We have proposed a new cutting method (cryo-cutting method) in which a frozen fish is cut by applying the 3-point bending force, instead of a band saw in the conventional cutting method using. We have already reported that the cutting destruction of fish meat occurred in two typical destruction modes of "the destruction across the muscle fiber" and "the destruction along the muscle fiber" when frozen fish are cut by the new method. The frequency of these two destruction modes was dependent on muscle fiber orientation angle (θ_f). In order to obtain the accurate cut section of frozen fish, it is necessary that only "the destruction across the muscle fiber" would be developed. In this paper, we tried to predict the range of muscle fiber orientation angle for yielding only "the destruction across the muscle fiber", based on the assumption the fish muscular tissue is the unidirectional composite material strengthened with the muscle fiber. By modifying the fracture theory of the unidirectional composite material strengthened in the fiber, we proposed a prediction equation for the destruction mode in 3-point bending fracture. Using the equation and the bending fracture stress of test pieces at θ_f=0° and 90° (S₀ and S₉₀), we estimated the range of muscle fiber orientation angle only for "the destruction across the muscle fiber" in order to prove the effectiveness of the equation, three-point bending test of frozen tuna muscle was carried out at -70, -100 and -130°C and the generation frequency of each destruction mode was measured. The following results were obtained. (1) At all the temperatures tested, only "the destruction across the muscle fiber" was generated muscle fiber orientation between θ_f=0° and 20°. (2) The frequency of each destruction mode measured in the experiments agreed with the predicted at all the temperature tested, when the mean value of bending fracture stress (S)±double of the standard deviation (σ), S_0(mean)±2σ₀ and S_90(mean)±2σ₉₀, were used for the prediction calculation.

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Eisei-boro is a small round cookie consisting of potato starch, egg and sucrose. The roles of these materials were investigated. Degree of gelatinization, X-ray diffraction and DSC analysis indicated that starch separated from Eisei-boro was scarcely gelatinized. Higher foaming and viscous properties of the mixture of egg and sucrose may be effective to make large volumes of Eisei-boro. In addition, the mixture may stabilize Eisei-boro's structure by adhering to the starch granules. It could be illustrated that the structure of Eisei-boro was like a concrete in which egg and sucrose were cement and starch was gravel. Gelatin instead of egg, maltose or trehalulose instead of sucrose were successfully used for making Eisei-boro.

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Changes of flavor components in crushed dried bonito during storage under various conditions were examined, and key compounds for the deterioration were clarified by GC analysis and addition tests of volatile compounds.
Rancid odor came up from crushed dried bonito which had been kept at -20°C for 24 days, whereas it was very weak in that kept at 70°C for 4 hours.
Volatile compounds in the stored samples were absorbed on Tenax-TA polymer and analyzed by GC-MS. The amounts of carbonyl compounds increased during storage in all samples kept under any conditions described before, but the composition of carbonyl compounds depended on the conditions. The amounts of straight-chain aldehydes such as pentanal and hexanal increased in the crushed dried bonito kept at -20°C. On the other hand, at 70°C these aldehydes were not detected and branched chain aldehydes and ketones increased. When these compounds were added to crushed dried bonito and heated, straight-chain aldehydes decreased most markedly.
It was clarified by the experiment using labeled oxygen that oxygen atoms of these carbonyl compounds, which were formed during storage, were derived from the headspace gas or water in dried bonito.
Addition of straight-chain aldehydes such as hexanal to the freshly crushed dried bonito resulted in strengthening the rancid odor. Branched chain aldehydes and ketones did not influence the flavor character. These findings suggest that straight-chain aldehydes might be involved in the deterioration of flavor in crushed dried bonito.

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Volatile compounds from ripen Japanese peppers harvested in five different districts were measured by dynamic head space gas GC-MS analysis. Mainly such monoterpenoids as 22 hydrocarbons, 7 alcohols, 6 carbonyl compounds, and 3 acids and esters, were identified from Japanese peppers. However, the compositions were different among the peppers in different districts. Although the peppers harvested in Japan were almost same each other, that is, d-limonene, β-phellandrene, β-myrcene, citronellal, and geranyl acetate were identified as main aroma compounds, they were distinguished by the composition between geraniol-related compounds and citronellol-related compounds. In the peppers harvested in Korea, more d-limonene and citronellal were included and more hydrocarbons such as terpinens were detected but not detected citronellal and geranyl acetate in the peppers harvested in China. By comparing matured and unripe Japanese peppers, such oxygen including compounds as linalool, geraniol and geranyl acetate were mainly detected only in ripen peppers. Therefore, they were suggested to be formed during ripening stage.

