Abstract: A yeast extract containing 0.2% or more of ?-Glu-Abu based on dry weight of the yeast extract is produced by culturing a yeast, such as Saccharomyces cervisiae or Candida utilis, in a medium containing a compound selected from Abu (L-2-aminobutyric acid) and ?-Glu-Abu (L-?-glutamyl-L-2-aminobutyric acid), and preparing a yeast extract from the obtained cells.

Abstract: Yeast and a yeast extract with a high content of Abu, ?-Glu-Abu, and/or ?-Glu-Abu-Gly are provided. By modifying yeast so that intracellular acetolactate synthase activity is reduced, yeast with a high content of Abu, ?-Glu-Abu, and/or ?-Glu-Abu-Gly is obtained. An yeast extract is prepared by using the yeast obtained in such a manner as a raw material.

Abstract: A yeast extract containing 0.2% or more of ?-Glu-Abu based on dry weight of the yeast extract is produced by culturing a yeast, such as Saccharomyces cervisiae or Candida utilis, in a medium containing a compound selected from Abu (L-2-aminobutyric acid) and ?-Glu-Abu (L-?-glutamyl-L-2-aminobutyric acid), and preparing a yeast extract from the obtained cells.

Abstract: Yeast and a yeast extract with a high content of Abu, ?-Glu-Abu, and/or ?-Glu-Abu-Gly are provided. By modifying yeast so that intracellular acetolactate synthase activity is reduced, yeast with a high content of Abu, ?-Glu-Abu, and/or ?-Glu-Abu-Gly is obtained. An yeast extract is prepared by using the yeast obtained in such a manner as a raw material.

Abstract: A yeast extract containing a peptide, such as ?-Glu-X and ?-Glu-X-Gly, wherein X can represent an amino acid or an amino acid derivative other than Cys and derivatives thereof, is prepared by culturing a yeast in a medium containing a peptide such as ?-Glu-X, ?-Glu-X-Gly and X-Gly, and preparing a yeast extract from the obtained cells.

Abstract: A yeast extract containing 0.2% or more of ?-Glu-Abu based on dry weight of the yeast extract is produced by culturing a yeast, such as Saccharomyces cervisiae or Candida utilis, in a medium containing a compound selected from Abu (L-2-aminobutyric acid) and ?-Glu-Abu (L-?-glutamyl-L-2-aminobutyric acid), and preparing a yeast extract from the obtained cells.

Abstract: A yeast extract containing a peptide, such as ?-Glu-X and ?-Glu-X-Gly, wherein X can represent an amino acid or an amino acid derivative other than Cys and derivatives thereof, is prepared by culturing a yeast in a medium containing a peptide such as ?-Glu-X, ?-Glu-X-Gly and X-Gly, and preparing a yeast extract from the obtained cells.

Abstract: A yeast which harbors a mutant glutathione synthetase having one or both of mutations selected from the group consisting of a mutation to replace a threonine residue at the position 47 with an isoleucine residue and a mutation to replace a glycine residue at the 387-position with an aspartic acid residue and produces ?-glutamylcysteine. The yeast is cultured under suitable conditions, the resultant culture or fractionation product thereof or the resultant culture or fractionation product thereof that had been heat-treated is mixed with food or beverage materials and processed into foods or beverage to produce ?-glutamylcysteine- or cysteine-containing foods or beverage.

Abstract: Food containing ?-glutamylcysteine or cysteine is produced by culturing Candida utilis containing 1% by weight or more of ?-glutamylcysteine per dry cells in logarithmic growth phase when cultured in a minimal medium, for example, Candida utilis in which a gene encoding glutathione synthetase is modified so that intracellular glutathione synthetase activity is reduced, under a suitable condition and mixing the obtained culture or a fraction thereof or the culture or a fraction thereof subjected to heat treatment with a raw material of food or drink to process food or drink.

Abstract: The present invention provides lactic acid bacteria producing Nisin, a method for selecting the same, and foods or feeds using the lactic acid bacteria.

