The effects of sample size on chewing and swallowing properties of agar gel were investigated by measuring the fragment size of bolus, the value of texture property, the velocity of bolus in the pharynx and the strength of the perception. Crushed agar gel and cubic agar gels of both 3.5 mm (3.5 mm agar gel) and 15 mm (15 mm agar gel) were used as samples. The destruction process of 15 mm gel was strongly influenced by the history of the breakdown caused by mastication. The destruction process of both crushed agar gel and 3.5 mm agar gel was random destruction unaffected by history. Based on apparatus measurement, the adhesiveness and cohesiveness of the crushed gel were high at any chewing frequency, whereas they measured high with 3.5 mm agar gel and 15 mm agar gel only as the chewing frequency increased. The velocity of the crushed agar gel in the pharynx was low at any chewing frequency, while the velocity in the pharynx of 3.5 mm agar gel decreased slowly and that of 15 mm agar gel decreased remarkably as the chewing frequency increased.

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APT broth containing bromocresol purple was modified its concentrations of glucose and agar and buffer capacities to detect lactic acid bacteria with high sensitivity. This novel “LA broth” was used to successfully culture small numbers of lactic acid bacteria compared to conventional broths used for culturing lactic acid bacteria. When incubated in LA broth for 48 hours at 25°C, 97.0% of the 230 stock cultures tested, including lactic acid spoilage bacteria isolated from cooked cured meat products and equipment at a processing plant, were detected. The proportion of bacteria that could be cultured was increased to 99.6% by incubation for an additional 24 h. Since a change in color was associated with an alteration in the mobility of the broth, checking for LAB contamination of cooked cured meat products and in the plant was straightforward. In addition, the source of lactic acid spoilage bacteria that had contaminated Vienna sausages was identified by comparing isolates from the Vienna sausages, against isolates collected from the around plant using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR and 16SrDNA assays. The results showed that the source of contamination was in the packaging room at the plant, which meant that it was possible to prevent further contamination.

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A new method using fluorescence fingerprint (FF) to determine the geographic origin of mangoes was developed. The advantages of this method are that it is easy, non-destructive, and non-contact. Mangoes (Mangifera indica L., “Irwin”) harvested in 2010 and 2011 from Taiwan, Miyazaki and Okinawa were examined. FF of their pulp and skin were measured by a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Canonical discriminant analysis was applied to separate the two nationalities or three localities of geographic origin. This analysis was carried out for two datasets, i.e., “data of 2010” and “data of 2010 + 2011”. The misclassification rates of validation samples were 3.2-19.2% and 7.7-13.6%, respectively. Conditions chosen as effective variables for both datasets were wavelengths from 260 to 290 nm in excitation and from 340 to 360 nm in emission. The fluorescence information of these wavelength ranges can contribute significantly to the determination of geographic origin for mangoes. In addition, we found that because of lower misclassification rates, FF is more suitable for skin than pulp. It is suggested that FF can be a practical method to determine geographic origin of mangoes.

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To clarify the immunoregulatory activity of the chrysanthemum plant Shiranui himekiku, the effects of its flower and leaf extracts on proliferation and histamine release of rat and human basophilic leukemia cells were examined. Water extracts of flower and leaf suppressed proliferation and histamine release of rat RBL-2H3 cells dose-dependently at concentrations over 10μg/mL. The histamine release-suppressive effect of the leaf extract was as strong as that of the flower extract. The effects of these extracts on proliferation and histamine release of human KU812 cells were much weaker than those on RBL-2H3 cells. When these extracts were heated at 100°C for 30 min, the histamine release-inhibitory activity was unchanged, but the proliferation-inhibitory activity decreased slightly. Histamine release-inhibitory activity was detected in water extract of a commercial dried flower extract prepared with a stainless kettle as well as that prepared with an earthen pot as recommended by the manufacturer. These results suggest that these extracts contain anti-allergic components, that leaves are useful as well as flowers, and that the extracts can be prepared using stainless pots, which are useful in IH cooking.