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The quantitative changes in volatile components of green tea (sen-cha) were investigated during the development of tea shoots. The tea shoots were picked and processed seventeen times at intervals of several days in the season of first and second crop. The sensory test scores of two antithetic odors, called "Wakame-ka (Mirume-ka)" and "Kowaba-shu", were correlated with the content of neutral detergent fiber, because these odors were influenced by the maturity degree of tea shoots, The odor concentrates from above green tea samples were prepared by an adsorptive column method. One hundred twenty eight compounds were individually quantified by GC and 75 of them were identified by GC-MS. The quantitative changes in volatile compounds were analyzed by principal component analysis. (E, E)-2, 4-heptadienal, (E, Z)-2, 4-heptadienal, (Z)-2-penten-1-ol, hexanal and (Z)-2-heptenal increased during the development of tea shoots. These components were possible contributors to "Kowaba-shu". Linalool oxide (cis-pyranoid), coumarin, 7, 8-dihydro-β-ionone, (E)-2-hydroxycinnamic acid and heptanoic acid decreased during the development of tea shoots. These components seemed to contribute to "Wakame-ka". Linalool, geraniol and linalool oxide (furanoid) increased markedly during the development of tea shoots in first crop season but did not in second crop season. Therefore, these components were hardly considered to contribute to "Wakame-ka" and "Kowaba-shu". (Z)-3-Hexen-1-ol, methyl 3-phenyl-2-propenoate, methyl jasmonate and indole were independent of the development of tea shoots and considered to be principle contributors to green tea flavor itself.

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We have previously shown the feasibility of a round slice-cutting method for small fish such as mackerel and saury, where a three point bending load is applied to frozen fish for cutting. The present study examines a filleting method in which a cylinder splitting load is applied to frozen round sliced fish to further cut the fish lengthwise. Splitting tests were conducted at the freezing temperature range from -190 to -20°C using abdominal test pieces (viscera included) and tail test pieces (no viscera) as the samples to determine the optimum temperature where lengthwise cutting could be successfully achieved. In the abdominal test pieces, lengthwise cutting that simultaneously separated the vertebra, neural spine and viscera from the fillet became possible within the range from -120 to -60°C. In the tail test pieces, lengthwise cutting that simultaneously separated the vertebra, neural spine and viscera from the fillet became possible within a range from -140 to -80°C.

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The exposure of human stomach cancer KATO III cells to a hot water extract of adzuki beans led to both growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death). Morphological changes showing apoptotic bodies were observed in the cells treated with the extract. The fragmentation by the extract of DNA to oligonucleosomal-sized fragments that is a characteristics feature of apoptosis occurred concentration- and time- dependently. These data suggest that the extract of adzuki beans might exert anti-tumor activity by triggering apoptosis.

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The unsightly film on the surface of black tea infusion is called "scum". We concluded that the 'oily film'developed on the surface of oolong tea infusion is scum. The scum was formed when tea catechins were incubated at around 80°C in water containing calcium under a weak alkaline condition. The scum is usually observed much less frequent in green or black teas than in oolong tea in Japan. The reason is considered to be the difference of the manners of serving among these teas.

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Most vitamin K₂ produced in Okara fermented by B. natto was Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and more than 90% of the total MK-7 was in the form of water soluble complex with a protein.
The molecular mass of soluble MK-7-protein complex was 45Kd by SDS-PAGE, and this binding protein contained about 32% carbohydrate. MK-7 was purified from the fermented Okara, and the effect of MK-7 on alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity of human Dental Pulp was investigated. The presence of MK-7 in the range of 10^-8 to 10^-6M caused a significant increase in the ALPase activity of human Dental Pulp. These results suggest that MK-7 can be closely related to calcification ability of human Dental Pulp.

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