The contents of ATP-related compounds in the boil-dried adductor muscle of scallop (Shiraboshi), that had a step of freezing in different stages of the manufacturing processes were compared. The product manufactured with a freezing step after the processes of the 1st boiling (with plain water) to open the shell and the water washing had high HxR and Hx contents. On the other hand, the product manufactured with a freezing step after the processes of the 2nd boiling (with salt water) to season and the torrefaction had a high AMP content and almost no HxR. The main ATP-related compound was AMP in the frozen samples and the rapidly thawed samples. However, Hx increased in the slowly thawed samples. These observations indicated that the AMP in the products were highly dependent on the quality of the scallop adductor used as the material. Furthermore, it was shown that the introduction of the step of freezing after the step of the 2nd boiling was desirable to obtain the dried scallop product with a high level of AMP. During the steps prior to this step of the 2nd boiling, the AMP was not affected by applying the rapid thawing. These knowledge indicate the possibility of year-round operation of the boil-dried adductor muscle of scallop manufacturing by the addition of a freezing step to the processes using superheated steam for the torrefaction. The 1st boiling process decreased the ATP content and increased the AMP content of adductor muscle of scallop. ATP degrading enzyme in the adductor was not inactivated with the 1st boiling process, but inactivated with the 2nd boiling. Even AMP in the adductor muscle treated with the 1st boiling was decomposed during low temperature storage. AMP degrading enzyme is easily inactivated by the heating of 80°C for 5 min.

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Velocity spectrum of swallowed food particles in the pharynx were measured by the ultrasonic pulse Doppler method. Water, yogurt, jelly of gelatin and gellan of which concentration was changed were tested. The velocity distribution that passed just above the epiglottis of the pharynx was obtained. The velocity spectrum of water that dysphagia patients often aspirate to the trachea was compared with that of yogurt which rarely aspirated by them. The average velocity of all food samples tested was almost 0.1 m/s ; the maximum velocity of water was 0.5 m/s and that of yogurt was 0.2 m/s. In other words, velocity distribution of water particles was fairly wide compared with that of yogurt ; this would make difficult for dysphagia patients to swallow water and relatively easy to swallow yogurt. Velocity spectra of thin sols were similar to that of water, but the maximum velocity was smaller as concentration of jelly increased. Dynamic viscoelasticity was measured and the relation to the maximum velocity measured by the ultrasonic method was examined. The maximum velocity of gels whose storage modulus was 100 Pa or more, or viscosity was 2 Pa · s or more was almost 0.2 m/s similar to that of yogurt. These results showed that risk of aspiration to the trachea of foods was inferred from dynamic viscoelasticity.

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The effect of peptides on the physical properties of soy protein gel treated with MTG were studied by breaking test and creep test. According to the addition of polylysine (PL), elasticity (E₀) and Newtonian viscosity (η_N) increased, and retardation (τ₁) decreased. On the other hand, on the addition of glutamine peptide (GP), the soy protein gel was increased on η_N and τ₁. Namely, MTG-treated soy protein gel increased in elasticity by addition of PL, and increased in viscosity by addition of GP. By addition of peptides of wheat protein (GL) and soy protein (SP), the MTG-treated soy protein gel increased in η_N and τ₁ according to the increasing of the dosage. Especially, the addition of GP and GL-30 were effective on increasing of viscosity for MTG-treated soy protein gel.

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We collected non-salted Douchi from Yunnan Province, China, and isolated the dominant bacteria for the production of Natto. We identified the most predominant bacteria as Bacillus subtilis, called it KFP 843. The toughness of Natto made by us with this strain was about 40% of commercial Natto. Formol nitrogen content and relative viscosity of Natto made by us with B. subtilis KFP 843 was about 30% and 50%, respectively, of those of the commercial Natto. Organoleptic assessment revealed that the stickiness of Natto made by us was weaker than commercial Natto, but that the former was softer. The appearance, clack of soybean and toughness were considered good. The softer Natto will be useful for individuals who experience difficulty swallowing or in mastication.

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The extracts from 66 species of fruits and vegetables cultivated in Okinawa region of Japan were prepared by sequential extraction with acetone at 30°C and 80% ethanol solution at 80°C, and their polyphenol contents and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activities were measured. The total polyphenol contents of both extracts from edible parts varied in the range of 0.35 to 142.04μmol-gallic acid equivalent/g-fresh weight. The plants with higher polyphenol content showed a consistent tendency to exhibit higher radical-scavenging activity. Sapodilla (Manikara zapora), canistel (Pouteria campechiana), guava (Psidium guajava) and starfruit (Averrhoa carambola), originally came from the tropical zone, showed both higher level of polyphenol content and radical-scavenging activity, and they contained proanthocyanidin. The following higher group composed of bayberry (Myrica rubra), red cabbage (Brassica oleracea), suizenjina (Gynura bicolor) and purple-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), which contained anthocyanins. Nigana (Crepidiastrum lanceolatum), botanboufuu (Peucedanum japonicum) and nishiyomogi (Artemisia Indica), cooked only in Okinawa region within the country, also showed a high polyphenol content and radical-scavenging activity. In addition, there were some extracts from inedible parts of fruits, which possessed almost the same or higher level of polyphenol content and radical-scavenging activity, compared to their edible parts.

