A highly metastatic Balb/c mouse cell line, r/m HM-SFME-1, is established from transformed ras/myc SFME cell line carrying active human c-Ha-ras genes. Metastasis was measured by detection of the amount of the PCR products of c-Ha-ras gene from cancer cells which had been inoculated at foot-pad of mice. A standard curve was made using r/m HM SFME-1 cell DNAs. The amount of PCR products corresponding to 123bp was measured by Bioimage Analyzer. First, we examined the suppressive effect of 6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate (6-MITC) against dissemination of tumor cells to kidney of experimental animals at day 9 of inoculation. TNP-470 which has been reported to be effective to the angiogenesis, 4-(methylsulfinyl) butyl isothiocyanate (4-MITC) from broccoli and 6-MITC were administrated to the experimental mice. The 6-MITC of wasabi was more effective than other two chemicals. Then, 6-MITC (40 or 400μM) was fed orally by mixing with drinking water to examine the suppressive effect of tumor metastasis. No visible alteration of body weight was observed by the administration of 6-MITC. All of the control mice revealed human c-Ha-ras bands. In animals fed 40μM 6-MITC, all of the lungs provided human c-Ha-ras bands. Four out of five mice administrated 400μM 6-MITC provided no detectable bands showing no metastasis, however, and only faint band was observable in one mouse lung. Thus, it was suggested that 6-MITC suppressed dissemination or metastasis of tumor cells with oral administration.

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Suppressive effects of green tea polyphenols (GTP) containing (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-gallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-gallocatechin gallate, (-)-epicatechin gallate and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate on lipid oxidation in cultured fish meat were investigated. The moist pellets supplemented with different concentrations of GTP (0, 0.02 and 0.2% (w/w)) was fed to young yellowtails (Seriola quinqueradiata). These fish were killed on the 2nd and 4th week after feeding. Changes in peroxide value (POV), TBA value and metmyoglobin formation ratio in their meat were measured during iced storage of the round fish. The increase in all the measured values of the meat were suppressed by GTP feeding.
The POV and TBA value on the day when fish were killed were lowered by GTP feeding. These results show that GTP in the diet had the physiological antioxidative potential. The GTP feeding period for 4 weeks was more effective than that for 2 weeks, and also the feeding of 0.2% GTP than that of 0.02% GTP.
Therefore, it was suggested that GTP was effective for maintaining freshness during transportation of cultured fish, and might contributed to production of health cultured fish.

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Natto contains branched short-chain fatty acids (BCFAS), such as isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, and 2-methylbutyric acid. These BCFAS have unpleasant smell. To produce light-smelling natto, we tried to develop BCFAS non-producing natto bacteria. BCFAS are presumed to be synthesized from branched amino acids, such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Therefore we constructed mutant strains, yqiT1 and ywaA1, which lack leucine dehyrogenase (LDH) and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase by insertion mutation, respectively. YqiT1 produced much smaller amount of BCFAS than parent strain. While, ywaA1 produced BCFAS as much as parent strain. From this result, we concluded that LDH catalyzes the first step of the BCFAS biosynthesis pathway. Next we deleted the LDH gene of O-2 strain by means of homologous recombination and transduction. Natto made by the use of the mutant strain, B2, which had a deletion in the LDH gene, contained only 0.7mg BCFAS/100g, while natto made by the use of the parent strain contained 70.7mg BCFAS/100g. The natto fermented by B2 strain was valued highly as a light-smelling natto by sensary evaluation. Finally, we obtained the LDH-defective mutants by chemical mutagenesis to utilize in commercial production of natto. The mutants produced little BCFAS like B2, and the natto fermented by the mutants had lighter smells.

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A method of miceller electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) has been developed for the analysis of curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin) in several turmeric samples. The shattered dry turmeric sample (0.1g) was extracted with 10ml of acetone, methanol or ethanol. Ethanol was the best solvent for the extraction of curcuminoids in turmeric samples. Curcuminoids were successfully separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with linear-gradient elution from 40% to 95% of acetonitrile containing 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in 15min, and by MEKC with butyl acrylate-butyl methacrylate-methacrlic acid copolymer sodium salt solution containing 50% dimethyl sulfoxide. Standard curves obtained for curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin from 6.25 to 100μg/ml showed straight lines (r=0.999), the detection limits for curcuminoids by HPLC and MEKC being 0.02μg/ml (HPLC) and 0.1μg/ml (MEKC), respectively. Curcuminoids in several turmeric samples from different sources were determined by HPLC and MEKC methods. Compared to the HPLC method, the MEKC method is advantageous due to its low organic wastes and shorter analysis time. The MEKC method can be applied to quality control analysis of curcuminoids.

