High- pressure (HP) treatment is a novel technique, which has been applied by food industry, including the processing of cooked rice. In Japan, before cooking, rice is usually soaked in water for a short time, about 1 h. In this report, researches on changes of properties of rice samples, which were presoaked in water for 30 min at either 25°C or 55°C, then subjected to HP at 400 MPa for a minute, thereafter soaked in water for different periods of times, were carried out. The effects of presoaking temperature, HP treatment, and soaking duration on the physicochemical and biological properties of rice, were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the surface of cooked rice treated by HP was more sticky and had a higher “balance degree” (ratio of stickiness to hardness), than that of non-treated one. The contents of sugars and free amino acids were increased with the increase of presoaking temperature, soaking time, and HP. In addition, the number of Bacillus cereus was reduced, when rice had been presoaked at high temperature or treated by HP. Therefore, HP processing is an advantage one method, which can be applied in processing of rice, with aims of better palatability and safety.

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The persimmon cultivar “Matsumotowase-fuyu” loose the fruit firmness quickly after harvest in unusually. Changes in enzymatic activities of polygalacturonase (PG) and pectinesterase (PE) in the quickly softened storage fruits were studied. PG activity in the quickly softened storage fruits was 16 times higher than in the healthy storage fruits. In addition, the activity increased with the lapse of days after harvest. Treatment of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an inhibitor of ethylene activities, to the quickly softened storage fruits suppressed the softening for 13 days under the ambient temperature. Likewise, treatment 1-MCP suppressed for 10 days under 30°C. The effect of 1-MCP to the PG activity was investigated. The PG activity after 13 days from harvesting in the fruits treated 1-MCP just after harvest was 1.3 times higher than harvested fruits. Meanwhile, the PG activity in non-treated fruits was 2.5 times. Hens, it is confirmed that 1-MCP suppress the PG activity.

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Vitamin E (VE : tocopherols and tocotrienols) is well known to have an anti-oxidative ability and the potentiality to prevent lifestyle-related diseases through its antioxidant function. In this paper, α-tocopherol (α-TOC), which was trimethyl type and had the most strong biological effect among tocopherols and tocotrienols, and δ-tocopherol (δ-TOC), which was monomethyl type, were applied to prepare complexes with cyclodextrin (CD) by cyclization reaction with cyclodextrin glucanotransferase.
In the newly developed inclusion method, β-CD was the most suitable for both α-TOC and δ-TOC to form inclusion complexes. α-CD formed soluble complexes with α-TOC and δ-TOC without ethanol, whereas γ-CD formed insoluble complexes with δ-TOC independent of ethanol concentration.
Soluble starch solubilized a small amount of α-TOC and δ-TOC without ethanol, while α-TOC and δ-TOC formed insoluble complexes in 30% ethanol solution. Cyclization reaction with cyclodextrin glucanotransferase exhibited superiority to produce soluble complexes with α-TOC than the conventional method.

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Capsules were prepared by using the mixed system of fatty acid ester (tripalmitin) and soybean lecithin as a capsule matrix. A hydrophilic physiologically active substance (L-Cystein) as the core material was encapsulated. Lecithin was added into tripalmitin in order to improve stability of core material in the matrix and water-resistant property of the matrix. Oil droplets made from lecithin and tripalmitin were dispersed in an aqueous solution of methyl cellulose (MC), and solidified by cooling down. It was investigated how the preparation conditions affected the properties of capsules. As the mixture ratio of lecithin to tripalmitin increased, the capsule size, the encapsulation efficiency and the content of core material were increased. Furthermore, it was found that the release rate of core material could be repressed by increasing the mixture ratio.

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We evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of Eriobotrya japonica seed extract (ESE) in model rats with inflammation induced by intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration at 2 mg/kg body weight. In LPS non-administration groups, saline was intraperitoneally administered to rats. In addition, the LPS and saline groups were divided into the ESE group and the tap water group. ESE was orally administered from 3 days before LPS administration. One hour and 24 hours after LPS or saline administration, blood was collected, and the plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, nitric oxide (NO) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and AST, ALT levels were determined. In the saline groups, ESE administration had no influences on any measurement item. The plasma TNF-α level 1 hour after administration was significantly higher in the LPS groups than the saline groups, and that in the LPS groups was significantly lower in the ESE group than in the tap water group. The plasma NO levels 24 hours after administration was significantly higher in the LPS groups than in the saline groups, and that in the LPS groups was significantly lower in the ESE group than in the tap water group. The plasma SOD activity 24 hours after administration was significantly lower in the LPS groups than in the saline groups, and that in the LPS groups was significantly higher in the ESE group than in the tap water group. The plasma AST and ALT levels after administration were significantly higher in the LPS groups than in the saline groups, and that in the LPS groups was lower in the ESE group than in the tap water group. These results suggested the effects of ESE on LPS-induced inflammation and the involvement of inhibition of the plasma TNF-α and NO levels and an increase in anti-oxidation enzyme activity in these effects.

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