Department of Public Health, Tohoku University, School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi About prohibition on breeding cloven-hoofed animals, an interview survey was conducted for 22 inhabitants of S town in Miyagi Prefecture in June, 1975. And, to examine its influences for dietary habits, an enquete survey was conducted for school-children of S middle-school in November, 1975.
(1) This prohibition of breeding cloven-hoofed animals has been stayed in this small community since olden time, but it revived again to the people's mind by the failure in breeding cows or goats in the period after the 2nd World War. There is another taboo, which is a prohibition of planting an onion (Allium fistulosum L.). These two taboos are originated from myth being relevant to the native god in this community.
It is very interesting that there is, nevertheless no prohibition of consuming meat or milk of cloven-hoofed animals and an onion (Allium fistulosum L.).
(2) By an enquete survey, food preference, habitual frequency of food consumption, actual frequency of food consumption, actual frequency of food consumption in the last 7 days, and supplyconsumption relations of farm products were inquired for 50 kinds of food-stuffs which are usually eaten by local people.
Dietary habits of 9 school-children living in this small community, where the breeding and planting taboos exist, were compared with those of 228 school-children in the rural communities of S town.
The school-children in a taboo-existing community like and consume much more the food concerned with those taboos, such as pork, onion, liver, goat milk and mutton than the whole rural schoolchildren.

View full abstract

This paper deals with the dietary life of 95 volunteers of Kobe Research Projects on Gerontology from an aspect of “food intake” for analysis of the relation between the geronto-disease and dietary life.
800 or more food items were classified into 75 food sets. These 75 food sets were further grouped into 24 food groups.
The histograms of the intake of food groups were plotted; sample means, standard deviations and coefficients of variation of the intake of the 24 food groups were calculated on the whole samples and the samples of two categories; male and female.
On the pattern of frequency distribution and the coefficients of variation, the food consumption structure was studied.
(1) The coefficients of variation of the intakes of rice, breads, sugars and sweetners, fish and shellfish, eggs, vegetable oils and vegetables (others) are small, and these food groups, may be Japanese representative foods, are named as “main food groups. ”
(2) The coefficients of variation of the intakes of noodles, otatoes, sweets, fruits, meats, soybean products, vegetables (green and yellow) and pickles are approximately 100% as expected for exponential distribution, and these food groups are named as “secondary food groups. ”
(3) The coefficients of variation of the intakes of dairy products, animal fats and oils, seaweeds and spirits are large, and they are named as “accessory food groups. ”
The histogram shows nearly a normal distribution curve in the main food groups, and an exponential type in the secondary food groups. In the accessory food groups extremery high frequency is observed in non-intake cell.

View full abstract

In order to analyze the relation between the geronto-disease and the dietary life it was designed to investigate the structure of food consumption through the interrelationship among food groups. In 1974, the authors collected food intake data on 95 volunteers of Kobe Research Projects on Gerontology.
From the basis of the simple, the partial and the multiple correlation coefficients of which the absolute values were respectively not less than 0.151, 0.165 and 0.416, a correlation model of the 28 food groups was formed.
The food consumption structure as all or individual sex was compared to the correlation model. The obtained conclusions are as follows;
(1) The correlation model of the whole samples is characterized by rice and the other seven families, showing an urbanized dietary pattern.
(2) The model for male characterized by (a) the family of dining out, sugars and sweetners, etc. and (b) the family of spirits, soybean products, etc. It is markedly distinct from that for female the later being characterized by (c) the family of pickles, seeds and nuts, dairy products, etc. and (d) the family of dining out, eutrophics, and tea and coffee, etc.
(3) The correlation model is a useful index to analyze a food consumption structure, showing a type of dietary life or a dietary pattern.