Abstract: The yeast which has ?-glutamylcysteine-producing ability and is auxotrophic for pantothenic acid is proliferated in a medium containing a sufficient amount of pantothenic acid, and then it is cultured in a medium containing a limited amount of pantothenic acid to increase the ?-glutamylcysteine content in its cells, whereby the yeast in which ?-glutamylcysteine is accumulated is obtained.

Abstract: A gene encoding glutathione synthetase from Candida utilis is provided and food containing ?-glutamylcysteine cysteine or cystenylglycine is produced by cultivating Candida utilis modified by means of a gene encoding glutathione synthetase under a suitable condition and mixing the obtained culture or a fraction thereof or the culture or a fraction thereof subjected to heat treatment with a raw material of food or drink to process food or drink.

Abstract: The present invention provides lactic acid bacteria producing Nisin, a method for selecting the same, and foods or feeds using the lactic acid bacteria.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a food material containing high quantities of cysteine. In this method, a yeast extract is prepared from yeast cells that contains ?-glutamylcysteine and the extract is concentrated by controlling the temperature to be not greater than 60° C. to prepare a food material in a liquid form, wherein the concentration of solids is at least 10% and the resulting food material is maintained at 70 to 130° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a cysteine-rich food material by maintaining a food material containing ?-glutamylcysteine at a ratio of at least 1 wt % to the solid content thereof at a temperature ranging from 50 to 120° C. and at a pH ranging from 1 to 7. This process is conducted in the absence of a sugar and in the presence of water. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a cysteine-rich food material by reacting the food material with a ?-glutamyl peptide hydrolase at a pH ranging from 3 to 9 and at a temperature ranging from 15 to 70° C. in the present of water. Further, the present invention relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing material for use in food, food products obtained by these processes, and yeast cells or extracts for use in food products.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a seasoning and a processed food which are obtained by processing a fermented soybean paste-like foodstuff, and a method of the production thereof.

Abstract: A yeast which harbors a mutant glutathione synthetase having one or both of mutations selected from the group consisting of a mutation to replace a threonine residue at the position 47 with an isoleucine residue and a mutation to replace a glycine residue at the 387-position with an aspartic acid residue and produces ?-glutamylcysteine. The yeast is cultured under suitable conditions, the resultant culture or fractionation product thereof or the resultant culture or fractionation product thereof that had been heat-treated is mixed with food or beverage materials and processed into foods or beverage to produce ?-glutamylcysteine- or cysteine-containing foods or beverage.

Abstract: A gene encoding glutathione synthetase from Candida utilis is provided and food containing ?-glutamylcysteine cysteine or cystenylglycine is produced by cultivating Candida utilis modified by means of a gene encoding glutathione synthetase under a suitable condition and mixing the obtained culture or a fraction thereof or the culture or a fraction thereof subjected to heat treatment with a raw material of food or drink to process food or drink.

Abstract: Food containing ?-glutamylcysteine or cysteine is produced by culturing Candida utilis containing 1% by weight or more of ?-glutamylcysteine per dry cells in logarithmic growth phase when cultured in a minimal medium, for example, Candida utilis in which a gene encoding glutathione synthetase is modified so that intracellular glutathione synthetase activity is reduced, under a suitable condition and mixing the obtained culture or a fraction thereof or the culture or a fraction thereof subjected to heat treatment with a raw material of food or drink to process food or drink.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a cysteine-rich food material by maintaining a food material containing &ggr;-glutamylcysteine at a ratio of at least 1 wt % to the solid content thereof at a temperature ranging from 50 to 120° C. and at a pH ranging from 1 to 7. This process is conducted in the absence of a sugar and in the presence of water. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a cysteine-rich food material by reacting the food material with a &ggr;-glutamyl peptide hydrolase at a pH ranging from 3 to 9 and at a temperature ranging from 15 to 70° C. in the present of water. Further, the present invention relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing material for use in food, food products obtained by these processes, and yeast cells or extracts for use in food products.