Results obtained were as follows; Restriction of drinking water inhibited the growth rate, decreased the urinary excretion of kallikrein, increased the plasma concentration of angiotensin II and tended to accelerate the rise in blood pressure. In rats loaded with salt, systolic blood pressure was higher and urinary kallikrein excretion was greater as compared with control. Rise in systolic blood pressure and increase in urinary kallikrein excretion were greater in rats drinking saline solution than in rats fed with salt-loaded food at the same intake level of salt. In rats drinking saline solution, significant positive correlations were found between urinary kallikrein excretion and three variables, i. e. urinary volume, Na excretion in urine and blood pressure. In rats salt-loaded by food, the same correlations were found as mentioned above. However these correlations were not statistically significant. These results suggest that urinary kallikrein excretion is exhanced by the rise in blood pressure due to salt load and diuresis and natriuresis might be induced by urinary kallikrein in SHR.

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A great part of niacin is present in cereals in a bound form which is unavailable to higher animals. Hydrolases were applied to solubilize niacin from rice bran and to transform the bound form of soluble niacin to the available form. Cellulase [EC 3. 2. 1. 4] solubilized 90% of total niacin. Applying esterase (EC 3. 1. 1. 1) to the solubilized niacin with cellulase converted a most amount of bound niacin into the available form. The use of these two enzymes in the reverse order was not so effecfive for solubilization and liberation of niacin. DEAE-cellulose column chromatography showed that cellulase and esterase transformed the bound niacin in rice bran to available niacin and that 60% of the available niacin was in a state of nicotinic acid. From these results we propose a process based on the successive treatment with cellulase and esterase to solubilize and liberate difficultly available niacin in cereals.

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1) It was found that the heat-degradation of ascorbic acid in sweet potatoes was associated with catecholase (CA) (EC 1. 10. 3. 1) rather than with ascorbic acid oxidase (AsA-O) (EC 1. 10. 3. 3).
2) When potatoes and sweet potatoes were heated with addition of NaC1 or soy sauce, their CA activity was inhibited and degradation of ascorbic acid was suppressed. The inhibitory and suppressive action of soy sauce was stronger than that of NaCl.
3) Soy sauce seemed to exert this potent inhibitory action because of made pH shift from the optimal area for reaction to the acidic side.

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We investigated the contents of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenes) and tocopherols in green vegetables, fruits, pickled vegetables and processed chlorophyll rich items.
1) In green vegetables, either leaf vegetables or “flower vegetables” (i. e. the vegetables to eat flower clusters or flower stalks), chlorophylls (a+b; X) are well correlated with β-carotene (Y) : Y=0.052X-3.19, r=0.979.
2) In leaf vegetables, the correlation between chlorophylls (a+b; X) and a-tocopherol (Y) is slightly lower than that between chlorophylls and β-carotene: Y=0. 011X+1.52, r=0.744. Similarly the correlation between β-carotene (X) and a-tocopherol (Y) is: Y=0.237X+1.68, r=0.761.
3) The ratio of a-tocopherol (Y) content to chlorophylls (a+b; X) is higher in “flower vegetables” than in leaf vegetables: Y=0.040X+4.77, r=0.811. Likewise, the correlation between β-carotene (X) and α-tocopherol (Y) is: Y=0.766X+6.86, r=0.755.
4) As for pickled green vegetables, the contents of β-carotene and α-tocopherol are generally high regardless of the remains of chlorophylls.

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Previously we observed the fact that crude tea catechins (tannins) extracted from green tea leaf have a hypocholesterolemic effect.
To further investigate the findings we isolated the main component of green tea catechins, (-) -epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), and studied its effects on lipids metabolism in rats fed a 25% casein diet containing 15% lard and 1% cholesterol (a high-fat cholesterol diet). The diets were supplemented with 0.5% and 1.0% EGCg. Feeding period was 4 weeks in all experiments. The EGCg supplemented diets did not affect the body weight gain and food consumption. Rats fed the high-fat cholesterol diet increased plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations compared to rats fed a 25% casein diet (basal diet). EGCg supplementation decreased plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration. The liver total lipids, total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration were increased in rats fed the high-fat cholesterol diet, but the addition of EGCg decreased those parameters. EGCg feeding increased the fecal excretion of total lipids and cholesterol. Supplementation of 1.0% EGCg to the 25% casein diet had no effect on plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations.
These results demonstrate that EGCg exerts hypocholesterolemic effects in cholesterol-fed rats.

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In order to study the relation between dietary intake and urinary excretion of sodium and potassium, we fed five healthy young men on the diet in which sodium and potassium contents were controlled and let them live without heavy physical activities for five consecutive days. Eight urine samples were taken every day at 2-hour intervals between 8: 00 a. m. and 24: 00p. m. plus one overnight sample of 8 hours between 24: 00 p. m. and8: 00 a. m. As the result, significant within-day variations were observed in Na and Kexcretions per unit time, Na/K ratio and Na and K concentrations in urine. When Na intake was made to decrease significantly from the breakfast on the third day and to restore from the breakfast on the fourth day of the experimental period, urinary Na excretion began to decrease and increase about five hours after the breakfasts, respectively. However, average total urinary excretions of Na and K were only 81.7 and 60.4%, respectively, of the total intakes during the experimental period, as calculated on the basis of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. The changes in urinary Na excretion were not parallel to those of the intake. Thus, it is suggested that daily urinary Na excretion can be influenced by both longer and shorter term responses to varied dietary Na intakes.

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A duplicate portion study for 7 days was made on dietary intake of fat, fatty acids and cholesterol in 6 housewives from 32 to 38 years old living in Osaka Prefecture.
1. The average daily intake of fat was approximately 50g in 5 subjects and was 40.8g in the other.
2. The average daily intake of cholesterol was from 350 to 400mg in 3 subjects and was approximately 500mg in the others. No relation was observed between fat intake and cholesterol intake.
3. The major component in the total fatty acids was C_18:1 in all the subjects, and the second. major one was C_18:2 (5 subjects) or C_16:0 (1 subject). Mono-unsaturated fatty acids comprised from 40 to 47% of the total fatty acids in all subjects. The proportion of C_20:5 (0.2%) or C_22:6 (0.5%) to the total fatty acids showed a small difference among the subjects.
4. The ratios of total poly-unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (P/S ratios) varied daily in a week. The average P/S ratio was approximately 1.0 in 5 subjects and was O. 7 in the other one.
5. The results by the duplicate portion study were compared with those by the market basket study based on the “National Nutrition Survey in Osaka. ” The fat intake and the P/S ratio were almost similar to each other, while, the cholesterol intake and the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids to the total fatty acids were larger in the former results than in the latter.

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The salt content in 141 kinds of cooked food staffs were estimated using six different methods; two types of sodium electrodes, atomic absorption with extraction by 1%HC1 or distilled water, chloride electrode and chloride titration (Mohr's method).
The six methods gave comparable estimated value to each sample, while the chloride and sodium contents in each food staff were somewhat variable. Thus, any of them were applicable for routine estimation of the salt content in cooked food staffs.
The t-test, however, pointed out some characteristics among them.
1) The mean of estimated values based on chloride determination was significantly higher than that based on sodium determination.
2) Sodium electrode, without correction of the water content of samples, gave significantly lower mean of estimated value than others did.
3) Extraction of sodium by distilled water for atomic absorpiton gave slightly but significantly higher mean of estimated value than that by 1%HC1. Possible reasons for above results were discussed.

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