Kuzu (Pueraria lobata) starch, an important ingredient of Japanese confectionery, is said to show superior cooking properties by storage at room temperature to new one. And heat/moisture-treatment (HMT) is well known to give starch granules different properties. In this study, the cooking properties of HMT Kuzu starch at 120°C for from 10 min to 120 min were investigated.

The longer starch was treated, the more color of starch changed to yellowish. X-ray diffraction patterns were changed from type CA to type A. In addition, the particle size distribution percentage of HMT Kuzu starch increased in larger one depending on the treated time. Although the hardness and adhesiveness of HMT Kuzu starch-sol were not so different just after preparation from those of untreated one, their hardness and adhesiveness increased rapidly under storage at 35°C depending on HMT time. Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) showed that HMT significantly (p<0.005) increased their gelatinization temperature and lower peak viscosity depending on HMT time.

The whipped egg white with sugar (Meringue), prepared in copper bowl has been said to have good quality. The mechanism of the effect of copper bowl was examined in this study to the whipped egg white without sugar. Although the whipped egg white prepared in the copper bowl showed the almost the same density with those prepared in the glass bowl and stainless steel bowl, it is superior in the stability of the whipped egg white to the others. The whipped egg white prepared in the copper bowl contained about 27 times more copper compared with those in the egg white. Therefore, in order to examine the role of copper, the characterization of the whipped egg white added 1 mg% of copper powder, glass powder as control or CuCl₂ was performed. The whipped egg white by addition CuCl₂ showed the similar properties with those prepared in the copper bowl, which means that the copper ion (Cu²⁺) played an important role to stabilize the whipped egg white. Copper ion might prevent the egg white protein from S-S bond formation during whipping. Then, the characterization of whipped egg white prepared with 1 mg% of 2-mercaptoethanol was performed in order to examine the role of S-S bond. 2-Mercaptoethanol increased the stability of the whipped egg white. In addition, the form in the whipped egg white prepared in the copper bowl and those with 2-mercaptoethanol were relatively uniform in size and shape by microscope observation (×200) comparing with those in glass bowl and stainless steel bowl, which might be concerned with the stability of the whipped egg white.

Four-week-old male Wistar rats were fed a AIN93G-based diet containing iron at a level of 20 μg/g as ferrous sulfate, ferric citrate, pig hemoglobin or a processed low-molecular-weight (LMW) heme iron for 4 weeks and effect of the difference in dietary iron source on iron nutritional status was examined. The highest iron contents in liver, kidney, small intestine, spleen and femur were observed in rats fed the diet containing ferrous sulfate. In the hemoglobin, hematocrit and serum iron, the highest values were also observed in the rats given ferrous sulfate, while the lowest values were observed in the rats given the LMW heme iron. Apparent iron absorption of the rats given ferrous sulfate or hemoglobin were 52 to 60 %, whereas that of the rats given ferric citrate or the LMW heme iron were 20 to 26 %. These results indicate that iron bioavailability of hemoglobin is lower than ferrous sulfate in rats and that of the processed LMW heme iron is lower than intact hemoglobin or ferric citrate.

Folate is a water soluble B-group vitamin, which is an essential nutrient for human health. It has been reported that hyperhomocysteinemia, which folate deficiency is one of the main causes, is an independent risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. This study was conducted to examine the influence of folate deficiency on bone mass and bone mineral contents in mice. Four-week-old male ICR mice were fed a control diet based on AIN93G or a folate deficient diet for 10 weeks. The plasma and erythrocyte levels of folate in the deficient mice were significantly lower than those in the control mice. The concentration of plasma homocysteine in the deficient mice was higher but not significantly different from controls. In the deficient mice, we observed a significant decrease in the bone mass, bone mineral content and bone length of the right femur even though the body weight and major tissue weights were not significantly different between the two groups. These results suggest that folate deficiency influences the process of bone formation.