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The correlations between the optical taste values measured by the analyzer and the sensory factors such as the appearance, aroma, taste, cohesiveness, hardness and overall flavor were constructed.
The highest correlation coefficient, 0.84 was recognized for overall flavor between the values obtained by the sensory test and the optical device and the relatively higher correlation coefficients was also observed in other factors such as appearance (0.70), taste (0.82), and cohesiveness (0.78).
From these results in this study, the measurement device could be used as the objective evaluation for the optimum management of cooking conditions such as the water volume, soaking time and cooking time.

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In the previous paper, we reported that free-linoleic acid in miso suppressed melanin production of mouse melanoma B16C7 cells. In this paper, we studied the effect of several fatty acids on melanogenesis of mouse melanoma. An unsaturated fatty acid, palmitoleic acid, strongly suppressed the melanine production and a saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, enhanced the melanine production. Some other unsaturated fatty acids suppressed the melanine production and some satulated fatty acids enhanced the melanine production. Tyrosinase activities of melanoma cells cultured with fatty acids demonstrated that fatty acids controlled the cytoplasmic tyrosinase activity.

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Concentrations of vitamin E in organs including the brain (cerebrum) in newborn rats or fetuses were determined. Maternal rats were fed a diet containing different amounts of vitamin E added as dl-α-tocopheryl acetate. The concentration of α-tocopherol in the brain in newborn rats from mothers given a vitamin E-deficient diet was almost the same as that in newborn rats from rats given the control diet. Vitamin E-rich diet did not affect its concentration in the brain in newborn rats as much as in other organs. It was suggested that milk was an important source of α-tocopherol for maintenance of its concentration in the brain of the newborn rat. The concentration of α-tocopherol in the brain of the fetus in the maternal rat given a vitamin E-deficient diet was similar to that in the mother rat given the control diet.

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Acetic acid fermentation of yacon juice was performed with Acetobacter pasteurianus IFO 14814 of acetic acid bacteria. Reduction of the juice's grassy odor and the possibility for development of yacon vinegar containing natural fructooligosaccharides (FOS) were investigated. (1) Yacon juice with and without alcohol fermentation treatment was used. Acetic acid fermentation was conducted under the following conditions: 30°C, initial pH 5.0, initial ethanol concentration 5.5% (w/v) and acetic acid bacteria preculture concentration 10% (v/v). As a result, in surface culture, more than 4.0% acetic acid was produced from YJ⋅OC-2 (1d) after 32 days and from YJ⋅OC-2 (10ds) after 20 days, respectively. In shaking culture, more than 4.0% acetic acid was produced from YJ, YJ⋅OC-2 (1d), YJ⋅OC-2 (10ds) and YJ⋅OC-2 (Glc⋅1d) after 5 days, respectively. (2) A sensory evaluation on above sample juice containing FOS was carried out. As a result, the grassy odor was almost reduced completely in all the sample juice. Moreover, the smell became better in YJ⋅OC-2 (1d) of surface culture. while 2.4% (w/v) total FOS content was still retained in the juice. So, it was suggested that better yacon vinegar containing natural FOS was possibly developed from YJ⋅OC-2 (1d) juice of surface culture.
YJ; yacon juice. OC-2; Kyokai Yeast No. 1. YJ⋅(Glc); YJ after 70g glucose was added to one liter juice. YJ⋅OC-2 (1d); YJ after alcohol fermentation with OC-2 for one day. YJ⋅OC-2 (Glc⋅ 1d); YJ⋅(Glc) after alcohol fermentation with OC-2 for one day. YJ⋅OC-2 (Glc⋅2ds); YJ⋅(Glc) after alcohol fermentation with OC-2 for 2 days. YJ⋅OC-2 (10ds); YJ after alcohol fermentation with OC-2 for 10 days.

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To cow milk fermented by lactobacillus, rennet was added, and then soy protein isolate (SI) was added. By keeping at 30°C for 12 hours, the curd was formed. Effects of various reagents (NaCl, NaSCN, 2-mercaptoethanol and propylene glycol), which have effects on forces involved in protein-protein interactions, on the formation and the solubility of the curd were studied. Among these, NaSCN was the most effective reagent for the inhibition and the solubilization of cow milk curd containing SI. These effects of the reagents suggested that hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were more important for the formation and the maintenance of the curd containing SI, than disulfide and hydrogen bonds.

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