Alginate capsules for encapsulating probiotics were synthesized under mild conditions without using harmful chemicals. When alginate capsules were synthesized using glucono-δ-lactone while suppressing the rapid pH drop of the inner water phase, it was possible to encapsulate living lactic acid bacteria. It was also found that coating the alginate capsule surface with chitosan improved the protective effect of the encapsulated lactic acid bacteria. Furthermore, culturing the encapsulated bacteria inside the capsules increased the number of living bacteria to meet the minimum recommended level for probiotic effect. Finally, we demonstrated that almost all encapsulated bacteria were released within 60 minutes in simulated intestinal fluid. From the above, it was suggested that the chitosan-coated alginate capsules synthesized in this study can be used as capsules for encapsulating probiotics.

Many oil encapsulation techniques in which particles are used to effectively inhibit oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids have been reported. We have developed a new process using an inkjet nozzle which allows easy control of particle size and morphology and free from oxidation concerns. This process was used to prepare particles of rutin and composite particles composed of glycine and rutin. All particles were spherical in shape and had a relatively uniform particle size distribution. Rutin hollow particles or particles with a bilayer structure of glycine and rutin were selectively produced, depending on the solution used. The particles inhibited the oxidation of the oil, and the retardation effect was constant regardless of the oil. Furthermore, the oxidation rate differed depending on the structure of the particles, which suggests the importance of improving stability by complexation.

To clarify the growth mechanism of polymer particles, in-situ observations of growth process of soap-free emulsion polymerization of styrene were carried out using atomic force microscope. Polystyrene particles were swollen absorbing monomers in the bulk, and then solidified through the polymerization inside the particles with adsorption of the secondary newborn particles in the bulk like Ostwald’s ripening. According the growth mechanism, particle sizes were enabled to be enlarged by the coagulations during the polymerization with electrolyte.

To evaluate the influence of polymers synthesized through soap-free emulsion polymerization on the indicator microorganism Micrococcus luteus, styrene and styrene derivative monomers were polymerized using a cationic initiator. During the bioassay test, these polymers showed an inhibition zone against M. luteus. Hence, the supernatant containing polymers with lower molecular weights, which were toxic to M. luteus, obtained from soap-free emulsion polymerization should be treated carefully prior to its discharge to the environment.

The influence of viral diseases on society varies depending on the viral species. In a global society, they can cause widespread and severe damage. Taking more effective measures to prevent the spread of infection, highly sensitive virus detection methods are required. We have to detect a small amount of viruses, even in the biological fluid of patients in the early stage of the disease or environmental samples. This paper describes an overview of various virus detection technologies and then refers to the performance and current ability of virus detection technologies required from the perspective of environmental infection risk assessment.

The effectiveness of Ca supplements was evaluated to compensate for the lack of Ca intake in the Japanese people. To determine the relationship between dietary calcium intake and the rate of calcium accumulation in postmenopausal women with significant calcium loss, a crossover study was conducted using milk, calcium carbonate powder, and calcium citrate powder (UNICAL^TM) made from scallop shells. Calcium contents in urine, feces, and meals were measured to compare calcium accumulation rates ((intake−excretion)/intake). Results showed that UNICAL^TM, which is more soluble than calcium carbonate, was as effective as milk in reducing postmenopausal calcium loss. However, postmenopausal Japanese women were found to lack calcium even at 700 mg/day, above the standard recommended intake of 650 mg/day. These results suggest that further increasing the solubility of UNICAL^TM is very effective as a Ca supplement for Japanese people who are deficient in milk intake.

The dispersibility and wettability of the powder can be possible to measure by low-field NMR. The characteristic is being able to measure with good reproducibility in a short time without diluting. As a concrete measurement example of dispersibility, we prepared 30 wt% carbon black dispersed to NMP and PVDF under the different the dispersion condition. It became clearly the dispersibility was changed after just mixture and one day later. In addition, an example was shown difference of graphene’s surface modify time in which the wettability was also compared. It showed to easily convert into numerals wettability changing.