Abstract: Provided is a method for industrially mass-producing a modified xylopolysaccharide from biomass. The biomass used as a raw material includes xylan in plant cell walls, having at least one kind of substituents selected from acetyl, feruloyl arabinofuranosyl and coumaroyl arabinofuranosyl groups in the side chains of xylan. A passage controlling mechanism is internally arranged to generate plug-flow onto a slurry containing the biomass at a solid content in 10 mass % to 30 mass %. The hydrothermal treatment is performed under the controlled conditions: at a temperature of 160° C. or more, at a pressure equal to or higher than the saturated water vapor pressure at said temperature, and with a reaction severity R0 ranging from 3000 to 7000. A modified xylopolysaccharide is obtained as preserving the substituents in the side chains of xylan by performing a continuous hydrothermal treatment in a cylindrical plug-flow reactor.

Abstract: To provide an improved ?-fructofuranosidase which is capable of efficiently producing kestose while inhibiting the production of nystose. This improved ?-fructofuranosidase comprises either: an amino acid sequence (a) obtained by introducing, into the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, an amino acid mutation i) in which the 85th glycine (G) from the N-terminal is substituted for a protein-constituting amino acid other than glycine (G), and/or an amino acid mutation ii) in which the 310th histidine (H) from the N-terminal is substituted for lysine (K), arginine (R), or tyrosine (Y); or an amino acid sequence (b) which exhibits ?-fructofuranosidase activity, and which comprises an amino acid sequence obtained by deleting, substituting, inserting, or adding one or more amino acids in (a) other than the amino acid into which the amino acid mutation has been introduced.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a substance and method that are capable of effectively inducing proliferation of Faecalibacterium, thereby contributing to the prevention and treatment of diseases such as intestinal inflammation. [Solution] A proliferative agent for Faecalibacterium, comprising 1-kestose as an active ingredient. In accordance with the present invention, proliferation of Faecalibacterium can be effectively induced both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, it is possible to simply and effectively increase in vivo proliferation of Faecalibacterium in humans and animals, with almost no concerns regarding side effects or safety. It is also possible to prevent or treat intestinal inflammation by increasing in vivo proliferation of Faecalibacterium in humans and animals.

Abstract: An improved ?-fructofuranosidase is provided. The improved ?-fructofuranosidase may comprise an amino acid sequence having 60% or higher identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, and may contain an amino acid mutation that replaces histidine (H) corresponding to position 395 counted from the N terminus of SEQ ID NO: 2 with arginine (R) or lysine (K), an amino acid mutation that replaces leucine (L) at position 123 counted from the N terminus of SEQ ID NO: 2 with cysteine (C), and/or an amino acid mutation that replaces phenylalanine (F) at position 473 counted from the N terminus of SEQ ID NO: 2 with tyrosine (Y).

Abstract: To provide an improved ?-fructofuranosidase which is capable of efficiently producing kestose while inhibiting the production of nystose. This improved ?-fructofuranosidase comprises either: an amino acid sequence (a) obtained by introducing, into the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, an amino acid mutation i) in which the 85th glycine (G) from the N-terminal is substituted for a protein-constituting amino acid other than glycine (G), and/or an amino acid mutation ii) in which the 310th histidine (H) from the N-terminal is substituted for lysine (K), arginine (R), or tyrosine (Y); or an amino acid sequence (b) which exhibits ?-fructofuranosidase activity, and which comprises an amino acid sequence obtained by deleting, substituting, inserting, or adding one or more amino acids in (a) other than the amino acid into which the amino acid mutation has been introduced.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a production method capable of simply and efficiently producing a fructose-added carbohydrate using ?-fructofuranosidase. [Solution] A method for producing a fructose-added carbohydrate, said method having a step in which a receptor substrate and a hydrate containing terminal fructose residue are brought into contact with: Escherichia coli expressing an anchor protein for expression on a cell surface and ?-fructofuranosidase as one polypeptide, a composition including dead cells of the expressing Escherichia coli, or a polypeptide obtained from the expressing Escherichia coli and including an amino acid sequence of ?-fructofuranosidase.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide an improved ?-fructofuranosidase which enables the production of kestose with high efficiency while reducing the amount of a by-product such as nystose produced during the production of kestose. [Solution] An improved ?-fructofuranosidase comprising an amino acid sequence which is produced by introducing an amino acid mutation into an amino acid sequence for a ?-fructofuranosidase having 60% or higher identity to the amino acid sequence for wild-type ?-fructofuranosidase which is represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the amino acid mutation is such a mutation that, when amino acid sequence alignment is performed, a histidine (H) residue corresponding to the position 395 as numbered from the N-terminal of the amino acid sequence for the wild-type ? fructofuranosidase which is represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 can be replaced by an arginine (R) residue or a lysine (K) residue.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a production method capable of simply and efficiently producing a fructose-added carbohydrate using ?-fructofuranosidase. [Solution] A method for producing a fructose-added carbohydrate, said method having a step in which a receptor substrate and a hydrate containing terminal fructose residue are brought into contact with: Escherichia coli expressing an anchor protein for expression on a cell surface and ?-fructofuranosidase as one polypeptide, a composition including dead cells of the expressing Escherichia coli, or a polypeptide obtained from the expressing Escherichia coli and including an amino acid sequence of ?-fructofuranosidase.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composition containing a specific oligosaccharide and a bivalent metal cation, which exhibits an effect on the amelioration, treatment or prevention of allergy or topical inflammatory reactions in an extremely safe and effective manner compared to synthetic oral steroid medicines in spite of a fact that the composition contains components that are generally familiar as a food or an ion occurring in living bodies and have no toxicity against living bodies when used at physiological concentrations. Specifically disclosed is a cell-cell adhesion enhancer in epithelial cells, which comprises 1-kestose and/or nystose and a bivalent metal cation as active ingredients.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an eutectic crystalline sorbitol/maltitol that represents a single melting peak obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. The method includes combining a liquid composition containing two or more kinds of the sugar alcohol at a predetermined ratio with a powder containing crystals of the same two or more kinds of the sugar alcohol at substantially the same usage ratio as that of the sugar alcohol to obtain a mixture, and kneading and aging the mixture.

Abstract: A highly safe, inexpensive and widely utilizable method, which has a mechanism backed by scientific grounds, for improving an activity of ROS (reactive oxygen species)-scavenging enzyme group; An increase in the amount of an enzyme or promotion of an enzyme activity of the ROS scavenging enzyme group such as superoxide dismutase, catalase or peroxidase is caused in an organism having the ROS-scavenging enzyme with one or two or more kinds of substances selected from the group consisting of erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol in 0.01-10% administration concentration.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a growth promoting agent and a life prolonging agent which are safer than a conventional one, and can be used for stable and effective production of animals including farm animals, domestic fowls and fishes/shellfishes, stable and effective cultivation of plants including vegetables, fruits and grains, stable and effective culture of microorganisms, and stable and effective cultivation of mushrooms. The present invention provides the growth promoting agent comprising a sugar alcohol, particularly erythritol, as an active ingredient and a life prolonging agent comprising a sugar alcohol, particularly erythritol, as an active ingredient.