Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd.

Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Meiji Co., Ltd.

Bourbon Corporation

Masao Hirayama

Hitoshi Matsumoto

Takashi Kawakami

Takashi Adachi

Hirofumi Nakamura

Takahisa Tokunaga

Shigeru Tominaga

Mitsuo Kishi

Koji Nishizawa

Koji Yanai

Hidemasa Hidaka

Akitaka Nakane

Atsutane Ohta

Hayami Itoh

Yuko Baba

Satoshi Hanamura

Tadayuki Yokoyama

Tatsuya Imura

Yoshihiro Kajibata

Ryo Furuuchi

Junko Kajihara

Masao Hayashitani

Akemi Watabe

Yuko Nakada

Atikaka Nakane

The present invention relates to an antihypertensive agent including a boysenberry seed extract as an active ingredient. According to the invention, there can be provided an effective and highly safe antihypertensive agent having antihypertensive effect so that the agent can contribute to the prevention and amelioration of hypertension and having very little risk of side effects even in continuous intake, and a method for producing the antihypertensive agent at low cost and efficiently.

Antihypertensive agents

Black currant anthocyanin-containing compositions for foods comprising 1 to 25% by weight of black currant anthocyanin on the basis of solid matters; a process for producing a black currant anthocyanin-containing composition for foods characterized by purifying and concentrating black currant juice employed as a starting material by using a charged reverse osmosis membrane; functional foods and drinks characterized by containing the above compositions for foods; and the above-described compositions for foods and the above-described functional foods and drinks having an effect of improving visual function, a function of improving blood fluidity, and/or a function of lowering blood pressure. The conventional black currant anthocyanin compositions have a low black currant anthocyanin content, strong acidity and poor stability, which makes them unsuitable as additives for foods and drinks. However, the production process according to the present invention makes it possible to provide black currant anthocyanin-containing compositions for foods which have a high black currant anthocyanin content, an adequate acidity, and a high stability and can be added to foods and drinks. Moreover, functional foods and drinks containing these compositions, which have an effect of improving visual function, a function of improving blood fluidity, or a function of lowering blood pressure, can be provided.

Compositions for food, process for producing the same, and functional foods and drinks containing the same

Compositions for foods, process for producing the same and functional foods and drinks containing the same

Provided are a process for producing purified anthocyanidin glucoside in which a rhamnose end of anthocyanidin rutinoside is cleaved using rhamnosidase to convert the anthocyanidin rutinoside component into anthocyanidin glucoside, the anthocyanidin glucoside component being then purified and isolated; or a crystalline anthocyanidin glucoside salt obtained by further crystallizing the purified anthocyanidin glucoside and a process for producing the same. Also provided are a process for producing purified anthocyanidin rutinoside in which a glucose end of anthocyanidin glucoside is cleaved using &#x3b2;-glucosidase to degrade and remove the end, the anthocyanidin rutinoside component being then purified and isolated; or a crystalline anthocyanidin rutinoside salt obtained by further crystallizing the purified anthocyanidin rutinoside and a process for producing the same.

Process for producing purified anthocyanin and crystalline anthocyanin

A process for producing crystal 1-kestose wherein granular crystal 1-kestose in the form of large crystals can be produced at a high yield is disclosed. A highly pure solution of 1-kestose is concentrated to a Brix of 75 or higher; either seed crystals are added, or the solution is vacuum-concentrated to generate microcrystals for use as nuclei; then, a crystal growing step by vacuum-concentration and a microcrystal dissolving step for redissolving microcrystals which have formed in the concentrate are repeated at least twice each. Alternatively, a highly pure solution of 1-kestose is concentrated to a Brix of 80 or higher; either seed crystals are added, or the solution is allowed to initiate crystallization; after crystals are allowed to grow, a cooling step where the temperature is lowered by 5&deg; C. to 20&deg; C. from the previous step and a crystal growing step where the concentrate is maintained at the temperature to allow the crystals to grow are repeated at least twice each. Also, an enzyme for producing 1-kestose efficiently from sucrose is disclosed.

Crystalline 1-kestose and process for preparing the same

The prophylactic, therapeutic agent for osteoporosis of the invention is a combination of an indigestible oligosaccharide with phytoestrogen which inhibits bone loss. The action of inhibiting the reduction of bone density can be improved remarkably by combining the indigestible oligosaccharide with phytoestrogen.

Prophylactic, therapeutic agent for osteoporosis

A novel &bgr;-fructofuranosidase gene and a &bgr;-fructofuranosidase encoded by the gene, a process for isolating a &bgr;-fructofuranosidase gene using the novel &bgr;-fructofuranosidase gene, and a novel &bgr;-fructofuranosidase obtained by this isolation process are disclosed. A novel mold fungus having no &bgr;-fructofuranosidase activity suitable for the production of &bgr;-fructofuranosidase, and a system for producing a recombinant &bgr;-fructofuranosidase using the novel mold fungus as a host is disclosed. Further, a &bgr;-fructofuranosidase variant which selectively and efficiently produces a specific fructooligosaccharide such as 1-kestose from sucrose is disclosed.

&bgr;-fructofuranosidase and its gene, method of isolating &bgr;-fructofuranosidase gene, system for producing &bgr;-fructofuranosidase, and &bgr;-fructofuranosidase variant

A desiccant comprising crystalline, anhydrated nystose, which contains 70% or more of nystose and 2% or less of moisture and is in the form of a crystalline powder, is capable of maintaining water activity of a food at an extremely low level without heat drying the food or drying the food with silica gel or the like and can safely prevent deteriorations of foods and maintain the qualities at a low cost. The desiccant can be produced by anhydrating crystalline nystose hydrate under reduced pressure or in the presence of a dehydrating agent. The desiccant is used for lowering water activity of a food and maintaining the same, by directly contacting the desiccant with the food or mixing the same with the food.

Desiccant, method for producing the same and method for using the same

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Masao Hirayama