The hypocholesterolemic effects of kirinsai and it's viscous material on rats fed the hypercholes-terolemic diets containing 1% cholesterol and 0.25% bile salts were examined.
1. The cholesterol depressing activity of kirinsai and it's viscous material were confirmed in serum and liver of rats fed hypercholesterolemic diet.
2. When fed the hypercholesterolemic diets supplemented with kirinsai, the high level of cholesterol in serum and liver of rats was decreased. The reduction rates of cholesterol level were tended to decrease by teeding with the cholesterol-free diet contained 5% kirinsai.

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This investigation was conducted to quantify fiber components in defatted rice bran (crude fiber 10.6% as dry matter), and to evaluate the hypocholesterolemic effects of various detergent fiber preparations which were isolated from the defatted rice bran.
1) The fiber composition of the defatted rice bran was determined to be cellulose 7.6%, hemicellulose 14.0% and lignin 4.4% on a dry weight basis by the method of Van Soest, and these values were indicated to adequately approximate to the values from the method of Southgate.
2) Both neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were isolated from the defatted rice bran by application of the Van Soest procedure. Scanning electron microscopic observation showed that NDF-preparation was mainly composed of blocks of cytoplasm-free cell walls with fairly integral structure and ADF-preparation was composed of fragments of ruptured cell walls. The adsorption in vitro of cholic acid to both fiber preparations was assessed by incubating with sodium cholate at pH 8.0 for 16 hours at 37°C in the presence of the fiber. The NDF-preparation and ADF-preparation were found to adsorb the cholate by 17.9mg and 16.2mg per gram of the dry sample, respectively.
3) The hypocholesterolemic effects of NDF-preparation (cellulose 29.3%, hemicellulose 47.5%, lignin 16.3%), ADF-preparation (cellulose 60.2%, hemicellulose 5.0%, lignin 33.4%) and commercial powdered cellulose (Solka-Floc, cellulose 90.9%, hemicellulose 10.7%) were examined on serum and liver cholesterol levels in rats. Each test fiber preparation was supplemented to a hypercholesterolemic diet (containing cholesterol 1% and bile salts 0.25%) at 5% level. The NDF-preparation had a significant effect to prevent the elevation of serum cholesterol, and it also depressed the liver cholesterol level but statistically not significant. Neither ADF-preparation nor powdered cellulose were effective in preventing elevation of serum and liver cholesterol levels, but liver cholesterol increased significantly when ADF-preparation was added to the diet. From these results, it seemed that hemicellulose fraction in NDF-preparation contributes to the hypocholesterolemic action.

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The purpose of the present study is to examine the relation between the occurrence of chilling injury and the contents of L-ascorbic acid (ASA) and phenolic compounds in okra fruits as affected by differential fertilizer treatments.
The fresh weight and ASA content of okra fruits grown in 2 fold N (B plot: 2 N, P, K; E plot: 2N, 2P, 2K) of standard fertilizer treatment (A plot: N fertilizer, ammonium sulfate 9.6g/pot; P fertilizer, calcium superphosphate 14.2g/pot; K fertilizer, potassium sulfate 4.0g/pot) increased as compared with those of A, F (-, P, K), and I (non-fertilizer) plots. And the okra fruits of E plot contained minimum content of phenolic compounds among fruits of above plots.
The development of chilling injury (browning) was inhibited in okra fruits of B and E plots as compared with that in okra fruits of A and F plots. The ASA cantent scarcely decreased in 1°C-stored okra fruits of B and E plots, but decreased remarkably in okra fruits of A and F piots. The o-diphenol content in 1°C-stored okra fruits of B and E plots didn't decrease rapidly, and the polyphenol oxidase activities in those okra fruits were almost constant during storage at 1°C.
It was found in the present study that the development of chilling injury was delayed in okra fruits which the ASA content was higher and the content of phenolic compounds was lower or in okra fruits which the contents of ASA and o-diphenol scarcely decreased during storage at 1°C.

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Four weeks old male rats of the Charles River CD strain (CD rats) and the Fischer strain (F rats) were used to study the effect of environmental temperature on body weight and nitrogen metabolism. Nitrogen balance and some urinary nitrogen components were measured for the last 3 days of the experimental period when they were fed with a 15% casein diet at environmental temperatures of 23°C and 10°C for 18 days. The growth rates of F rats at 10°C were less than those at 23°C, whereas the growth rates of CD rats were nearly the same at 10°C and 23°C. Nitrogen, urea, creatinine and creatine in urine per 100g of body weight of rats of both strains resulted in increases at 10°C compared to at 23°C. The extents to which a lower environmental temperature caused increases in these urinary nitrogen components were higher in F rats than in CD rats. These data suggest that a decrease in body weight caused by maintaining F rats at 10°C might be due to an elevation of body nitrogen catabolism, followed by an increase in nitrogen excretion. A higher stimulation of urinary allantoin excretion was observed in rats maintained at 10°C.

