According to previous studies surveying dietary supplements for sports athletes, proteins and amino acids are mainly utilized to decrease post-training fatigue. Additionally, peptides as an intermediate product, composed of two or more amino acids, are well known as an anti-oxidative supplement that shows high absorbency. Egg White Peptide (EWP), produced by hydrolyzing egg white with a neutral protease, has strong anti-oxidative effects, and is anticipated to be useful as a functional ingredient for improving endurance training and maintaining physical conditioning. The results of three human studies suggest that EWP is effective and applicable to decrease muscle damage following physically demanding training sessions. Moreover, it is expected that administration of EWP would be highly effective for the treatment of muscle fatigue during prolonged strenuous exercise (marathon running) and/or overtraining. This overview of the effect of EWP dietary supplementation for daily endurance activities indicates its utility in improving physical conditioning of athletes and citizen runners.

Sea algae contain various active components and have health-maintaining and disease-preventing effects. The edible red alga “Egonori” (Campylaephora hypnaeoides J. Agardh) found along the coast of the Japan Sea has a long history of use as a raw material in Japanese local food. However, little is known about its health benefits. In the current study, the effects of a 70% ethanol extract of Egonori on postprandial hyperglycemia and high glucose-induced endothelial damage were investigated in mice and cultured endothelial cells, respectively. A 70% ethanol extract of Egonori alleviated hyperglycemia after oral starch challenge in mice, which was associated with the inhibition of the activity of carbohydrate degrading enzyme α-glucosidase. An in vitro study using a copper (II) reduction assay showed the antioxidant action of Egonori. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of Egonori was demonstrated in lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264 cells. In cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, Egonori suppressed the high glucose-induced overproduction of reactive oxygen species and cell apoptosis. These results suggest the beneficial effects of Egonori on postprandial hyperglycemia and vascular endothelial cells. Thus, the intake of Egonori before or during a meal may suppress the elevation of the postprandial blood glucose level and attenuate glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction, which leads to the development of atherosclerosis.

We clarified the contents of water-soluble pectin and catechins, and their degree of infusion under actual drinking conditions of deep-steamed tea and normally-steamed tea, using unrefined tea (Sen-cha) from the marketplace in Shizuoka Prefecture. Results showed that deep-steamed tea had a higher water-soluble pectin content in the tea leaves than normal-steamed tea, as well as a higher infusion rate and higher infusion in the second decoction. The total infusion rate of pectin in the first and second decoctions was more than twice as high for deep-steamed tea (34%) than normal-steamed tea (16%). On the other hand, the content of catechins in normal-steamed tea leaves was higher than that in deep-steamed tea leaves. The infusion rate of the first decoction was higher in normal-steamed tea, and that of the second decoction was higher in deep-steamed tea, though compared to pectin, the difference between the deep- and normal-steamed teas was small. The total infusion rate of catechins in the first and second decoctions was around 44% for both deep- and normal-steamed teas. The proportion of water-soluble pectin content to catechins content was higher in deep-steamed tea, and the difference between deep- and normal-steamed teas was greater in the following order: in tea leaves<in the first decoction<in the second decoction.

We conducted component analysis on 13 kinds of natural cheese and cheese bread, and the characteristic flavor components of cheese bread were determined. Profiles of amino acids and fatty acids contributed to the classification of cheese bread. In the cheeses, amino acids were determined to express the aging degree, while fatty acids expressed the degree of mold fermentation.

This study clarified the flavor components of cheeses and cheese bread. Further, this enabled the optimal selection of natural cheeses and their combination in the production of cheese bread.

Hokkaido has the highest harvest of fruitlets such as seaberry, haskap and aronia in Japan. Haskap and raspberry are native to Hokkaido, but blueberry, aronia and seaberry were introduced from abroad in the middle of the 20th century. The functional components of these fruits, such as polyphenols, are now attracting attention and their production is increasing. The Education and Research Center for Antioxidant Function has been analyzing and studying the antioxidant function of food materials produced in Hokkaido, and has revealed that many fruitlets have high antioxidant value. I will introduce the attractiveness of the antioxidant function of various fruitlets in Hokkaido such as seaberry, haskap, aronia.

The superiority of domestic fruits, seaberry, Hippophae rhamnoides L., which was launched in 2005 in domestic commercial cultivation, was verified by analyzing component data and oil component data etc. and comparing with foreign seaberries.