To assess the effects of strength training and body weight loss on body composition, energy expenditure and blood constituents, nine female students were assigned a supervised program of exercise combined with energy restriction for 12 weeks and compared with four other subjects who remained sedentary. The average energy intake of the subjects was 1, 650 kcal/day in the exercise group and 1, 870 kcal/day in the sedentary group. Decreases in body weight and body fat content were observed in botb grougs. In the exercise groug, lean body mass increased, and decreases in body weight, bady fat content and body size were larger than in the sedentary graup. The resting metabolic rate declined to a similar extent in both groups towards the summer. The level of plasma HDL-cholesterol was increased significantly in the exercise group.

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The functions of lactosucrose, which is classified as a hardly digestible oligosaccharide, were examined in detail by oral administration to healthy humans. Daily doses of 10.0, 5.0 and 2.0g of purified lactosucrose (LS-98) were continuously administered for 7 or 14 days, respectively. Freshly excreted feces were then subjected to investigation. Daily fecal weights and fecal moisture contents were not affected by the administration of LS-98. Fecal pH and short-chain fatty acid concentration were also unaffected. On microfloral examination, the counts and the ratio of Bifidobacterium were also increased during the administration of LS-98. Bifidobacterium was significantly increased by daily intake of 10.0 and 5.0g, respectively. A tendency for increased fecal Bifidobacterium was observed upon administration of 2.0g of LS-98. These results suggest that the effective daily dosage of lactosucrose for healthy humans on the basis of the increase in Bifidobacterium in the large intestine is around 2.0g.

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Rats were divided into eight groups and fed freely with semisynthetic diets containing 0%, 1% or 10% purified lactosucrose (LS-98) for 2 or 4 weeks. The pH of the cecal contents was reduced by feeding the rats with these LS-98 diets, and recovered to normal after a shift to a control diet. The concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the cecal contents was significantly increased by administration of LS-98, and decreased markedly after a shift to the control diet. Microbial examination revealed marked influences resulting from the administration of LS-98. Numbers of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Clostridium sp. were increased, aad the proportion of Bactemidaceae decreased. The increase in the intestinal SCFA concentration appeared to stimulate epithelial cell growth in the intestine, as suggested by electron microscopical observation. The present findings in rats support previous results in humans indicating an increase of intestinal Bifidobacterium after intake of LS-98.

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A simplified method for measuring the weight of whole saliva secreted from human salivary glands under physiological conditions was examined using absorbant cotton. The optimal conditions for measurement were determined to be as follows: size of cotton: 3×3cm-4×cm (square shape); saliva collection time: 2min; interval between saliva collections: 4 min. Using this procedure, it was possible to assess the whole saliva weight of young female students under physiological conditions with adequate reproducibility. Examples of the effects of voluntary will on human whole saliva secretion determined by this method are also presented.

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Effects of the scent and/or appearance of Kinome (Sanshou: Japanese pepper leaf) and lemon peel on human whole saliva secretion were studied using absorbant cotton. Whole saliva weights were significantly higher than the control when the scent of lemon peel (=3g) was perceived for 30 sec before saliva collection or for 30 sec simultaneously with saliva collection. The scent of lemon peel (0-3g) increased the whole saliva weight dose-dependently. However, at over 4.5g of lemon peel, no dosedependence was observed. Whole saliva weight was also significantly higher than the control when the scent of Kinome was perceived for 30 sec before saliva collection. The sight of Kinome alone did not produce a change in whole saliva weight. However, when Kinome was seen and smelt simultaneously, whole saliva weight was significantly higher than that obtained by smelling of Kinome alone. In conclusion, the scents from Kinome and lemon peel are considered to increase human whole saliva secretion, and both smelling and sight of Kinome have conbined effects on saliva secretion.

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From the hypertensive stage with blood pressure at 200 mmHg (8 weeks old) or 230 mmHg (10 weeks old), stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP) were fed a diet based on fish meal as a protein source, and the effect of this diet on blood pressure, cerebral stroke lesions and life-span were observed. The results were as follows: 1) Prevention of blood pressure elevation and reduction in the incidence of cerebral stroke lesions were more prominent when the fish meal diet was given from an earlier age, but these effects were also observed even when the diet was supplied from the hypertensive stage. On the other hand, in the group fed the fish meal diet starting from the time when blood pressure became higher than 230 mmHg, prevention of blood pressure elevation was not observed, but obvious prolongation of lifespan occurred. 2) Inhibition of elevation of plasma renin activity (PRA) and suppression of the decrease in the elastic content of the aorta caused by hypertension were recognized in SHRSP fed the fish meal diet even from the hypertensive stage. These results suggest that administration of a fish meal diet to SHRSP at the hypertensive stage contributes to the suppression or therapy of hypertensive diseases.