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When 6% citric acid solution containing β-pinene and ethanol was stored at 38°C, unpleasant odour was produced within several weeks. After two months storage, the deteriorated products of β-pinene were extracted with n-hexane and were separated by column chromatography with silica gel-Celite 545 (2: 1). Two components (P-7 and P-16) were isolated. Those structures were determined by IR, NMR and mass spectra. P-7 was identified as 4- (1-ethoxy-1-methyl) ethyl-1-methylcyclohexene by comparing IR and GLC with those of authentic specimen. P-16 was identified as α-terpineol by the same methods. P-7 was not detected among the deteriorated products of β-pinene in the citric acid solution without ethanol. P-7 was derived from α-terpineol in the citric acid solution containing ethanol, but was not derived in the solution without ethanol.

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When a small amount of lipid peroxide (hydroperoxide of ethyl linoleate) was fed (POV 100 or 250, 3.8% in diet) to rats, the effects of administration of some antioxidants (BHT, riboflavin tetrabutyrate, α-tocopheryl acetate and α-tocopheryl nicotinate) were examined. The oxidative hemolysis of red blood cell by dialuric acid test, TBA values of liver and blood plasma, and liver glutathione peroxidase activities were measured.
Obtained results were as follows.
1) Administration of lipid peroxide to rats increased level of oxidative hemolysis of red blood cell showing increment of vitamin E deficiency except vitamin E-supplemented rats. Supplementation of antioxidants except vitamin E did not show any effect on this increment of hemolysis.
2) Administration of lipid peroxide increased levels of TBA values in liver and plasma, but vitamin E administration inhibited to some degree the increase of TBA values, but did not decrease to the level of non-administered group of lipid peroxide supplemented with vitamin E.
3) Glutathione peroxidase activities in liver decreased by the administration of lipid peroxide and restored by the administration of vitamin E.
4) Glutathione peroxidase activities in liver was increased in vitamin E-deficient rats of non-administered group of lipid peroxide comparing with vitamin E-supplemented groups of the same condition. (Received April 14, 1980)

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Changes in the concentration of free amino acids were studied in plasma, liver, and muscle of rats recovering from protein deficiency in order to investigate the relationship of plasma amino acid level to the amino acid pool of liver and muscle.
Protein-depleted rats were fed three diets of different protein quality (10% casein, 10% albumin, and 20% gluten) for 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days, respectively. Concentration ratios of free amino acids in liver and muscle to those in plasma were calculated for each group. The ratios between the liver and plasma free essential amino acids did not change significantly during the depletion period, but resulted in characteristic changes during the recovery period depending upon which diet was fed. The ratios of branched amino acids elevated sharply up to the third day of recovery and decreased thereafter in the casein and albumin groups, while they gradually increased up to the 14th day of recovery in the gluten group. The changes in concentration ratios between the lier and plasma amino acids were similar to those in the protein to DNA ratio of the liver, and the decrease in the ratios during the recovery period of the 3rd-14th day could be accounted for by the amino acid requirement of rat.
On the other hand, the ratios of the essential amino acids between muscle and plasma hardly changed during the perod of both protein depletion and recovery. The ratios of the non-essential amino acids, however, decreased in depletion and returned to normal values by the third day of recovery to stay there during the remaining period. This pattern of change in the non-essential amino acids was similar to that of change in the protein to DNA ratio in muscle.

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he present study was conducted to clarify the effect of combination of PCB and other environmental contaminant on the vitamin A storage and lipid peroxide formation. Weanling male rats of the Sprague Dawley strain received the experimental diets containing 0-0.1% PCB and 0-0.01% β-BHC. When rats were fed the 0-0.01% β-BHC diets for 2 or 4 weeks, no significant influence on the body weight gain and vitamin A content in the liver and serum was observed. In rats fed on the diet containing 0.01% β-BHC, the weight and TBA value of the liver increased significantly (p<0.05) as compared with that of the control rats. When rats were fed the diets combined 0-0.1% PCB with 0.002% and 0.01% β-BHC respectively, the influence of PCB on the body weight gain, the liver weight and vitamin A content in the liver and serum were not potentiated by the subliminal β-BHC. Enhancement of TBA value by PCB was suppressed by the combination of β-BHC. An induction of cytochrome P-450 in the liver microsome by 0.1% PCB was acceleratedZby 0.01% β-BHC fed con-comitantly, but being not directly proportional to the decrease of the vitamin A storage and lipid peroxide formation in the liver. The above results suggest to be attributable that BHC is metabolized via many pathways, whereas PCB are metabolized mainly by the microsomal hydroxylating system.

