Abstract: The invention aims at finding a highly-safe natural product having glutathione production-enhancing activity, and providing a glutathione production enhancer and a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for diseases caused by glutathione deficiency using that natural product as an active ingredient. The glutathione production enhancer or the prophylactic/therapeutic agent for diseases caused by glutathione deficiency contains, as an active ingredient, a licorice extract composition that contains liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin and isoliquiritigenin but contains substantially no glycyrrhizic acid.

Abstract: An anti-inflammatory agent which includes an oil-soluble licorice extract, prepared by subjecting at least one of a leguminous plant of the genus Glycyrrhiza and a water extraction residue of a leguminous plant of the genus Glycyrrhiza to an extraction treatment with an organic solvent and which has at least one effect selected from an inhibitory effect on hyaluronidase activity, an inhibitory effect on hexosaminidase release (i.e., inhibitory effect on histamine release), an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation, and an inhibitory effect on phospholipase A2 activity.

Abstract: A substance having a testosterone 5?-reductase inhibiting action, a hair papilla cell growth promoting action, a fibroblast growth factor-7 production promoting action, a vascular endothelial growth factor production promoting action or a bone morphogenetic protein-2 production promoting action, and a hair care product having this substance blended therein. A hair growth tonic, a testosterone 5?-reductase inhibitor, a hair papilla cell growth promoter, a fibroblast growth factor-7 production promoter, a vascular endothelial growth factor production promoter and a bone morphogenetic protein-2 production promoter each having this substance, such as corosolic acid, as an active ingredient thereof.

Abstract: A method of producing a capsaicin analogue, comprising reacting a fatty acid having 12 or more carbon atoms or an ester thereof (inclusive of fats and oils) with capsaicin in the presence of lipase to produce an N-vanillyl fatty acid amide having an acyl group containing 12 or more carbon atoms, and a method of producing fats and oils containing capsaicin analogues, comprising reacting edible fats and oils with capsaicin in the presence of lipase to produce N-vanillyl fatty acid amides from a portion of the edible fats and oils are provided. It is possible to produce non-pungent capsaicin analogues and other capsaicin analogues, which facilitates utilization of non-pungent capsaicin analogues in the food industry.

Abstract: 11-Deoxoglycyrrhetinic acid hydrogen maleate of the following formula ##STR1## and its salts, and this compound is prepared by reacting 11-deoxoglycyrrhetinic acid with maleic anhydride, and if desired, converting the resulting 11-deoxoglycyrrhetinic acid hydrogen maleate to its salt. The compound is useful as medicament for treating an ulcer or inflammation in man or another animal or activating the cellular immunity of man or the animal.