Abstract: The invention provides a novel PPAR? activator, a pharmaceutical composition, a food or a drink, a food additive, a supplement and a method of producing these products. The PPAR? activator includes an extract of a koji that contains 9-hydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODE: 10E, 12E) or an active fraction of the extract, as an active ingredient.

Abstract: According to the present invention a miso with good flavor and a processed food containing the miso are provided, wherein the miso and the food are expected to have an repressing effect on an increase in blood pressure or hypotensive effect by continually taking the miso or food for routinely dietary habit. The present invention also provides a method of producing a miso, wherein peptides with ACE inhibitory activity are effectively produced in the miso without lowering the quality in flavor of miso. In an embodiment of the present invention, animal milk is added at a content of 10% during a mixing step, or a fermentation and ripening step.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to obtain miso with good flavor containing large quantities of isoflavone compounds, which has decreased bitter taste derived from the isoflavone. The present invention relates to miso with good flavor containing large quantities of isoflavone compounds, which is produced by adding 0.1% to 5.0% (W/W) isoflavone compounds (e.g., genistin, daidzin, and glycitin, and aglycons of these compounds including genistein, daidzein, glycitein, and the like) and dried and fermented fish such as dried bonito or boiled-dried fish or a treated product thereof (e.g., a hot water extract of dried and fermented fish or an alcohol extract of dried and fermented fish) to miso, and relates to a method for producing the same.

Abstract: According to the process, miso where a lipid metabolism improving action, particularly, a cholesterol lowering action, is potentiated is obtained. There is provided a process for producing miso comprising subjecting a prepared mixture of materials for miso to aging followed by a heating treatment preferably at 70 to 95° C. (substance temperature) for 3 to 40 minutes and then adding thereto phospholipid so as to make its content based on 100 parts by weight of the resulting dried miso 0.4 to 2.0 part(s) by weight.