View full abstract

The present study is focussed on examining the influences of dietary tocopherol on plasma and liver lipids in rats, in an appropriate combination with different dietary sugars (glucose, sucrose or fructose). Male and female rats of Wistar strain were fed diets ad libitum for 2 weeks. dl-α-Tocopheryl acetate was added to the diets in three different levels (A, B and C groups) depending on the conditions of the experiments.
(1) The concentrations of plasma cholesterol and triglyceride were not necessarily reduced by increasing tocopherol levels in the diets. In some groups of rats fed fructose, the accumulation of liver triglyceride was essentially prevented by the administration of increasing levels of tocopherol.
(2) Tocopherol supplementation caused, in most cases of the experiments using sucrose or fructose as dietary sugars, marked changes in percentage of hepatic arachidonic acid compared with those of other polyunsaturated fatty acids.
(3) The alterations of plasma and liver lipids by dietary tocopherol were most remarkable in rats fed fructose.
(4) From the results of these experiments, it is apparent that the effects of tocopherol on plasma and liver lipids differ with the sources of dietary sugars and other constituents and/or body weights and sexes of the experimental animals.

View full abstract

In this experiment the authors have investigated with respect to the discoloration of preboiled Euphausia superba (E. superba) during the storage at a low temperature.
Autoxidized unsaturated fatty acid of pre-boiled E. superba (E. superba autoxidized USFA) was prepared with autoxidizing unsaturated fatty acid extracted from preboiled E. superba. Autoxidized methyl linoleate was made with autoxidizing a commercial methyl linoleate. Volatility basic nitrogen (VBN) and non-volatility basic nitrogen (Non-VBN) of pre-boiled E. superba were prepared according to the method by Nakamura et al. When E. superba autoxidized USFA or autoxidized methyl linoleate were reacted to VBN or Non-VBN, discolored substances were obtained as a product of reaction. These discolored substances from VBN or Non-VBN were fractionated to hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions, and the obtained fractions were hydrophilic of Non-VBN (F-1), lipophilic of Non-VBN (F-2), hydrophilic of VBN (F-3) and lipophilic of VBN (F-4). Change of discoloration and fluorescence intensity in these fractions (F-1-F-4) were measured with the passage of time. Furthermore, change of peroxide value (POV), carbonyl value (COV) and thiobarbituric acid value (TBA) in the discolored solution of VBN and Non-VBN were measured.
The following results were obtained.
(1) Discoloration of the rancid oil was effected with contents of nitrogenous substance in the VBN and Non-VBN, and absorbance at a length of 430nm of F-1 had a higher value than other fractions (F-2-F-4).
(2) The fluorescence intensity of F-1 after 72hr was 50 times of the F-2 and 500 times of the F-3 or F-4.
(3) Both POV, COV or TBA value of the rancid oil and the discolored substances tended to increase during the first 72hr. Moreover, POV, COV and TBA value of Non-VBN were appreciably higher than those of VBN.

View full abstract

Antioxidative effects of metabolites of tryptophan (Try) on the autoxidation of oil have been studied little. Present paper deals with the antioxidative activities of Try, kynurenine (Kyn), kynurenic acid (Ky. A), xanthorenic acid (Xa. A), anthranilic acid (An. A), 3 or 5-OH-anthranilic acid (3 or 5-OH-An. A), 5-OH-tryptamine (5-OH-Try. Am), tryptamine hydrochloride (Try. Am-HCl), β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and alanine (Ala) using A.O.M., oven test, weighing method test and DPPH method (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrozil).
The results obtained were as follows;
1) 3-OH-An. A was the most effective and followed by 5-OH-An. A, Ala, NAD>An. A, Try, Ky. A, Xa. A in decreasing order.
2) 5-OH-An. A showed great antioxidant activity at the concentration of 0.003% by A.O.M. test.
3) Mixture of 3-OH-An. A, 5-OH-An. A, Ala and Ala-NAD was more effective than each of them.
4) The mixture of tocopherol and Try or 5-OH-An. A had a greater antioxidative activity than tocopherol or 5-OH-An. A.
5) When oil was heated for 10hr, antioxidative activity of 5-OH-An. A was decreased, but tocopherol still kept the activity.