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Four representative districts were selected here to do study explaining farmer's status of food consumption and the nutritional examination data in Tokushima prefecture; that is, the districts in seaside (Mugi, 1976), in mountains (Yamashiro, 1977), in plainly area among the mountains (Ikeda, 1979) and in plain (Ichiba, 1978) which were surveyed for four years. The relationship between the structure of food consumption and nutritional examination data was shown in the matrix of correlation coefficient respectively on four districts in Tokushima prefecture divided due to the topography. Using multiple factors analysis, the authors indicated a tendency that male weight and obesity were larger in cases of traditional food habits than in cases of modern. It is interesting that the activities of GOT and GPT in serum were higher in cases of modern dietary group than those of traditional. In the districts of a larger intake of food, there are positive correlation among height, body weight, obesity, diastolic blood pressure, hematocrit, serum total cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase. Nevertheless in women, age, GOT, GPT and serum cholesterol ester showed negative correlations. This report showed that “the two-dimensional diagram of food consumption” should be a method of available to research the relation between the difference of food habits and the healthy conditions of inhabitants from geographical aspects.

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In order to examine effective wavelength for the photolysis of riboflavin, milk in petri-dishes covered with various light filters was exposed to sunlight. Ninety percent of riboflavin in raw and market milk placed in control petri-dishes (without any filter) was destroyed by 120min exposure to direct sunlight. Less than 10 percent of riboflavin was decomposed in dark for 120min. When blue (400-560nm), brown (mainly above 500nm) and red (above 550nm) filters were used to cover the dishes, riboflavin lost in the same period of irradiation was about 80, 80 and 20 percent, respectively. These results indicate that red-colored bottle is the most suitable container for protecting milk riboflavin from photolysis.

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Thinned-unripened pear, although low its dry matter, contains a good portion of protein (18-20%) on dry bases. The amounts of extracted protein, however, were between 37-38% when the extraction was made at the solution of which pH was below 10.0. Extremely high pH was needed to increase the amounts of extractable protein. In this work, the proteins were extracted by mild pH solution containing a surface active agent, such as between 9 and 10. The protein concentrate was precipitated by adding an equal volume of EtOH after adjusting the pH of extracted solution to 3.2. The results of amino acid analysis showed that the content of sulfur-containing amino acids of this protein extracts was a little low but its other essential amino acid pattern was fairly high in comparison with that of FAO/WHO which was reported in 1973.

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In this study, we have investigated the effect of caloric intakes in 15 subjects (9 males and 6 females ranging in age from 48 to 66) and the effect of P/S (polyunsaturated/saturated) fat ratio in 9 subjects (7 males and 2 females aged from 50 to 64) on HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels in plasma. All subjects were selected from inpatients with low HDL-C level (<45mg/dl).
In the first study (Fig. 1), the subjects were placed on 20-25 Cal (per kg of ideal body weight), 25-30 Cal and 30-35 Cal test diets containing almost constant amount of protein and fat. Each subjects was given one of the test diet for 14-17 days with interval. The order of the diet was randomized. P/S fat ratio of the diet was maintained between 1.0 to 2.0 and daily cholesterol content was 0.3 to 0.7g. When compared to the control, HDL-C was raised (p<0.01) by 20-25 Cal and 25-30 Cal diets. TG was lowered (p<0.05) by 20-25 Cal diet. Hypocaloric diet containing less than 30 Cal with medium P/S ratio shows to offer the advantage with respect to HDL-C and TG metabolism.
In the second study (Fig. 2), the test diets of different P/S fat ratio from 0.3-0.7, 1.0-2.0 and 3.0-4.0 were respectively administered for 14 days. The diets were isocaloric (20-30 Cal per kg of body weight) and contained 0.3-0.9g of cholesterol. The diet with the lowest P/S fat ratio was initially administered, medium and then the highest one continued with no interval. All subjects lost the weight during the test. HDL-C was increased (p<0.01) by the diets with medium and the highest P/S fat ratio. Also the highest P/S ratio diet reduced (p< 0.05) TC level. Though the increment of HDL-C was observed, it was possibly due to the ef-fect of limited caloric intake provided by the test diet. Accordingly the effect of polyunsa-turated fat on HDL-C remained to be clarified.

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