The digestion products of protein can interrupt the intestinal absorption of acidic and neutral sterols. The intake of certain protein hydrolysates is more effective in lowering serum cholesterol than the intake of intact protein. In this study, we hypothesized that, compared to intact fish protein, dietary fish peptides prepared by the treating of fish protein with papain alter lipid absorption in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into the following three dietary groups, each composed of seven rats: casein (20 %), fish protein (10 %) + casein (10 %), and fish peptides (10 %) + casein (10 %), each with cholesterol (0.5 %) and cholic acid (0.1 %). Compared with dietary casein, dietary fish peptides decreased serum and liver cholesterol, whereas fecal acidic and neutral sterols excretions were higher. The fish protein diet had similar effects as the fish peptides diet, although the effects of the fish protein diet were weaker than those of the fish peptides diet.The hypocholesterolemic effects of fish protein and peptides were mediated by increased fecal acidic and neutral sterols excretions, which were due to the digested products of fish protein and peptides having reduced micellar solubility of cholesterol and increased bile acid binding capacity. The results suggested that the intake of fish peptides is more effective in the suppression of lipid absorption than the intake of intact fish protein. This finding may be of benefit to patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Tributyltin compound is a toxic organotin compound that produces injury to the central nervous systems of mammals as the main target. In in vitro studies, we examined the effect of tributyltin chloride (TBTC) on RCR-1 cells (a rat astrocytoma cell line). After exposure to 1 μM TBTC, RCR-1 cells induced apoptosis, such as caspase-3 activation, calpain activation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. TBTC-induced apoptosis was suppressed when RCR-1 cells were pretreated with BAPTA-AM, an intracellular calcium chelator. Furthermore, significant activation of calpain was associated with calcium-dependent enzyme action and an increase of intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺]i) was confirmed in TBTC-exposed RCR-1 cells. On the other hand, calpain activation was suppressed by BAPTA-AM, an intracellular calcium chelator. JC-1 assays were used to evaluate mitochondrial function, since a strong expression of cytochrome c by TBTC suggested mitochondrial involvement; cytochrome c release and the loss of mitochondrial function occurred within 10 min of TBTC exposure. These results indicate the presence of a TBTC-induced calcium-dependent apoptotic pathway in RCR-1 cells. In conclusion, the results are thought to contribute greatly to the elucidation of TBTC-induced cell death mechanism of astrocytes and neurons of the central nervous system.

We designed to examine the effect of kudzu vine extracts (PVEE) on bone resorption and bone organization in ovariectomized mice. The uterine of all OVX mice was atrophic. Oral administration of PVEE did not affect the uterine size of OVX mice. A bone resorption marker (Deoxypyridinoline) was significantly increased by OVX, and the increase was effectively suppressed by administration of PVEE for 2 weeks. The femoral bone mineral density (BMD) of OVX mice with CT analysis was significantly restored by the administration of PVEE. These results clearly demonstrated that PVEE improved effectively the postmenopausal bone loss in ovariectomized mice, and kudzu vine might be a promising food resource preventing osteoporosis.

Todayʼs consumers in developing and developed countries are more and more sophisticated in their desire to know about the composition and constituents in dairy products as they relate to human health. During the last 30 years, there has been a reawakening and rediscovery of natural, organic, farm-fresh, artisanal, and original foods for healthier and tastier eating. In this reawakening, dairy goats have also been prominently rediscovered as fitting well the new interest in healthy foods, especially goat milk products, cheeses, and yogurt. Dairy goats reentered a niche alternative of the dairy industry even in regions in which only dairy cows use the market. Worldwide FAO statistics show enormously increasing numbers of dairy goats during recent decades (+61% worldwide from 458 million head in 1980 to 738 million head in 2001).

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of goat milk supplementation on plasma mineral concentrations in mice. Four-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups; distilled water group (control: C), 5 mL goat milk/day oral feeding group (G5), 10 mL goat milk/day oral feeding group (G10), 15 mL goat milk/day oral feeding group (G15), with 10 mice in each group. Total experimental period was 14 days. Body weight gain was not significantly different between any of the 4 groups. Plasma Cu and Zn concentrations of goat milk supplementation groups were significantly higher than those of the control group, but there were no difference plasma Fe and Ca concentrations among the 4 groups.

Prooxidant effects of polyamines were analyzed by using permeabilized yeast cells and purified yeast glutathione reductase.

1. Polyamine stimulated NADH-dependent inactivation of aconitase in the presence of cyanide, implying that the superoxide-generating enzyme with NADH was activated by polyamines. Polyamines further stimulated NADPH-dependent inactivation of aconitase in the presence of menadione and cyanide, suggesting the activation of NADPH/naphthoquinone-dependent production of superoxide. The order of effectiveness of polyamines as activators was spermine > spermidine. Putrescine showed little effect.

2. Glutathione reductase, the principal enzyme scavenging reactive oxygen species, was inhibited by polyamines. Polyamine-dependent production of reactive oxygen and the inhibition of the activity scavenging reactive oxygen may explain the cytotoxic effects of these compounds.

