Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide an agent for suppressing melanin production and/or inhibiting elastase activity containing a plant extract as an effective substance with high safety and acceptable levels of stability and odor or sediment formation and an agent for external application to the skin comprising the above agent which has excellent effects in skin-whitening and skin-beautifying. The object is attained by providing an agent for external application to the skin containing indigo-plant extract.

Abstract: An optical recording medium which comprises a substrate and a recording layer provided on the substrate by using an organic dye compound having absorption maximum in a region with wavelengths longer than that of a writing light used, and which records information by allowing to irradiate the recording layer with the writing light to act on the organic dye compound to form a pit on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide an agent for strengthening calcium-containing tissues, which can be safely applied; and its use: The present invention solves the object by providing an agent for strengthening calcium-containing tissues, which comprises one or more flavones, flavonols, flavanones, flavanonols, anthocyanidins, flavanols, chalcones, and aurones.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a method for enhancing biological activity and/or expanding suitable region for biological activity of living bodies contacting with aqueous environment, and solves the above object by providing a method for enhancing biological activity and/or expanding suitable region for biological activity of living bodies contacting with aqueous environment by incorporating ?,?-trehalose or a saccharide derivative thereof when allowing living bodies to contact with aqueous environment for biological activity of the living bodies contacting with the aqueous environment, and composition and agent for enhancing biological activity and/or expanding suitable region for biological activity of living bodies.

Abstract: On the production of bakery products using rice flour as a major material, the first object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing bakery products with improved qualities such as appearance, crumb, taste, and preservability, as well as satisfactory handleability. The second object of the present invention is to provide such bakery products having excellent qualities, which are obtainable thereby. The third object of the present invention is to provide premixed flours for producing the bakery products with improved qualities. The fourth object of the present invention is to provide fermented doughs for producing the excellent bakery products.

Abstract: The present invention provides organic dye compounds having their absorption maxima in a region ranging from the ultraviolet region to a relatively short wavelength visible region and uses thereof. The present invention provides specific monomethine cyanine dyes, light absorbents and optical recording media comprising the monomethine cyanine dyes, and a process for producing the monomethine cyanine dyes which comprises a step of reacting a quaternary ammonium salt of nitrogen atom-containing heterocyclic compound having a reactive methyl group with a quarternary ammonium salt of nitrogen atom-containing heterocyclic compound having an appropriate leaving group.