View full abstract

The investigation was carried out in order to clarify the reason for the reduction in nutritive value of browned protein, by using casein as a model protein. In a previous report, we found ε-N-deoxyfructosyl-lysine as an absorption delayed material in the small intestinal content of rats using browned ¹⁴C-lysine labeled casein which was prepared under a mild condition (37°C and R.H. 70%). This study was performed to elucidate the change in amino acid composition of casein browned by amino-carbonyl reaction with glucose under the mild condition, and to determine the protein efficiency ratio (PER) and digestibility of browned casein with or without supplementary lysine. As a result, PER of browned casein was decreased, but it was recovered to the control level by addition of the equal amount of lysine to that lost by browning reaction. Therefore, the limiting amino acid of browned casein was assumed to be lysine. As the true digestibility of browned casein was not decreased, it was suggested that the reduction in its nutritive value was mainly due to the conversion of lysine in browned casein to ε-N-deoxyfructosyl-lysine, which remains in the small intestine as an absorption delayed material.

View full abstract

Anorexigenic activity of FMS-1A extracted from rat urine by the method of Stevenson et al. was examined. The significant reduction in body weight and anorexigenic effect on food and water intake were followed by the intraperitoneal injection of FMS-1A into rats. It was demonstrated that FMS-1A was a substance related to protein, and its anorexigenic activity remained after standing at room temperature for 10 days. Then the collected rat urine was concentrated by ultrafiltration method and fractionated. A fraction having molecular weight more than 5, 000 also showed the anorexigenic activity. This result suggests that anorexigenic substance is present in normal rat urine, but it gets no activity by treatment of alcohol and/or benzoic acid.

View full abstract

The mechanism of photodynamic action of the salted takana or pheophorbide a isolated from the salted takana on erythrocyte of rats was investigated in vivo and in vitro. The following results were obtained.
After rats fed 10% salted takana diet for 2 days were exposed to visible light, all the animals died within 5.5 hours. On rats fed with 5% salted takana diet and exposed to visible light for 10 hours, it was recognized that erythrocyte was decreased as well as in hematocrit value.
Pheophorbide a caused hemolysis of blood suspension with the exposure of visible light but not without the exposure. Its hemolytic ability was reduced by the pre-treatment with visible light.

View full abstract

It was found that feeding of 40% fat diets containing corn oil or beef tallow induced equally fatty liver in rats. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids was 5.3 in corn oil and 1.0 in beef tallow. Corn oil contained much more unsaturated fatty acids than beef tallow. These results suggest that an increase of liver lipid deposition is not due to the equality of dietary fat (especially content of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids) but to the quantity of dietary fat.
In the course of this experiment, it was found that serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) was significantly elevated in the rats fed corn oil for 12 weeks, suggesting that the liver function was disturbed. On the other hand, serum GPT level was not rised in the rats fed beef tallow or laboratory chow. The level of lipoperoxide was found to be significantly elevated in the livers of rats fed corn oil for 12 weeks. Based on these results, the cause of the functional disorder of the liver in rats fed corn oil for 12 weeks was discussed.

View full abstract

Lactoferrin was determined by the immunological method of Laurell in bovine colostrum and milk from 1 to 547 days after parturition (60 samples). Iron which was closely contacted with the bacteriostatic effect of lactoferrin, and nitrogen distribution were also measured.
Lactoferrin contents in bovine colostrum, transitional milk, matured milk, and milk in later lactation were 80.9±45.0, 54.0±21.7, 40.4±25.0, and 455mg/100ml skim milk, respectively, with considerable differences among samples from individual cows. The lactoferrin to whey protein ratios in colostrum, transitional milk, matured milk and milk in later lactation were 3.3, 6.9, 7.2 and 5.2%, respectively.
Iron contents in colostrum, transitional milk, matured milk and milk in later lactation were 1.77± 123, 92±43, 53±14 and 73μg/100ml, respectively. The weight ratio of iron to lactoferrin was high in colostrum, then decreased with elapsing of lactation days and was very low in milk in later lactation.
Significant correlation was observed between the concentrations of lactoferrin and whey protein nitrogen (r=0.666). No correlation, however, was observed between the lactoferrin and iron concentrations. Iron is likely to be contained at approximately constant level in matured milk.

View full abstract