This study focuses on the behavior of starch and lipids in starchy foods by heat cooking and food processing, and the effects of surfactants on these components. In a study of cooked rice, the density of the external area of cooked rice grains was lower than that of the internal area, indicating greater expansion of external vs. internal areas. The addition of surfactant suppressed the expansion of cooked rice grains. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analysis suggested the existence of amylose-surfactant complexes in the external area of cooked rice grains but not internally. This observation led us to propose the formation of amylose-surfactant complexes in the aqueous layer during cooking. In a model cookie study, scanning electron microscope images showed that the starch granules in model cookies are embedded in lipids. The shape of starch granules was similar among lipid species. The results of gel permeation chromatography analysis suggested that amylopectin in the starch samples of model cookies were largely decomposed during the baking process. Viscosity of the starch samples determined by a rapid visco analyzer was lower than that of wheat starch in all cases. However, the viscosity ranking among lipid species differed from the extent of decomposition among lipid species. These results suggest the existence of another factor affecting the viscosity of starch, such as the ability to form inclusion complexes with lipids. These effects of starch and lipid in starchy foods might participate in product palatability.

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Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa E.) and haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) fruits contain a number of bioactive phenolic phytochemicals, such as cyanidin 3-galactoside (aronia) and cyanidin 3-glucoside (haskap). We investigated the effects of anthocyanin-enriched aronia and haskap extracts (aronia extract and haskap extract) on potassium bromate (KBrO₃)-induced renal and hepatic damage in rats. Treatment with aronia and haskap extracts (anthocyanin intake, 300mg/kg B.W.) prior to KBrO₃ administration (125mg/kg B.W.) significantly inhibited kidney weight increases compared to the control (saline alone) rats. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities of rats administered the aronia extract were significantly lower than those of control rats, indicating that the aronia extract suppressed KBrO₃-induced renal and hepatic damage. In addition, aronia and haskap extracts recovered decreases in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) levels of serum and kidneys, and KBrO₃-induced increases in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) level of kidneys. These results suggest that aronia and haskap extracts ameliorated KBrO₃-induced kidney and liver damage via enhancing antioxidant capacities in vivo.

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We studied the nutritional components and functional activities of 6 parts (flower bud, stem, lower main stalk, leaf stalk, leaf, root) of raw whole broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica). Flower buds showed the highest levels of vitamin C (188.2mg/100g) and S-methylmethionine (16.7mg/100g). The buds contained 64.9mg/100g of polyphenols. Moreover, they exhibited the highest histamine release inhibitory activity. The vitamin C, S-methylmethionine and polyphenol contents of the leaves were 18%, 29% and 3.1 times those of flower buds, respectively. The leaves showed histamine release inhibitory activity and leukotriene release inhibitory activity. Additionally, the leaves tended to decrease IgE production. The leaves also showed anti-allergic activity as compared with flower buds. The vitamin C, S-methylmethionine and polyphenol contents of the roots were 13%, 25% and 83% of those of flower buds, respectively. Notably, aqueous extracts of roots produced the highest proliferative arrest in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. These results suggest that useful components exist not only in the edible flower buds but in all parts of broccoli.

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In Shimane Prefecture, food manufacturers have requested the development of regional food materials. The suitability of “Kinumusume” rice flour for the production of rice bread was tested with respect to the quantity of damaged starch; the flour was found suitable due the low amount of damage to starch. Rice bread was made using “Umehana” yeast, which was isolated from plum blossoms in Iwami-Ginzan, a world heritage site. Yeast fermentation ability in the low-sugar dough was compared using rice flour and wheat flour. As a result, the yeast showed greater fermentation ability with rice flour compared to wheat flour. The observed difference in fermentation ability was proposed to be due to the larger volume of water in the rice flour dough than the wheat flour dough. Thus, rice dough fermentation was investigated in regards to the volume of water. The activity of yeast fermentation was confirmed to be dependent on the volume of water in the dough. Bread flavor was also investigated, and benzaldehyde was identified as a characteristic flavor component. Moreover, amino acid sequence analysis found that the rice bread contained high levels of glutamic acid and serine.

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Simultaneous multielement analysis in acacia honey samples was performed in order to determine their geographic origin. We investigated a total of 165 samples collected from two countries; 100 samples from Japan and 65 samples from China. Thirteen elements (Li, Mg, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, Cd, Ba and La) were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Principal component analysis (PCA) of the obtained data revealed good separation between the Japanese and Chinese samples, and indicated the ability to distinguish between samples. Therefore, we performed two statistical analyses : support vector machine (SVM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and compared their results. Consequently, the LDA model, using log₁₀ ([Ca]/[P]), log₁₀ ([Mn]/[P]), log₁₀ ([Rb]/[P]), and log₁₀ ([Sr]/[P]), where [E] is the concentration of element E, was selected as the most appropriate model. This model correctly predicted 97% of the Japanese samples and 100% of the Chinese samples. It was concluded that the simultaneous multielement analysis can be useful in discriminating the geographic origin of acacia honey.

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