We found that the single intramolecular disulfide bond between the cysteines C47 and C73 exists in the primary structure of arginine racemase (ArgR) from Pseudomonas taetrolens NBRC 3460, and this is the first example of a pyridoxal 5ʼ-phosphate (PLP)-dependent amino acid racemase that contains a disulfide bond. The thermal and pH profiles and the quaternary structure of ArgR did not change when the disulfide bond of ArgR was disrupted by site-directed mutagenesis. The substrate specificity and the overall structure changed when the disulfide bond of ArgR was disrupted by site-directed mutagenesis. The total activity of ArgR decreased when the disulfide bond of ArgR was disrupted by site-directed mutagenesis before the protein was matured or when ArgR was expressed in the cytoplasm. Based on these results, the disulfide bond of ArgR is probably essential for ArgR to fold and mature as an amino acid racemase with a broad substrate specificity.

2-Haloacrylate hydratase from Pseudomonas sp. YL catalyzes the hydration of 2-chloroacrylate to produce pyruvate and HCl. Although the conversion does not involve a net change in the redox state, the enzyme requires reduced FAD, which is not consumed during substrate turnover. It was not clear how the reduced form of FAD is generated in vivo. The examination of the primary structure of the enzyme has revealed the presence of an unusual nucleotide-binding fingerprint motif consisting of the sequence AXXGXXG; this finding suggests that the enzyme may bind to NADH or NADPH. The UV-visible spectroscopic analyses indicated that 2-haloacrylate hydratase catalyzes the reduction of FAD at the expense of NADH. Thus, 2-haloacrylate hydratase is a bifunctional enzyme with both NADH-dependent FAD reductase activity and FADH2-dependent 2-haloacrylate hydratase activity.

Abbreviations: 2-CAA, 2-chloroacrylic acid, DTT, dithiothreitol

The availability of zinc contained in oyster extracts was investigated. In the first experiment, after being given a zinc-adequate diet (20 μg Zn/g) for 1 week, 10-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into two groups. One group was given a zinc-deficient diet (0.6 μg Zn/g) for 5 days and the other group was given a zinc-adequate diet for 4 days followed by a zinc-deficient diet for one day. Then, the rats were orally administered diets supplemented with zinc (1 mg/kg body weight) as zinc sulfate or oyster extract. Before the oral administration, the rats given the zinc-deficient diet for 5 days showed lower serum zinc concentrations than those given zinc-adequate diets. After the oral administration, the rats given a zinc-deficient diet showed higher serum zinc concentration than those given zinc-adequate diets at 1, 2 and 4 hours irrespective of the source of zinc supplementation. Similarly, the area under the curve at 4 hours (AUC4) calculated from serum zinc concentration in rats given a zinc-deficient diet was larger than that of those given a zinc-adequate diet.

In the second experiment, three groups of zinc-deficient rats were orally administered three kinds of commercial oyster extracts, respectively, and the effects on serum zinc concentrations were examined. The serum zinc concentrations in all rats were elevated after administration. The extent of elevation and AUC4 values were strongly associated with the zinc content in the oyster extracts administered. These results indicate that a low zinc status induces higher zinc absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and that the zinc contained in oyster extract is utilized effectively.

In order to examine the effect of intake of green-tea beverage on iron and zinc status, tissue iron and zinc contents of rats administered with green-tea beverages were compared with those of the control rats without the tea beverages. Thirty-six male 4-weeks-old Wistar rats were divided into six groups. The first group was fed an AIN93G-based diet containing FeSO₄ at a level of 12.5 μg Fe/g (low iron diet). The second and third groups were fed the low-iron diet to which a commercial green-tea beverage or a commercial catechin-rich green-tea beverage was added at a level of 800 mL/kg, respectively. The fourth group was fed an AIN93G-based diet containing FeSO₄ at a level of 25.0 μg Fe/g (adequate iron diet). The fifth and sixth groups fed the adequate iron diet to which the commercial green-tea beverage or the commercial catechin-rich green-tea beverage was added, respectively. After the 4-weeks-feeding, significant higher hemoglobin contents and lower serum total iron binding capacities were observed in rats fed the adequate iron diets than those fed the low iron diets regardless of the administration with the green-tea beverages. Similarly, iron and zinc contents in the liver, kidney, femur and spleen as well as the apparent absorption of iron and zinc were not changed by the administration with the green-tea beverages while the tissue iron and zinc contents were influenced by the dietary iron level. These results indicate that the intake of green-tea beverage does not effect on iron and zinc absorption even in a low iron status.

