Abstract: An oil and fat composition is provided which can reduce cooked odors without using an additive such as emulsifier. The oil and fat composition includes an oil and fat produced by oxidizing a fresh oil and fat so that a difference in anisidine value before and after the oxidation is 0.5 to 350, and an edible oil and fat. An added anisidine value of the oil and fat composition is 0.07 to 350 and is further calculated by the following formula: added anisidine value=(anisidine value after oxidation?anisidine value before oxidation)×[additive amount (wt. %)].

Abstract: An oil and fat composition is provided having superior operability and processability, in terms of a liquefying phenomenon of sugar, tackiness and texture of fried doughnuts, filling condition and hardness of shortening, and solidifying time of coating chocolate, by the superior crystallization-promoting effect. A palm-based fractionated oil and fat has 70-90% by weight of the tripalmitin content to triglyceride and 1-8% by weight of the unsaturated fatty acid content to total fatty acid. The oil and fat comprises a hard part obtained by, for example, performing a crystallization operation of palm super stearin with iodine value 10-17 so that the slurry SFC is 20% or less, and fractionating the slurry so that the hard part yield is 26% by weight or less. The fractionation is preferably performed so that a numerical value of the hard part yield/the slurry SFC is 10 or less.

Abstract: A method for improving blood HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio, reducing blood triglyceride level, reducing blood sugar level, and/or reducing body weight, that includes ingesting a composition containing a concentrated soybean germ product. The soybean germ product includes soybean germ protein; 1.0% by weight or less of saponin relative to the total weight of the soybean germ product; and 0.5% by weight or less of isoflavone relative to the total weight of the soybean germ product.

Abstract: A plastic oil and fat composition provides a plastic oil and fat food that has a good filling operability, keeps the feeling of melt-in-the-mouth after long preservation, and is excellent in spreadability, oil-off resistance and the like. In the plastic oil and fat composition, a content of PPP is from 5.5 to 12% by weight, a content of PPLi+PLiP is from 5.5 to 15.5% by weight, a content of PPO+POP is from 7 to 20% by weight, and a value of PPO/(PPO+POP) is from 0.55 to 0.7. A method for producing the plastic oil and fat composition is also provided.

Abstract: To provide a method of accurately detecting pathological haptoglobin using a lectin having strong affinity and high specificity for fucose. The method of the present invention for detecting pancreatic cancer is characterized in that a fucose ?1?6 specific lectin is allowed to act on pathological haptoglobin contained in a sample obtained from a living body, said lectin: (1) being extractede from basidiomycetes, (2) having a molecular weight of 4,000 to 40,000 as determined by the SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and (3) having affinity for a fucose ?1?6 sugar chain with a binding constant of 1.0×104 M?1 or more at 25° C.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel lectin which can bind specifically to an L-fucose ?1?6 sugar chain. Also disclosed is use of the lectin. The L-fucose ?1?6 specific lectin of the present invention is characterized in that: (1) the lectin is extracted from a basidiomycete or an ascomycete; (2) the lectin has a molecular weight by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of 4,000 to 40,000; and (3) the lectin has an affinity to an L-fucose ?1?6 sugar chain, the affinity being represented by an association constant of 1.0×104M?1 or more (at 25 degrees C.). The lectin can be used for detecting an L-fucose ?1?6 sugar chain specifically, and is effective for the purification of an L-fucose ?1?6 sugar chain or a non L-fucose ?1?6 sugar chain.

Abstract: A composition includes a food ingredient or nutrient with safety and experience having been eaten for a long time and that shows a collagen enhancing activity. The food ingredient or nutrient of the composition includes a skin collagen enhancing agent that includes menaquinone-7 as an active ingredient. The composition including skin collagen enhancing agent can be administered percutaneously or orally as a drug, a cosmetic, or a supplement.

Abstract: A method for improving blood HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio, reducing blood triglyceride level, reducing blood sugar level, and/or reducing body weight, that includes ingesting a composition containing a concentrated soybean germ product. The soybean germ product includes soybean germ protein; 1.0% by weight or less of saponin relative to the total weight of the soybean germ product; and 0.5% by weight or less of isoflavone relative to the total weight of the soybean germ product.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a water-in-oil type fat or oil composition which exhibits satisfactory demulsification in the mouth regardless of a low salt content, and which makes a consumer feel moderate saltiness, and a method for producing the same. Disclosed is a water-in-oil type fat or oil composition containing 0.4% by weight or more and less than 1.0% by weight of a salt, wherein the time required to reach 50% of an equilibrium value is within 50 seconds in an increase in conductivity at 35° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides an oil and fat composition that can prevent not only coloring caused by heating and cooked odor during heat cooking, but also increase in acid value, as well as that can endure long-term use. The oil and fat composition, which can prevent coloring caused by heating, cooked odor, and increase in acid value, can be obtained by incorporating 0.1 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less of a phosphorus component, and ascorbic acid and/or an ascorbic acid derivative in an ascorbic acid equivalent of 2 ppm or more and 130 ppm or less into an edible oil and fat.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method for producing aglycone from a glycoside efficiently at low cost without using an acid catalyst or an organic solvent. The method for producing aglycone, characterized by bringing a glycoside into contact with high temperature high pressure water. The temperature of the high temperature high pressure water is generally from 100 to 374° C., preferably from 140 to 320° C., more preferably from 200 to 300° C. The pressure of the high temperature high pressure water may be not lower than the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature, i.e., a pressure at which the liquid state is maintained.

