Momoya Co. Ltd.

Antioxidant activity, S-allylcysteine (SAC) and total polyphenol contents were measured in aged garlic extract, garlic extract, and garlic.The aged garlic extract had significantly higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC), and superoxide anion scavenging activity (SOSA) values than the garlic extract and garlic.SAC and total polyphenol contents showed a strong pos. correlation (r>0.90) with various antioxidant activities.These results suggest that aged garlic extract is a potential functional food with high antioxidant activity due to SAC and polyphenols.

We conducted two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies of Lactobacillus plantarum No. 14 (LP14) in female students with seasonal allergic diseases. We also examined the mitogenic activity and cytokine inducibility of LP14 using Peyer's patch cells and mesenteric lymph node cells of swine. For subjects who took 8.7×10(8) of LP14, a significant improvement in ocular symptom-medication score was observed. In the placebo group, the T helper type 1 (Th1)/T helper type 2 (Th2) ratio tended to decrease after a 6-week intake period, while in the LP14 group, the percentage of Th1 cells significantly increased. Post-intake eosinophil counts significantly increased in comparison to those at intake cessation in the placebo group, but it appeared to be suppressed in the LP14 group. There were no changes in fecal microflora. LP14 strongly induced the gene expression of Th1-type cytokines. This study indicates the clinical effects of LP14 on seasonal allergic diseases.

We investigated the effect of edible green algae Monostroma nitidum on glycemic responses after oral administration of various saccharinity agents.Male Wister rats (6-8 wk old) were administered 2 g/kg b.w. glucose, sucrose, maltose or soluble starch with or without 0.2 g/kg b.w. M. nitidum powder.M. nitidum significantly inhibited the increment of plasma glucose level (p<0.01).When we examined the three fractions of M. nitidum, that is to say, MeOH-soluble one, hot water-soluble one (crude rhamnan sulfate extract) and insoluble one on glycemic responses, rats administered crude rhamnan sulfate extract showed significantly lower plasma glucose level than the controlled group (p<0.01).Furthermore, the effects of M. nitidum and rhamnan sulfate on the postprandial increase in blood glucose level were evaluated in healthy adults.The significant deduction of the blood glucose level was observed at 30 min after the intake of M. nitidum powder or crude rhamnan sulfate extract compared to the controlled ones (p<0.05).These results suggests that the M.nitidum and rhamnan sulfate are useful for diabetes mellitus.