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A diet containing fish meal as a protein source has been found to improve the prognosis of hypertensive diseases in SHRSP, even when given from the hypertensive stage. In the course of studying the mechanism of this preventive effect, we investigated the fluctuation of lipid peroxide (TBARS) and activities of both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the enzymes related to removal of lipid peroxides, in the blood of SHRSP fed the fish meal diet from the hypertensive stage. The results obtained were as follows; 1) The serum TBARS level in the control group (stock chow diet) increased with age, and the increase was marked after development of cerebral stroke lesions, whereas the increase in TBARS in the experimental group (fish meal diet) was considerably delayed. Whereas the SOD and GSH-Px activities in erythrocytes in the control group were reduced before the serum TBARS level became elevated, those in the experimental group remained high. 2) In 1% NaCl-loading experiments, elevation of the TBARS level and lowering of SOD and GSH-Px activities in the control group appeared suddenly at an early stage, but in the experimental group these activities remained almost unchanged. From these results, it appears that suppression of cerebrovascular diseases in SHRSP fed a fish meal diet from the hypertensive stage may be due to maintenance of high activities of both SOD and GSH-Px.

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Volatiles evolved from porcine small intestine during storage were analyzed and some of them were identified. Porcine small intestine produced a specific offensive odor after storage for 1-2 days at 20°C. Volatiles in the head space were trapped by a Tenax-GC column and analyzed by GC-MS and GC; in qualitative experiments, regenerated volatiles were analyzed after reaction with HgCl₂. The volatiles identified included alcohols, carbonyl compounds, amines, and sulfur compounds. Of these groups of compounds, methylmercaptan, ethanol, 1-propanol, 3-methylbutanol and 3-methylbutanal were identified as the 5 major components. The amounts of these components increased markedly after storage for 0.5-1 day. The time courses of their increases were associated with the increase in odor intensity, as evaluated by sensory tests, and with the increase of total bacterial counts. These results suggest that the development of offensive odor from pig small intestine is due largely if not completely to the increase of microorganisms and the ensuing putrefaction and fermentation. Storage of small intestine at a lower temperature prevented the development of the offensive odor; the period during which the characteristic odor was hardly detectable organoleptically was prolonged to 4 days and one month (minimum) by storage at 4°C and -20°C, respectively.

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Six trace mineral elements, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, chromium and selenium, as well as magnesium, were determined by the ICP method in 7 cereals, 5 pulses and foodstuffs processed from them. Mineral concentrations in the processed foodstuffs based on dry weight were compared with those of the corresponding dried mature crops or original foodstuffs. The concentrations of zinc and chromium in milled grain or cereal flour were lower than those in whole grain. Those of chromium and selenium in bread and selenium in Japanese noodles, and those of 5 elements except magnesium and manganese in “fu” were higher than those in wheat flour. Decreases in the concentration of most of the investigated minerals were recognized in “miso” produced from soybeans, and in boiled or cooked starchy pulses. Conversely, the concentrations of chromium in “natto”, and selenium in “miso” and soy-milk were higher than those in whole soybeans. Siilarly to soybeans, starchy pulses contained selenium conjugated with protein, but with a higher degree of selenium conjugation per unit protein.

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Reishi liqueur was produced from Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss.: FR.) KARST. by two-step extraction with a Japanes “sake” alcohol content of 19.5% at 18°C for 10 days and then at 70°C for 60min. To analyse the fine structure of the extracted polysaccharides, the extract was dialyzed, the impermeable portion was concentrated under reduced pressure and then precipitated with 7.5 times its volume of ethanol. The precipitate was then fractionated into neutral polysaccaride (Ganoderan-N) and acidic polysaccharide (Ganoderan-A) by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography. Methylation and 13C-NMR analysis indicated that Ganoderan-N consists of β- (1, 3) -linked glucan bearing a monoglucosyl residue at the C-6 position in every three units of glucose.

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Twenty-one mycotoxins were examined for mutagenic potency in the Salmonella typhimurium microsome assay. Bisfuranoid mycotoxins such as afiatoxin B1 and G1, showed potent mutage- nicity, but B2 and sterigmatocystin showed weak mutagenicity. Aflatoxin G2, PR-toxin (an epoxide) and kojic acid gave negative results. Trichothecenes having an epoxide ring, such as T-2 toxin, nivalenol and fusarenon X, were also negative. The intensity of biochemiluminescence of the toxins by activation with S9 mix was also measured by a luminescence analyzer sensitive wavelengths of around 300-650nm (optimum 400nm). Significant emission was observed for bisfuranoid mycotoxins and PR-toxin in addition to cyclopiazonic acid (an indole). These results are nearly consistent with those obtained from bacterial assays.

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Each of four composite samples of one day's whole meals were homogenized and digested with pepsin followed by pancreatin. Approximately 40-80% of the total manganese in the diets was extracted into the soluble fraction at pH 1.5 both with and without pepsin. The solubility of the manganese in the diets was not increased by pepsin digestion. The solubility of the manganese components in the diets was reduced to less than 30% by adjustment of the pH from 1.5 to 8. Little increase in the solubility of the manganese components was observed after pancreatic digestion for 1h. The low absorption of manganese from food may therefore depend partly on the low solubility of manganese in the area of the duodenum. Gel chromatography of the soluble fraction after in vitro digestion revealed several kinds of soluble manganese components over a wide molecular weight range. Therefore, for further investigation of the mechanism of manganese absorption in man, it will be necessary to isolate each manganese component in the digest.

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[in Japanese]

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