The effects of graded levels of dietary rubidium (Rb) on blood and tissue Rb concentrations in rats were studied. Fifty-nine 4-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into 8 groups and fed diets with graded levels of supplemental Rb: 0, 4, 8, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 1,000 ppm (mg/kg diet) for 46 days. The body weight gain was significantly lower in rats fed the 1,000-ppm Rb diet compared to rats fed the 8-ppm Rb diet. Rb concentrations in blood and tissues (brain, heart, liver and kidney) were significantly lower in rats fed the 0 and 4-ppm Rb diets compared to rats given the 8-ppm Rb diet. Rb concentrations in blood and tissues were significantly higher in rats fed the 25, 50, 100, 200 and 1,000-ppm Rb diets, compared to rats given the 8-ppm Rb diet. These results suggest a dose-effect relationship between dietary Rb and Rb concentrations in blood and tissues.

Recently, slim young women are increasing in Japan. On the other hand, low birth weight babies are also increasing. In 1993, Barker et al. published highly influential hypothesis indicating a relation between low birth weight and increased risk of developing symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. The low birth weight child has catch-up growth afterwards. Catch-up growth is associated with adulthood obesity in mice as well as in humans. We examined the influence that the dietary restriction group of the early pregnancy gave to body composition of the first day after birth. Control group which was permitted free access to food throughout the gestation and lactation periods. Dietary restricted group which was permitted to intake 50% of the consumption had by the control group during early gestation. Body weight of male pups was larger in dietary restriction group than in control group at first day of birth. And, body fat of male pups from the dietary restriction group was lower than that of the control group. It was suggested that the body weight and body fat of the pups of the dietary restriction group during the fetus period was more increased than the control group. As a result, it is suggested that catch-up growth happens more for the fetus period.

There are few data available regarding the usual dietary intake of pregnant women in Japan. In the present study, we evaluated the dietary intake of folate, calcium, and iron for pregnant women attending the outpatient clinic of our obstetrics and gynecology department. The dietary intake was estimated using weighed dietary records for 7 continuous days of 40 pregnant women with gestational age of 19.9 ± 4.4 weeks. The subjects having sufficient intake of folate (more than 400 μg/day) were 35.0%. Their intake of green vegetables and algae was significantly higher than that of the group having insufficient intake of folate. There were significant differences in the intake of many minerals and vitamins between the two groups. We found a significant correlation between folate intake and the intake of many vitamins and minerals including calcium and iron. About half of folate intake came from vegetables. There were low proportions of subjects who had adequate intake; i.e., according to the recommended dietary allowance for pregnant women, of calcium (47.5%) and iron (0%). These data suggested that awareness of folate intake, green vegetables and well-balanced diet was important for nutritional guidance to pregnant women.

Biotin is one of the most important nutritional factors in human beings, but the intake of biotin in pregnant women hasn't been elucidated. We followed thirty nine pregnant women in the Kobe area of Japan, and investigated their daily biotin intake through the food they ate. The daily biotin intake from food in the pregnant women is 36.0±7.2 μg/day. The biotin intake in pregnant women in the Kobe area did not reach the level of 50.0±2 μg/day which was presented by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2010. It is important for further examinations to be conducted because they are necessary for establishing proper level of biotin intake for pregnant women in Japan.

Water-swollen samples of Hijiki, Sargassum fusiforme, were treated with two digestive enzymes, pepsin from porcine stomach mucosa and pancreatin from hog pancreas, at 37°C for 3, 6, 15 and 24 hr. Two fractions of arsenic, one dissolved and the other retained in the Hijiki residues were determined by thermal neutron activation analysis.

The concentration of the retained arsenic in the Hijiki residues was 27 μgAs/g dry residue weight after single treatment with pepsin, 25 μgAs/g dry residue weight after single treatment with pancreatin and 24 μgAs/g dry residue weight after successive treatment with pepsin followed by pancreatin.

Selenoamino acids in selenium (Se)-accumulated plants were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A compound eluted at the same retention time as Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSec) in LC was detected in 0.1 M HCl extract prepared from Se-enriched Kaiware radish sprouts. Mass spectrum of this compound was coincident with that of MeSec; MeSec was identified in the Se-enriched Kaiware radish sprouts by LC-MS. Similarly, γ-glutamylme thylselenocysteine and selenohomolanthionine, which had not be identified by GC-MS, were identified by LC-MS in Se-enriched garlic and Se-enriched mung bean sprouts, respectively.