Abstract: Disclosed is a soapstock treatment apparatus which can treat a soapstock produced during a plant oil production process within a short period and with a high degree of efficiency. As shown in FIG. 1, the soapstock treatment apparatus includes a reactor 20 configured to oxidatively decompose a soapstock, an electric heating coil 23 configured to heat water in the reactor 20 at 650° C. which is not less than the critical temperature of water, a high-pressure pump 13 configured to pressurize the water in the reactor 20 at 17 Mpa which is less than the critical pressure of water, and a compressor 33 configured to pressurize the water in the reactor 20 at 17 Mpa which is less than the critical pressure of water. Also, an exhaust pipe 41 for discharging a reaction gas generated by the oxidative decomposition treatment and a waste pipe 51 for discharging a solid (inorganic) residue generated by the oxidative decomposition treatment are connected to the reactor 20.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a fat and oil composition for deep-frying, which has superior flavor and is suppressed, for a long time, in color development and unfavorable odor during heating. Specifically disclosed is a process for producing a fat and oil composition for deep-frying, which is characterized in that at least one phosphorus-derived component selected from a crude oil or a partially refined fat and oil, is added into a refined edible fat and oil in such an amount that the phosphorus content is within the range of 0.1 to 5.0 ppm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a resistant starch-rich starch which satisfies the requirements (a), (b), (c) and (d), below: (a) showing a resistant starch content, measured by the AOAC Official Method 2002.02 for measuring resistant starch, of 60% or more; (b) showing a molecular weight peak in the range from 6×103 or larger to 4×104 or smaller; (c) showing a molecular weight dispersion of 1.5 or larger to 6.0 or smaller; and (d) showing a gelatinization enthalpy, measured by differential scanning calorimetry over the range from 50° C. to 130° C., of 10 J/g or smaller.

Abstract: Disclosed is a taste enhancing agent for achieving sufficient saltiness or sweetness even in cases where the salt content or sugar content in food is reduced. Specifically disclosed is a taste enhancing agent which contains one or more substances selected from among linear aliphatic aldehydes having 3-10 carbon atoms and linear aliphatic alcohols having 4-10 carbon atoms as active ingredients. The amount of salt content or sugar content added to food can be reduced by adding the taste enhancing agent to the food.

Abstract: Provided is a hyaluronic acid production promoter and a melanin synthesis inhibitor. The hyaluronic acid production promoter and the melanin synthesis inhibitor of the present invention each contain soybean saponin as an active ingredient. The soybean saponin is preferably soybean saponin aglycone. The soybean saponin aglycone preferably includes soyasapogenol A and/or soyasapogenol B. The hyaluronic acid production promoter and the melanin synthesis inhibitor of the present invention are each administered transdermally or orally.

Abstract: A rice improver containing a gelatinized product of an acid-treated waxy type starch or a gelatinized product of an oxidation-treated waxy type starch, wherein a cold water solubility of the rice improver in pure water at 25 degrees centigrade is equal to or higher than 50%, wherein a content of a fraction of a granular material sieved over 0.5 mm-opening (32 mesh) sieve in the rice improver is smaller than 5% by weight, and wherein a total of contents of said acid-treated waxy type starch and said oxidation-treated waxy type starch over the whole rice improver is equal to or larger than 50% by weight.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide refined sesame oil comprising a lot of lignans that have various excellent physiological properties from sesame seeds having a high lignan content. The present invention relates to refined sesame oil having a sesamin content of 1% by weight or more and showing no bitterness; a method for the production of refined sesame oil comprising using active carbon as an absorbent in a bleaching step; a method for the production of refined sesame oil comprising controlling a bleaching temperature in a range of from 5 to 70° C. in a bleaching step with the use of activated clay active as an absorbent; and a method for the production of refined sesame oil comprising controlling a bleaching temperature in a range of from 5 to 70° C. in a bleaching step with the use of activated clay of from 0.1 to 3% by weight active as an absorbent.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a body taste improver comprising a small amount of fat and oil, but significantly showing body taste, i.e., a body taste improver with a high titer. The high titer of the improver will reduce an amount of the fat and oil to be added and calorie as well, and will enable to use the body taste improver in foods that originally contain little fat and oil, such as Japanese-style clear soup and soybean soup. Thus, the present invention is related to a body taste improver comprising decomposed substances of a long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acid and/or an ester thereof, to a body taste improver comprising an extract of decomposed substances of a long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acid and/or an ester thereof, and to a food comprising said body taste improver.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide fat and oil being free of cholesterol and having a low content of saturated fatty acid, while having body taste. Thus, the present invention is related to a body taste improver comprising a long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acid and/or an ester thereof, especially one for vegetable fat and oil, and to a vegetable fat and oil composition comprising the body taste improver.