A survey of the food habits of businessmen staying with or away from their families, working in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo, Japan, was carried out in September 1986. The following results were obtained. 1) Nutrient intake was as follows; 2, 200-2, 300 kcal total energy, 75-85g protein, 55-66g lipid, 260-280g non-fiber carbohydrate, 2, 500-2, 900IU retinol potency, 1.1-1.3mg thiamin, 1.3-1.5mg riboflavin, 58-77mg ascorbic acid, 370-500mg calcium, 10-11mg iron, 5, 000-5, 500mg sodium, 2, 400-2, 800mg potassium, 1, 100-1, 300mg phosphorus, 230-250mg magnesium, 14-18mg zinc, 2.4-2.8mg manganese, and about 1.2mg copper. 2) The percentages of energy intake were 15.2% for breakfast, 30% for lunch, 40-44% for dinner and 10.5% for snacks between meals on average. 3) Intakes of calcium and ascorbic acid in young businessmen away from their families were very low compared with the other groups and young businessmen were found to drink a large amount of alcohol every day.

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The effect of xylooligosaccharide from xylan on the human intestinal flora was studied. We had already observed that the grawth of intestinal bifidobacteria was selectively pramoted by administration of 5g xylooligosaccharide per day. To determine the minimum dose necessary to produce this effect, 5 healthy male subjects aged 50 to 60 years each received 1 or 2g xylooligosaccharide daily for 3 weeks. As the dose of xylooligosaccharide was increased, the percentage of bifidobacteria relative to the total intestinal bacterial flora tended to increase. Xylooligosaccharide was found to produce a selective increase in bifidobacteria even when administered at 1g per day.

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The structure af the nerve plexuses in the guinea pig pancreas was investigated by both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The distribution of glial cells in the pancreatic nerve plexuses was examined immunocytochemically using an improved peroxidase-antiperoxidase method with antiserum against S-100b protein. The fine structure of the autonomic ground plexus was studied by scanning electron microscopy after removing connective tissue elements of the exocrine pancreas by maceration in caustic soda. In the pancreas, S-100b protein-immunopositive glial cells were distributed in the areas surrounding the excretary ducts and acini, and in the interlobular connective tissue and the acini and islets of Langerhans. Nerve fibers in the islets of Langerhans made connections with those in the exocrine pancreas. Nerve strands were in contact with the walls of blood vessels or with the bases of acinar cells. The autonomic graund plexus of pancreatic nerve plexuses consisted of neuronal grocesses and glial cells. Terminal varicosities of neuronal processes were frequently seen on the surface of nerve strands. The pancreatic nerve plexuses, as the enteric nerve plexuses, were composed of ganglia, nerve strands and autonomic ground plexus.

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The effect of threonine on growth and plasma cholesterol levels were studied in Donryu and Sprague-Dawley rats fed on a rice diet containing cholic acid or both cholic acid and cholesterol. The addition of cholic acid only or both cholic acid and cholesterol to the rice diet produced a body weight decrease in Donryu rats, being especially significant for the diet containing cholic acid only. However, the body weight decrease was partly moderated by addition of threonine to the rice diet supplemented with cholic acid. No differences were observed in the growth of Sprague-Dawley rats fed on the rice diet containing cholic acid, cholesterol or threonine compared with the control group fed on the diet without such additives. When both Donryu and Sprague-Dawley rats were fed the rice diet containing cholic acid, the plasma threonine concentration was significantly reduced in Donryu rats, whereas no such change was observed in Sprague-Dawley rats. When threonine was added to the rice diet containing cholic acid, an elevated plasma threonine concentration was observed in both groups, being especially significant in Sprague-Dawley rats. The plasma and liver cholesterol levels were increased in both rat strains compared with the control group when threonine was added to the rice diet containing cholic acid and cholesterol. Addition of serine or glycine to the diet containing cholic acid and cholesterol had little effect on either growth or the plasma cholesterol level of Donryu rats, although it induced a higher level of HDL-cholesterol in plasma.

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Guar gum partially decomposed by galactomannanase (PDGG) showed extremely low viscosity in comparison with untreated guar gum (GG). The dietary fiber (DF) content of PDGG was 83.5%, and that of GG was 83.0%, as measured by the Prosky method. The effect of PDGG was compared with that of GG in rats fed hypercholesterolemic diets containing either PDGG or GG at 5% for 21 days. PDGG suppressed the elevation of plasma cholesterol (Chol) and triglyceride (TG) levels. GG suppressed the elevation of Chol and TG in plasma and liver. Effects of PDGG and GG were examined in rats fed non-DF diets containing either PDGG or GG at the 5% for 18 days. Both PDGG and GG increased the degree of fecal moisture and the amount of feces excreted during an 18-h period. From these results, it was suggested that PDGG retained the ability to lower the plasma Chol level and increase the amount of feces, even though its viscosity was much lower than that of GG.