The elderly population in Japan is increasing, and one consequence of aging is a reduction in serum zinc levels. Zinc deficiency reduces the mRNA expression of Klotho, an anti-aging gene which, when disrupted in mice, accelerates the aging process. Although aging is one of the greatest risk factors for disease development later in life, adhering to a calorie-restricted (CR) diet can slow the aging rate and extend life span in many organisms. This study examined the effect of a CR diet on Klotho expression in the kidney of an animal model. Fourteen mature male SD rats were aged until they weighed ~500 g each and were then housed in individual cages and fed a special diet consisting of 65% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 10% fat, and 0.01% zinc, ad libitum. After 1 week, the animals were separated into a control group (n=7; mean body weight, 511.4 ± 13.7 g), in which each rat consumed 150 kcal/day, and a CR group (n=7; mean body weight, 529.3 ± 17.2 g), in which each rat consumed 60% of the control calorie intake. After 4 weeks, mean body weight in the CR group was reduced by 13% compared with that in the control group. Serum zinc levels were significantly lower in the CR group (109.7 ± 11.3 μg/dL) compared with the control (132.7 ± 4.9 μg/dL). Western blot analysis revealed significantly increased Klotho expression in the CR group (0.57 ± 0.05) compared with the control (0.28 ± 0.05). These results suggest that Klotho expression is induced by calorie restriction and is inversely related to serum zinc levels.

The dietary therapy with a low-protein diet is considered to be effective and useful for the treatment of a chronic renal failure. In this study, we selected and tested 34 cases of outpatients who were on a low-protein diet due to a chronic renal failure. The patients were divided into two groups; either a group of those having low-protein diet food or a group with no low-protein diet food. The aim of this study was to analyze the amino acid compositions generated by the patientsʼ protein intake.

We developed an analysis-method for this study, using the amino acid descending-order scale for a balanced diet. The scale is a frame where the amino acid compositions are indicated in moles for each food combination that satisfies the Japanese dietary reference intakes (amino acid score: 95), and where all amino acids are displayed in descending order starting from the left-hand side.

The study results are as follows: The descending-order scale of the amino acids for a balanced diet was displayed in aminogram format. As a result, it was confirmed that there was no difference in the amino acid compositions generated by the protein intake between the two groups.

In the Trace Nutrients Research 25, we reported the changes on eating behavior and sleep pattern in Muslim, their adaptation to fasting in the daytime were examined any possibility to lead to adapt in our irregular life style. 1) Fasting started, calorie intake and amount of diet such as grain dishes, fish, meat and vegetables of Muslim male (MM) were decreased significantly during Ramadan, however in Muslim female, (MF) only grain dishes was decreased significantly. 2) Calorie intake from soft drinks by MM and MF was significantly increased. 3) Sleeping hours of both of MM and MF was shortened significantly during fasting. In this report, we found the quality of sleep was low among Muslim people from the big amplitude of wake-up and sleep-in time. Consumption of soft drinks was increased among Muslim people. The effects of changes life rhythms, such as wake-up time, sleep-in time, eating behavior of meals may cause demand of body nutrition dramatically. Such effects can be used for an assessment sheet for Japanese working people who have irregular life style to get know their eating habits.

In this research, we focused on digestibility in the commercial thickening agents and the reactivity to human saliva in liquid and solid food with them. A new commercial thickening agent which contains amylase was examined. Also, the digestibility of the commercial thickening agents in solid food were examined with index of the digestibility of protein by pancreatin. The results were showed as follows.

1)These commercial thickening agents and liquid food such as milk, soft drinks clear soup were examined how they were digested by α-amylase. The reactivity to α-amylase was different from the one with the commercial thickening agents only. 2) The digestibility of starch was decreased with commercial thickening agents which did not contain α-amylase. 3) The digestibility in the new commercial thickening agent was compared with one of other commercial thickening agents under coexisting nutrients. The digestibility of starch depended on whether coexisting nutrients contained or not and the kind of agents. 4) Solid food (rice gruel, silver hake) added three kinds of commercial thickening agents were added pancreatin solution and were estimated the amount of free amino acid. The amount of free amino acid was decreasing in rice gruel and silver hake added the commercial thickening agents. The digesting process was different from main content of commercial thickening agents. 5) It is suggested that it is important to choose the suitable commercial food agents as to food type such as liquid or solid, recipe of cooking, synptom of dysphagia, because there was a difference of digesting in the kind of commercial thickening agents, amount of its use. It should be necessary to find and examine an effective use for oral care which enhances secretion of human saliva.