Alcoholic extracts of several spices were prepared and examined for inhibition of Clostridium botulinum type A, Bacillus subtilis and B. cereus in laboratory media. Cloves, mace, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme were inhibitory to Cl. botulinum at a concentration of 0.5% (on a dry spice basis) in media. The growth of Bacillus organisms was inhibited by 0.2 to 0.5% of mace or rosemary. Eugenol, iso-eugenol, D-borneol, citronellol, geraniol, menthol, cinnamic aldehyde and ethyl vanillin were inhibitory to Cl. botulinum at less than 0.05% concentration.

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Vacuum-packed and seasoned-dried products of filefish Navodon modestus, caught in large quantities off the coasts of Japan and Korea, were prepared tentatively and stored at 35°C for 3-4 months to test their keeping quality. Headed, eviscerated, and skinned filefish were purchased from Tokyo Central Whole Sale Market and filleted. The fillets were flavored with seasoning powders prepared from sugar, sorbitol, salt, glutamate, 5'-ribonucleotide, and either beef flavor (Flava-Beef, Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co. Ltd.), red pepper, or Smoke flavor (Smok-EZ, Alpha Foods Co. Ltd). After seasoning, the fillets were dried at 39-41°C for several hours, vacuum-packed in plastic film bags, and cooked in water at 80°C for 40min. Two kinds of products different in moisture level were prepared; one contained moisture of 26-29% and the other 40-46%. The moisture level, water activity, color value (L, a and b values), texture, and viable counts of bacteria of these products were determined during storage at 35°C. The results showed that the products could be preserved in good condition for 3-4 months at 35°C, though they slightly decreased in softness with a decrease of moisture content and developed a pale brown during storage. Judging from organoleptic evaluation on their flavor, the products containing beef flavor as a seasoning were most desirable.

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Quantitative analysis of nutritional components and dietary fibre in over-thirty species of mushrooms was accomplished. The average contents were as follows; crude protein: 24.4±7.62, crude fat: 4.3±2.10, crude ash: 8.3±2.67, Carhohydrate: 63.0±9.19, respectively (% in dry basis±S.D.). Neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin, pectic substance and crude fibre (CF) were estimated to evaluate as dietary fibre (DF). The average contents of dietary fibre were as follows; NDF: 35.7±7.79, ADF: 14.3±4.71, lignin: 2.9i-1.34, pectic substance: 3.7±2.28 and CF: 9.7±3.40, respectively (% in dry basis±S.D.). Therefore, the average content of cellulose (ADF-lignin) was 11.4±4.63%, hemicellulose (NDF-ADF) was 21.4±7.12% and total DF (NDF+pectic substance) was 39.4±7.73%. The mean ratio of crude fibre to total DF was found to be about 5.7 for mushrooms, while being much smaller for vegetables.

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Changes in chemical composition and antioxidative activity of non-salted soybean miso (fermented food in Japan) were determined during maturation for 67 days. Oxidative stability of lipid contained in miso stored for 101 days at 50°C and/or synergistic effect of miso on tocopherol were also studied. (1) Hydrolyzed ratio of soybean protein in miso was reached to 29.2% after maturation for 67 days. (2) POV and total tocopherol content remained unchanged, while AV increased gradually during the maturation period. (3) Antioxidative activity of miso against autoxidation of linoleic acid determined in aqueous system increased during maturation. (4) AV increased and POV did not rise during the storage for 101 days at 50°C, whereas, antioxidative activity of miso increased. (5) Synergistic effect of miso on antioxidative activity of tocopherol was recognized during autoxidation of linoleic acid. (6) Antioxidative activity of powdered miso containing tocopherol (tocopherol content 4%) was higher than that of five commercially available tocopherol preparations.

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The total polyphenols decreased in all stages of maturation, and ripening, whereas, the non-tannin phenolics contents were higher than the tannin phenolics in both white and pink varieties of guava and also the decreasing rate of non-tannin phenolics was much less than that of the tannin phenolics, although in both cases the non-tannin phenolics and the tannin phenolics were found to be decreased. The polyphenolic fractions, such as, simple polyphenols, hydrolysable tannins, non-tannin flavans and condensed tannins were found to be at a decreasing trend with maturation and ripening, although the content of hydrolysable tannins and non-tannin flavans was found to be small in quantity and the simple polyphenols constitute the major portion of the phenolics in the methanolic extract. The degree of polymerization of the methanolic extract was studied. The insoluble leucoanthocyanins were found to be the major component of the whole guava polyphenolics. There was no significant amount of polyphenoloxidase activity in immature and mature guava, but, at ripening the activity was noticeable. The activity was found to be increased remarkably at full ripening in both the varities.

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Antioxidative substances in Glycyrrhizae Radix were examined. The antioxidative compounds in Glycyrrhizae Radix were extracted by acetone. The extract was fractionated by liquid-liquid extraction. Five fractions were obtained and named as F-I-V respectively. Antioxidative activity of each fractions was examined using the methyl linolate system at pH 7.0 and 40°C. F-I, II and III showed antioxidative activity and among them F-I showed the strongest. F-II and III were separated by thin layer chromatography using metanol: benzene: water (5:10:5v/v) as the solvent. All of the detected spots were scraped from the plate and extracted by acetone. The extracts thus obtained were used for examination of antioxidative activity, but activity of several extracts was weaker than F-II and F-III respectively. F-II was separated by steam distillation and named as F-IIa (volatile) and F-IIb (residue). F-IIa showed no activity, but antioxidative activity of F-IIb was as strong as control (water-extract). Water extract of Glycyrrhizae Radix was fractionated using ultrafilter having various pore size. The fraction containing molecular weight>10000 showed the antioxidative activity. From these results, it was suggested that the antioxidative substances in Glycyrrhizae Radix were mixture which include melanoidin.

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Six kinds of unpolished rices (moisture; 13.0-13.5%) were irradiated with gamma rays, doses of 0.2 and 0.5kGy and stored for three months at room temperature during the summer season (20-32°C, 70-85% r.h.). The infection by molds, mainly Aspergillus spp., was high in the unirradiated rice, whereas it was very little in the irradiated one. The gemination of the unirradiated rice was 17-47% after the storage periods, while that of the irradiated one was 55-99%. The retention of a high germination by the irradiation may be due to the possible fungistatic, insectcidal and germination stimulating effects of the irradiation.

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The masking of trimethylamine (TMA) odor with phenolic compounds was investigated by headspace analysis using GLC and sensory evaluation. Vanillin was most effective among the tested 15 compounds, and the experimental results showed that phenolic hydroxyl group in the compounds was necessary to mask the TMA odor, and the masking effect was due to salt-formation between TMA and vanillin. The electron-attracting groups such as aldehyde enhanced the odor masking effects.

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Semi-commercial production of seasonings from fish scraps was investigated using a test plant equipped with a digestion tank of fish scraps, a fermentation tank of digested fish scraps, a filter press etc. The apparatus especially designed for the process worked satisfactorily: As compared with laboratory experiments, the enzymatic digestion time decreased considerably. Fermentation of the digested fish scraps with bran-koji (40% in weight) at 40°C resulted in very effective removal of fishy odor and improved the flavor. Press filtration was effective for the separation of seasoning from the fermented digests. There was no distinction in the quality of the seasonings obtained between the intermediate plant-scale production and the laboratory-scale production. It is concluded from this semi-industrial experiment that the industrial production of seasonings from fish scraps is very practicable.

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