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An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of dietary protein quality and quantity on urinary calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) excretion in 5-month-old multiparous rats. As protein sources casein and/or soy protein isolate were used, to give protein contents in the diet of 20% and 40%, respectively. Female Fischer-strain rats aged 5 months were divided into groups given a 20% casein diet (C20), a 40% casein diet (C40), a 20% soy protein isolate diet (S20) or a 40% soy protein isolate diet (S40) for 16 weeks. At 6, 11 and 16 weeks, studies of Ca, P and Mg balance were done. After the balance studies at 16 weeks, the rats were killed and the Ca, P and Mg contents of the serum, kidney and right femur were determined. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in sera were also measured. The results were as follows: 1) The 40% casein diet group always exhibited higher urinary Ca and P excretion than the other groups, but did not show a negative Ca and P balance. Urinary Ca excretion in the C40 group did not decrease with aging and maintained the highest value. 2) Calcium retention in the C40 group was lower than in the S40 group, indicating a negative effect of C40 on Ca metabolism. 3) Urinary Mg excretion and Mg retention showed no significant differences among the four groups. 4) The weights of raw femur and fat-free femur, the ash, Ca, P and Mg contents of the femur, and the Ca/P ratio per gram of femur showed no significantdifferences among the four groups. 5) Kidney weight in the 40% protein diet group was significantly higher than in the 20% protein diet group. The calcium content per gram of kidney in the C40 group was significantly lower than in the other groups. 6) Serum PTH content in the 40% protein diet group was higher than in the 20% protein diet group. These results indicate that excess dietary protein may have an adverse effect on Ca metabolism.

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A study was performed to investigate the bioavailability of calcium (Ca) in whey, in comparison with CaCO₃ and CaHPO₄. Five-week-old female rats were ovariectomized, and then fed on a low-Ca diet (Ca: 0.01%) for 27 days. Thereafter, the rats were divided into three groups, those given whey, CaCO₃ and CaHPO₄, respectively. Calcium balance, microdensitometric characteristics and fracture properties of the bone in each group were estimated. No significant differences in serum Ca levels, food efficiency and body weight gain were found among the three groups. On the other hand, in the whey Ca diet group, urinary Ca excretion was higher than in the other two diet groups. In the whey and CaHPO₄ groups, the femur fracture properties and the parameters of microdensitometry (ΣGS, ΣGS/D, GSmin and GSmax) were increased in comparison with the CaCO₃ diet group. In the whey diet group, these parameters were slightly higher than those in the CaHPO₄ diet group (not significant). These results suggest that whey, as a Ca source, increases the strength of bone.

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The effect of sesame meal on senescence was studied using senescence-accelerated mice (SAM-P/1), since sesame is rich in antioxidants. For 28 weeks, a group of 12 pairs of SAM-P/1 mice was given a control diet which contained 25% casein and 10% corn oil, and another group was given a sesame diet containing 20% ground sesame (10% oil content) and also 21% casein to make the protein content equivalent to that in the control diet. The degree of senescence of SAM-P/1 mice, which was evaluated in terms of fertility and also by a grading score system for loss of passivity and reactivity, skin condition and periophylalmic lesions, was retarded by feeding with sesame. The lipofuscin levels in the liver and testis were slightly lower in the sesame group than in the control group. However, peroxide levels in the liver and kidney were approximately equal in both groups. The plasma α-tocopherol level was slightly higher in the sesame group than in the control group, and the level of γ-tocopherol in plasma, which was very low compared with that of α-tocopherol, was also higher in the sesame group than in the control one, in spite of the lower contents of both α- and γ-tocopherol in the sesame diet than in the control diet. It is suggested that antioxidants other than tocopherol in sesame exert some suppressive effect on the manifestation of senescence.

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The antitumor activity of yogurt and kefir was examined in BDF1 mice, weighing 17 to 19 g, which received a subcutaneaus inoculation of 7.2×10⁵ cells of-Lewis lung carcinoma (3L-L) into the right axilla. The mice were fed by gastric intubation every day with a pasteurized solution of yogurt and kefir (freeze-dried base 2g/kg body weight) from day 1 to day 9 after tumor cell inoculation. The growth of 3 LL was inhibited by 62% and 46%, respectively, by oral administration of kefir and polysaccharide Kureha (PSK) as compared with non-treated mice. The weight of the spleen and the number of leucocytes in tumor-bearing mice on day 14 were increased 4-fold and 5-fold, respectively, as compared with normal mice. The increase was prevented by administration of kefir and PSK.

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