We developed a method to produce high-quality semi-dried fruits by microwave irradiation pretreatment followed by hot air drying. The dissemination of this method has resulted in the increased commercialization of some fruits. This method can produce various varieties of semi-dried Japanese pears with unique colors and textures. In addition, unripe Japanese pears harvested about 2 weeks before usual can be used to produce semi-dried fruit. The use of unripe fruit in our method enables growers to utilize fruits that are often affected by typhoon-related fruit drop and lengthens the processing period during each year. Newly developed grape cultivars such as “Shine Muscat” and “Oriental Star” have processing characteristics suitable for our method: they are thin-skinned and the skin does not easily slip off. Our method can be used to produce semi-dried grapes in the shape of berries that remain attached to the stems; this presentation of dried fruit is preferred by customers. Furthermore, semi-dried fruits produced by our method are used in other foods, such as confections and jam.

Nanostructures in dairy products were studied using laboratory small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Using a high penetration Mo-Kα line, both milk and cheese were measured using the same shape and optics. The samples were low- and regular-fat milk, mozzarella cheese and hard cheese with different ripening periods. All samples were used in their “as obtained state” from the supermarket and no pre-treatment was used before SAXS measurements. Most of the SAXS profiles of milk and cheese showed two features. Sharp peaks corresponding to the chain structure of fat appeared in the region of q＞1nm^－1. The positions of peaks indicate the existence of a 2L structure in all samples except low-fat milk. In addition, a 3L structure appeared in the cheese with ripening of 22 months. The second feature was a shoulder observed in log-log plot. The position of the shoulder in milk and mozzarella cheese was about q＝0.7nm^－1, which has been attributed to colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) in many papers. Similar shoulders have been observed in hard cheese with ripening of 2 and 6 months, while the position is about 0.3nm^－1, which is lower than that of milk and mozzarella cheese. This suggests that growth of CCP size may occur during the cheese making process.

Objective While several studies have been conducted on the inhibitory effect of Palatinose on rises in blood glucose level, there have been no systematic reviews. Therefore, a qualitative systematic review of the literature was conducted that included randomized, parallel-group trials or randomized, crossover trials in healthy adults.

Methods The PICO model was used for inclusion criteria as follows: Patients, healthy adults; Intervention, ingestion of Palatinose; Comparison, ingestion of a placebo; Outcome, blood glucose level after ingestion. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, JDreamIII, and UMIN-CTR. In accordance with the inclusion criteria, studies were selected and then the quality of each study was evaluated.

Results Four studies on randomized, crossover trials met the inclusion criteria. Each of these studies showed a significant reduction in blood glucose level after the ingestion of Palatinose compared with after the ingestion of a placebo. The quality of evidence was eventually rated as moderate. In one adopted study, it was suggested that ingestion of at least 7.35g of Palatinose is effective; however, further evidence and verification with additional analysis are needed in the future.

Conclusion Palatinose has the effect of inhibiting increases in blood glucose levels in healthy adults.

Leaf mustard (Brassica juncea var. cernua) is cultivated well in Okinawa Prefecture. The Okinawa region belongs to a subtropical climate and the cultivation of leaf mustard requires sunshade treatment. In this investigation, leaf mustard was cultivated under shading material and chemical components were compared with those with no shading. About 53% of sunshine was shaded by the material. Edible parts were subjected to the analysis of the content of free amino acids, sinigrin and allyl isothiocyanate using high-performance liquid chromatography. Many contents of leaf mustard cultivated with the no shading treatment were higher than those cultivated with shading. The flesh weight and dry matter rate of leaf mustard cultivated with no shading were also higher than those cultivated with shading. This suggested that cultivation of leaf mustard with shading was able to control the texture and content of various flavorful chemical components.