Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho

Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Director-general of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Akio Mimura

Yoshimasa Takahara

Katsumi Yuasa

Mitsuru Shibukawa

Toshihiko Osawa

Tomoaki Nishida

Kokki Sakai

Yoshinori Kashino

Yasuyuki Takahashi

Tetsuya Hanai

Keiichi Takebayashi

Ken Mishima

Kaoru Yoshinari

Kouji Asami

Tsuneo Sato

The present invention relates to a novel compound tetrahydrocurcumin and a substance containing the same, which are produced from curcumin or a substance containing it as a material. This substance has characteristic properties such as strong antioxidative activity and yellowish color generated from reducing the original color of curcumin. The curcumin is being produced from a Zingiberaceae plant classified into Curcuma longa as a tropical product and is used for a spice and a yellow pigment for curry powder and pickles. The present invention further relates to the production method.

Method for making tetrahydrocurcumin and a substance containing the

A method for measuring a biomass which comprises measuring an electric capacitance across at least one pair of electrodes attached to a bioreactor, and thereby continuously measuring a biomass of organisms (such as microorganism and plant or animal cells), which may or may not be immobilized in the bioreactor, according to the electric capacitance (dielectric permitivity) measured. The present invention permits one to measure on-line the quantities of microorgansisms or plant or animal cells without having to take samples from a bioreactor or culture tank.

Method for measuring biomass

According to this invention, pulps can be produced in high yields while saving energy by previously fiberizing wood chips used as the original material and then treating with a microorganism having a high lignin-degrading activity and a low fiber-degrading activity upon the wood. In addition, new lignin-degrading enzymes produced by a microorganism used in this invention were identified.

Enzymes employed for producing pulps

##STR1## wherein R is ##STR2## The present invention relates to the antioxidative glycoside of structural formula (A) above-shown, obtained from the culture of growing cells derived from the plant body of sesame (Sesamun indicum L.), can provide the glycoside in large quantities by utilizing sesame, and also relates to an antioxidant comprising at least one substance of the glycoside of structural formula (A) above-shown as effective ingredient, the antioxidant being harmless and effective particularly for prevention of oxidation of foods, drugs, cosmetics, etc.

Antioxidative glycoside and antioxidative composition containing the same

Method for producing pulp by treatment using a microorganism, and its

There is provided a proteinaceous biological response modifier having the following properties: (a) molecular weight: 35,000 to 65,000; (b) isoelectric point: 5.0 to 6.1; (c) physiological action on human leukemia cells: to induce human leukemia to differentiate into macrophage-like cells; (d) physiological action on myeloid leukemia cells from mice: to induce myeloid leukemia cells from mice to differentiate into macrophage-like cells; (e) affinity to Concanavalin A Sepharose: not adsorbed; (f) affinity to Blue Sepharose Resin: not adsorbed; (g) pH-stability and thermostability: substantially not inactivated at pH 2 to 10, at 2.degree. C. for 6 hours; not inactivated at 56.degree. C. for 60 minutes; but inactivated by 30% at 70.degree. C. for 60 minutes; (h) sensitivity to enzymes: not inactivated by deoxyribonuclease; not inactivated by glycosidase; and inactivated by protease; (i) flow cytometry analysis: to concentrate cell division cycle of human leukemia cells to G.sub.0 /G.sub.1 phase. There is also provided a process for the production of the proteinaceous biological response modifier comprising culturing human leukemia cells in a differentiation medium in the presence of a substance capable of inducing the human leukemia cells to differentiate into macrophage-like cells; separating the macrophage-like cells from the culture medium; activating the macrophage-like cells in a production medium by a mitogen to enhance the production of the proteinaceous biological response modifier; and isolating the proteinaceous biological response modifier from the production medium. The biological response modifier has anti-tumor activity.

Biological response modifier having cell differentiation-induction

Microorganisms are immobilized by adding microorganism cells to an aqueous solution of a mixture of a polymerizable starch and a polymerizable monomer, and, thereafter, polymerizing the polymerizable starch and polymerizable monomer, to prepare a polymer gel with microorganism cells enclosed therein. The polymerizable starch is prepared by introducing an acrylamidomethyl group into starch. The polymer gel has high mechanical strength and can be used repeatedly over long periods of the time while maintaining at high levels the reactivity of the microorganism enclosed therein.

Immobilization of microorganisms in a polymer gel

A process for producing L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof is disclosed, wherein an indole compound is reacted with serine, or with pyruvic acid and ammonium ion, in the presence of a culture or treated culture of a microorganism of genus Aeromonas or genus Klebsiella having the ability to produce L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof from an indole compound and serine, or from an indole compound, pyruvic acid and/or its salt, and ammonium ion.

Process for producing L-tryptophan or derivatives thereof using

A process for producing L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof is disclosed, wherein an indole compound is reacted with serine, or with pyruvic acid and/or its salt and ammonium ion, in the presence of a culture or treated culture of a particular microorganism of genus Enterobacter having a special ability to produce L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof from an indole compound and serine, or from an indole compound, pyruvic acid and/or its salt, and ammonium ion.

Growing community of inventors

Fuji, Japan

Akio Mimura