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The effects of porosity on the water absorption characteristics of dried vegetables were investigated. Water absorption characteristics of two kinds of vegetables (radish and eggplant) following microwave drying and hot air drying were measured at four temperatures ranging from 20 to 70°C. An infinite plane sheet diffusion model could be used to describe the water absorption process for these samples; a non-linear least squares method was applied to the diffusion model, and two parameters, saturated moisture content (Ms) and coefficient of water absorption rate (k), were obtained. The measured results agreed well with the calculated results. The saturated moisture content of microwave-dried eggplant was the highest of all the tested samples, meaning it had the highest moisture-retaining ability. In addition, changes in volume during soaking were determined by measuring the apparent density and true density of the dried vegetables at various moisture contents. Internal porosity was determined from apparent and true density, and the effects of porosity on the water absorption characteristics of dried vegetables were evaluated. Microwave drying was found to improve water retention in dried eggplant.

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A novel method for determining the appropriate water amounts for making rice breads was developed. Different types of dough prepared using various amounts of water were evaluated. The results were considered to be equivalent despite being evaluated by three organizations, and the appropriate water amount was determined. Increasing the amount of additive water resulted in a corresponding increase in specific loaf volume of rice bread to a certain point, after which the loaf volume leveled off. Just before the plateau, an optimal point was observed at 500 BU, which is also the optimal point for the amount of water for wheat bread. The same optimal point was also observed with rice flours prepared using different procedures or different ratios of rice flour. All had the same maximum viscosity (400 BU).

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We compared the performance of three DNA extraction methods using 12 processed wheat foods, e.g. noodles, bread, and confectionery items. Three commercial kits, DNeasy Plant Mini Kit, Genomic-tip 20/G, and GM quicker 3, were each tested in three laboratories. Of the three methods, Genomic-tip 20/G produced the best results for DNA purity testing when applied to castella, and it was generally well-suited to all of the food types tested. However, all of the methods successfully extracted DNA from all the analyzed foods, and the DNA was suitable for PCR amplification using a wheat-specific marker. However, PCR amplification was not reproducible in some of the processed food samples when we applied a DNA marker for cultivar identification, regardless of the method used. The results show that, depending on the type of food being tested, PCR conditions need to be optimized slightly in order to identify a cultivar accurately.

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Soybeans contain many useful nutrients and high-quality proteins. However, around the world today, soybeans are harvested primarily for their oil. This results in huge amounts of defatted soy flour, which is used primarily for live-stock as opposed to human consumption, being created as a correlated by-product. While the flavor and texture of soybeans do pose some minor issues for use in food production, the much larger issue of a population growth-induced food shortage needs to be addressed. Therefore, research on how to improve the use of the whole soybean for human consumption is paramount for the future. Recently, plant breeding and biotechnology have been making remarkable progress. Therefore, it should be possible in the near future to improve the taste, texture, and physiological function of soybeans by applying new technological developments. These improvements should lead to the expanded application of soy-related products worldwide. In order to both improve the favorable and reduce the unfavorable aspects of soy taste, research on the constitution of lipids may be effective. Concerning the improvement of texture, it has been suggested that the re-combination of soy globulin subunits could be useful. With respect to physiology, β-conglycinin fractions have been shown to be effective for the prevention and improvement of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, reducing production cost by altering membrane properties which surround the protein body is discussed.

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Daily intake of soybean processed foods appears to be one of the factors responsible for the health and longevity of the Japanese. Soybeans contain a variety of functional food components, among which soybean saponins are a subject of increasing research interest. Saponins in the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ; 2n=40] can be divided into two groups, group A and DDMP-conjugates. Group A saponins confer an undesirable taste to soy-based foods. However, DDMP saponins and their degraded compounds (groups B and E saponins) exhibit many health benefits. These characteristics depend on the chemical structure of the saponin molecules and the total amount being ingested. Reducing the saponins with undesirable characteristics and increasing those exhibiting health benefits would contribute to the improvement of soybean-based foods. The composition of soybean saponins in soybeans is complex and depends on the variety and the part of the seed examined (e.g. hypocotyls and cotyledons). We previously reported that saponin composition in the soybean is regulated by 11 genes on 5 loci. These genes control the utilization of soyasapogenol glycoside substrates and the oxidization of aglycone structures. The wild, annual soybean [Glycine soja (Sieb. & Zucc.) ; 2n=40], a progenitor of cultivated soybean cultivars, is cross-compatible with the soybean and can produce fertile F1 plants. Screening of wild and cultivated soybean genetic resources for saponin content and composition is an excellent tool for identifying lines that have a desirable taste and health benefits. This report reviews and summarizes recent research on genetic improvements to soybean saponin chemical structure.

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