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Changes in mineral component during the processing of umeboshi was investigated using ripened Nanko mume fruit as raw material. Calcium and Magnesium contents were increased or almost equal by pickling in salt, and potassium was decreased. Among the trace elements, iron showed remarkable increase by salting. Furthermore, mineral component of salt used for pickling was recognized to reflect in the content of these elements in salted mume fruits. Sodium content in edible part of Umeboshi was decreased with desalting and following pickling in seasoning solution, but those of calcium and magnesium did not changed. Potassium was also decreased but large part of potassium remained in edible part, suggesting that a function of Umeboshi as an alkaline food remained after hypochloric treatment. Contents of all minerals investigated showed smaller change in kernel than those in pulp. Many parts of organic acid in edible part remained after Umeboshi processing, and it was speculated that resulting low pH condition effected on the mineral composition in Umeboshi.

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This study was performed to clarify the component characteristics of bananas cultivated in a high-altitude region. After bananas cultivated in the 3 different altitude (high : 1000 m, middle : 500 m, low : 0-20 m) were ripened at 20°C, chemical components associated with flavor and taste were compared at 3 ripening stages. Water contents of bananas cultivated in the high- and middle-altitude regions were lower than those in the low-altitude region. Starch contents of the bananas in the high-altitude region were the lowest among those in the 3 regions at a respective full-ripe stage. Sugar contents, sugar/acid ratio and isoamyl-acetate contents of bananas in the high- and middle-altitude regions rapidly increased until the optimum edible stage from early ripe stage, comparing with those of bananas in the low-altitude region. Particularly, the marked increases of sugar/acid ratio and isoamyl-acetate contents of the high-altitude region bananas were observed as compared with those of the other 2 regions. From these results, it was found that sweetness and flavor of bananas in the high-altitude region are stronger at the optimum edible condition than those of normal bananas in the low-altitude region.

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Hakkoku koji was prepared by working with a mixture of brown rices, barleycorns, job's tears, proso millets, red rices, soybeans, black soybeans and adzuki beans. The tissues of these materials' were broke by high-pressure treatment in order to help the growth of Koji mold on the materials. The activities of acid protease and neutral protease of Hakkoku koji were similar to those in the typical Rice koji, and that of the alkaline protease was similar to the typical barley Koji. During the maturation of Miso which containing Hakkoku koji (named as Hakkoku koji miso), pH value decreased and acidity I value increased. The color charged to yellow tone, and ethyl alcohol was produced at the concentration over 1.0v/w%. The Hakkoku miso was abundant in amino acids, dietary fiber, vitamin B1 and SOD-like activity. The experiment in a factory-scale production suggested the possibility of the industrial production of the Hakkoku koji and its Miso.

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We examined an antihypertensive effect of a peptide (Ile-Val-Tyr, IVY) derived from royal jelly treated with protease, on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In single oral administration of IVY at doses of 1.0 and 10 mg/kg body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP) were significantly decreased against the control at doses of 1.0 and 10 mg/kg body weight. SBP was reduced at 1 h after administration of IVY and the effect was continued for 8 h. In repeated oral administration of IVY at doses of 1.0 and 10 mg/kg/day for 28 days, the SBP of the SHR was significantly decreased against the control at 7day and the effect continued for 28 days. During this experiment, heart rate (HR) and body weight were not changed. The repeated administration of IVY did not affect the SBP and HR of normotensive rat (Wistar Kyoto rat) for 28 days. These results suggest that the antihypertensive effect of IVY is concerned with antihypertensive effect of royal jelly treated with protease.

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Lyoniresinol content and antioxidative activity of commercially available seasoning pickled Ume was investigated. The seasoning pickled Ume with low salt concentration showed relatively low lyoniresinol content and antioxidative activity compared to products with high salt concentrations. This result indicates that excessive de-salt operation leads to decrease of a lyoniresinol content and antioxidative activity of flesh. Although remarkable decrease of lyoniresinol content and antioxidative activity of pickled Ume was observed in the early stage of seasoning process, re-extraction of lyoniresinol and antioxidative activity by osmotic pressure of seasoning liquid was thought to occur after two weeks and later. From the results obtained, we concluded that enough period seasoning by the seasoning liquid with enough osmotic pressure is necessary to produce the seasoning pickled Ume with rich nutritional function.

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