Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Limited

Megumi Kumemura

Shigeto Uchiyama

Tomomi Ueno

Seiichi Shimizu

Kyosuke Masaki

Kiyoko Imaizumi

Yasuhiro Abiru

Hiroshi Okamatsu

Yoshikazu Isono

Rieko Endo

Hisako Mori

Toshiaki Matsumoto

Akihisa Takaichi

Toshihiko Okamoto

Takao Saito

Shuichi Sakamoto

Tsuneyuki Noda

Tatsuya Doi

Yoshihide Azuma

Yoshinari Watanabe

Katsuya Miyata

An object of the present invention is to provide a fermented product containing equol-producing microorganisms in the state of living cells by which equol production ability is maintained. When producing a fermented material by using an equol-producing microorganism, with soybean powder or soybean milk as raw materials, (1) preparing a mother starter by fermentation under anaerobic conditions by using an equol-producing microorganism in the presence of a daidzein species at pH 5.0 or higher, (2) preparing a bulk starter by fermentation under anaerobic conditions by using said mother starter in the presence of a daidzein species at pH 5.0 or higher, and (3) preparing a fermented material by fermentation by using said bulk starter in a medium containing soybean powder or soybean milk, enables production of a fermented material containing microorganisms in the state of living cells in which the equol production ability is maintained.

Fermentation product containing equol-producing microorganism having maintained equol-producing ability, and method for producing same

This invention provides a composition comprising a daidzein-containing substrate and a strain of micro-organism capable of metabolizing daidzein to equol as essential ingredients. This composition is effective in the prevention and alleviation of unidentified clinical syndrome inclusive of menopausal syndrome in middle-aged to elderly women for which no effective means of prevention or alleviation has heretofore been available.

Isoflavone-containing composition

Microbial method of making equol-containing composition and product made

This invention provides a composition comprising a daidzein-containing substrate and a strain of micro-organism capable of metabolizing daidzein to equol as essential ingredients. This composition is effective in the prevention and alleviation of unidentified clinical syndrome inclusive of menopausal syndrome in middle-aged to elderly woman for which no effective means of prevention or alleviation has heretofore been available.

Streptococcus and isoflavone-containing composition

The invention provides an immunopotentiating composition and to a composition accelerating the production of interferon-&ggr;, both comprising lactosuclose as an active ingredient. In particular, the invention provides such compositions in the form of a foodstuff. Oral administration or ingestion of the compositions enhances biophylaxis mechanism (immunological function) in the digestive tract, thus achieving significant treating and preventing effects on intestinal infections and like diseases.

Immunopotentiating compositions

Food composition for inhibiting the formation of an intestinal

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Kurume, Japan

Megumi Kumemura