Bacillus subtilis 2633, an extrahyper α-amylase producing strain, was obtained by DNA mediated transformation and mutation of the bacterium. Strain 2633 produced about 40, 000_??_50, 000 u/ml of α-amylase in 72 hr.
The α-amylase was purified from cell-free medium by acetone precipitation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 and DEA-Spherosil column chromatography and was crystallized by concentration. The α-amylase was purified into nearly a pure state (99.7%). The optimum pH for the enzyme reaction was 6.0. The α-amylase was stable within the range from pH 5.0 to 7.0 and kept its activity at 40°C but was completely inactivated by heat treatment at 70°C for 10 min.
The molecular weight of the purified α-amylase was 47, 000. With soluble starch as sub-strate, the Km value of the α-amylase was 0.78 mg/ml, and molecular activity was calculated to be about 2.5×10⁴ per minute.

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The root of L. glauca (Sieb. et Zucc.) Blume was extracted with ether. From the acidic fraction of the ether extract, a new compound “glaucic acid” [3S-(3α, 5α, 8α)]-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-octahydro-3, 8-dimethyl-α-methylene-5-azuleneacetic acid (I) and aciphyllic acid were isolated.
The structure and configuration of glaucic acid (I) were determined. Methyl ester (II) of (I) was reduced with LiAlH₄- AlCl₃ into alcohol (VII), which was hydrogenolyzed with lithium in liquid ammonia to give α-guaiene (VIII). The physical characteristics of (VIII) were identical with those of authentic sample obtained from patchouli oil.

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The constituents of essential oils obtained from the root, mesocarp, seed and leaf of L. glauca (Sieb. et Zucc.) Blume grown in Toyono-cho (Osaka prefecture) were investigated by chromato-graphical and spectral methods. From the neutral fraction of the root oil, three compounds isolated: a new sesquiterpene hydrocarbon “aciphyllene” [5 S-(5 α, 8 β, 8 aα)]-l, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 a-octahydro-3, 8-dimethyl-5-(1-methyl ethenyl)-azulene (V) and two new sesquiterpene alcohols “aci-phyllyl alcohol” [5 S-(5 α, 8 β, 8 a)]-1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 a-octahydro-3, 8-dimethyl-α-methylene-5-azulene-methanol (III) and “glaucyl alcohol” [3 S-(3 α, 5 α, 8 α)]-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-octahydro-3, 8-dimethyl-α-methylene-5-azulenemethanol (VIII). The major components of the neutral fraction of root oil were α-guaiene, aciphyllene and δ-guaiene. Those of mesocarp oil were trans-β-ocimene and glaucic acid, and those of the seed oil were decanoic and lauric acid, while the characteristic components of leaf oil were trans-2-hexenoic acid, cis-3-hexenol and trans-2-hexenal.

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Twenty-three O, O-dialkyl-O-(3-oxo-2-phenyl-2 H-pyridazine-6-yl) phosphorothioates (III) were prepared. Their insecticidal activities against rice plant pests and their toxicity to mice and small killifishes were studied. Of compounds tested, O, O-dimethyl-O-[2-(2-methylphenyl)-3-oxo-2H-pyridazine-6-yl] phosphorothioate (III-2) and O, O-diethyl-O-(3-oxo-2-phenyl-2H-pyridazine-6-yl) phosphorothioate (III-8) were the most effective against rice plant pests and these compounds showed low toxicity to mice and small killifishes. The relationships between chemical structure, activity and toxicity were examined.

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Twenty O, O-dialkyl-O-(2-benzyl-3-oxo-2 H-pyridazine-6-yl) phosphorothioates (III) were pre-pared. Their insecticidal activities against rice plant pests, including the two-spotted spider mite, and their toxicity to mice and small killifishes were studied. Of compounds tested, O, O-dimethyl-O-[2-(2-methylbenzyl)-3-oxo-2H-pyridazine-6-yl]phosphorothioate (III-2) was the most effective against rice plant pests, including the two-spotted spider mite, and it showed low toxicity to mice and small killifishes. The relationships between chemical structure, activity and toxicity were examined.

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This paper deals with chemical constituents and the sensory evaluation of Satsuma mandarin fruits (Citrus unshiu, Marcov. var Praecox Tanaka cv. Okitsu-wase) grown in vinyl houses (V. H.) and in open fields (O. F.).
The amount of sugar, acids, pectin, carotenoid, flavonoid and some vitamins was substan-tially lower in V. H. fruits than in O. F. fruits. Ascorbic acid was 20% lower in V. H. fruits than in O. F. fruits. The sugar-acid ratio, however, was 12_??_15 in V. H. fruits against nearly 8 in O. F. fruits. The major amino acids in juices were aspartic acid, arginine and glutamic acid, and the content of proline in V. H. fruits was much lower than that in O. F. fruits. The ratio of citric acid-to-malic acid in V. H. and O. F. fruits was 1_??_2:1 and 4:1, respectively.
Sensory evaluations by scoring, ranking and paired comparison methods indicated that V. H. growth without temperature-control produced the most desirable characteristics, and the lowest rank fruits were grown in O. F.

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The influence of 19 flavonoids (ten flavonols, two flavanones, one flavone and six isoflavones) was investigated on glyoxalase I [S-lactoylglutathione methylglyoxal-lyase (isomerizing) EC 4. 4. 1. 5] activity from yeast and bovine liver. The enzyme activity was estimated from increments of absorbance at 240 nm in produced S-lactoylglutathione. Quercetin, fisetin, gossypitrin and my-ricitrin showed strong inhibition at 0.1m_M. Inhibitory activities of isoflavones were weak to slight. In general, inhibitions to yeast enzyme were somewhat greater than to bovine liver en-zyme. The concentration of quercetin and fisetin which produced 50% inhibition (I₅₀) to yeast enzyme was 30 and 15 μM, respectively; I₅₀ of quercetin to bovine liver enzyme was 36 μM. The mode of inhibition of yeast enzyme by quercetin was competitive with a Ki value of 22μM. The inhibition of yeast enzyme by either quercetin or morin was not reversed by the presence of excess albumin from egg white or bovine serum.

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We examined volatile compounds produced by adventitious shoots derived from the lavender (Lavandula vera D. C.) callus by GC and GC-MS analyses and compared the results with volatile compounds in the callus. There was no evidence for the production of substances characteristic of laven-der plants in the callus. However, five compounds characteristic of lavender leaf oil were identified in adventitious shoots, but the absolute amount of 1, 8-cineol (a major constituent of natural lavender leaf oil) was less than in intact leaves. Our results suggest that if high-yield shoots are selected adventitious shoots may be a useful source of the essential oil of lavender.

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