Abstract: There is provided an oil or fat composition composed chiefly of triglycerides wherein the rate of middle-chain fatty acids in all the fatty acids composing the oil or fat composition is 5 to 23% by mass and the rate of triglycerides having two middle-chain fatty acid residues in the molecule in all the triglycerides is 1 to 20% by mass.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an external agent for the skin comprising an extract prepared from olive plants and also relates to an external agent for the skin comprising the extract as a skin-beautifying component, in particular, as an ant-aging component for the skin and/or a whitening component. The extract can be prepared by extracting olive plants and/or products generated during and after the olive oil-manufacturing processes with water and/or an organic solvent and further the extract can further be subjected to a concentration treatment and/or a fractionation-purification treatment to thus improve each effect. Moreover, the present invention also relates to a skin-beautifying agent, in particular, an anti-aging agent and a skin-whitening agent, containing the extract as an effective component.

Abstract: The present invention provides a modifying agent for resins for paints or resins for inks, containing fatty acids obtained by the enzymatic decomposition of vegetable oils or fats, the resins for paints or resins for inks modified with the modifying agent, and a paint or ink composition containing the resin for the paint or resin for the ink. The paint or ink composition of the present invention has electrodeposition potential or UV curing property and is excellent in the appearance of the paint film, finishing sharpness and adhesion.

Abstract: OBJECT

Abstract: A moisturizing composition comprising a trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol, lecithin and 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol, wherein lecithin: the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol+3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol=1:1,000 to 1:1 (weight ratio) and the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol:3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol=1:10 to 20:1 (weight ratio), various bases containing the moisturizing composition, and a cosmetic or external preparation containing the moisturizing composition. The moisturizing composition, bases, and cosmetic and external preparation are excellent in moisturizing properties, and have good stability.

Abstract: A thermally stable enzyme composition contains an enzyme, and a heat stabilizer including a phospholipid and an oil-soluble vitamin. The enzyme composition can be prepared in the form of a powder by drying an enzyme solution containing a phospholipid and an oil-soluble vitamin to obtain an enzyme powder.

Abstract: An oily composition having excellent storability and forming no precipitate of an ingredient selected from the group of gelatin and gum arabic during the storage for a long period of time is provided. This composition is composed of a solid phase comprising an effective substance selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble substance and water-dispersible substance and 50 to 4,000 parts by weight, for 100 parts by weight of the effective substance, of the ingredient, and an oil phase comprising an oily component and an emulsifier, wherein the solid phase in the form of fine particles having an average particle diameter of not larger than 5 &mgr;m is dispersed in the oil phase, the water content of the solid phase is not higher than 30% by weight and the water content of the whole composition is not higher than 20% by weight.

Abstract: An oily composition comprises a solid phase containing a water-soluble effective substance and/or a water-dispersible effective substance and an oil phase containing an oily component and an emulsifying agent having an HLB value of not more than 10, wherein the solid phase is dispersed in the oil phase in the form of a fine particulate state having an average particle size of not more than 5 &mgr;m and the water content or the aqueous alcohol solution content of the solid phase is not more than 30% by weight.

Abstract: A moisturizing composition comprising a trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol, lecithin and 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol, wherein lecithin:the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol+3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol=1:1,000 to 1:1 (weight ratio) and the trihydric or more water soluble polyhydric alcohol:3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol=1:10 to 20:1 (weight ratio), various bases containing the moisturizing composition, and a cosmetic or external preparation containing the moisturizing composition. The moisturizing composition, bases, and cosmetic and external preparation are excellent in moisturizing properties, and have good stability.

Abstract: Lignan glycosides having a hydroxy radical scavenging activity and represented by the formula: ##STR1## where R is a glycosyl residue selected from the group consisting of glucose, galactosr and fructose, m is an integer of 1 to 3, and n is 0 or 1.

Abstract: An ultraviolet light absorbent comprising an ester mixture derived from esterification of pentaerythritol or trimethylolpropane and a saturated branched-chain fatty acid with a carbon number of 8-18 and ortho- or paramethoxycinnamic acid in a specific ratio. The ultraviolet light absorbent with prescribed ultraviolet light absorbing power has a moderate viscosity and can be handled and worked without inconvenience and/or difficulty.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active alcohol comprising carrying out interesterification between a racemic alcohol and an ester selected from the group consisting of (a) a diester between a lower monohydric alcohol and a saturated dicarboxylic acid having 14 or more carbon atoms, (b) a triglyceride of a saturated fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms, and (c) a monoester between a lower monohydric alcohol and a saturated fatty acid having 18 or more carbon atoms in the presence of lipase, preferably heat-resistant lipase, and in the presence or absence of a solvent, preferably in the absence of a solvent, under a substantially water-free condition, separating an optically active alcohol rich in either one of R- and S-forms from the reaction mixture, and adding an optically inactive non-racemic alcohol to the residue of the previous step to carry out interesterification under the same conditions as in the previous reaction to separate the other enantiomer.

Abstract: A material consisting mainly of protein and water is supplied into an extruder through a supply port, mixed by screws and extruded from an extrusion port. The extrusion port is provided with a die including a plate having a plurality of holes. A mixture extruded from the extrusion port is provided with a fibrous orientation. The die has a cooling mechanism for cooling the mixture extruded from the extruder. The obtained protein material is heated and compression-molded by a pressing machine, and a protein food having a meat-like texture and mouth feeling is produced. Thus, a high-protein, low-calorie protein food having a meat-like complex texture and mouth feeling can be produced by a simple process.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active alcohol having a phenyl group is disclosed, comprising the step of carrying out interesterification between (a) a monoester between a racemic alcohol having a phenyl group and a fatty acid or a diester between a racemic alcohol having a phenyl group and a dibasic acid and (b) an optically inactive non-racemic alcohol having 16 or more carbon atoms in the presence of heat-resistant lipase and in the absence of a solvent under a substantially water-free condition at a temperature of not lower than 81.degree. C. under atmospheric pressure or reduced pressure and the step of separating an optically active alcohol having a phenyl group rich in either one of R- and S-forms from the reaction mixture. Use of heat-resistant lipase makes it possible to use high-melting point materials without using any solvent therefor and to perform interesterification at a high temperature thereby completing the reaction in a reduced time.

Abstract: Transesterification involving a fat, or a fat and fatty acid, or a phospholipid is carried out with a lipase or phospholipase immobilized on a polymer carrier. The transesterification is preferably carried out in a system containing a very small amount of water such as 50 to 2,000 ppm. The phospholipase can be phospholipase A.sub.2. In a first embodiment, lipase from a microorganism of the genus Rhizopus, Mucor, Alcaligenes or Candida is immobilized on the surface of a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having pores of an average diameter of 10 nm or larger and having on the surface epoxy groups capable of covalently binding lipase. The immobilized lipase is dried under reduced pressure. In a second embodiment, lipase is immobilized on the surface of a polymer carrier such as a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having a pore diameter of 5 to 1,000 nm and having on the surface a functional group capable of binding lipase and an anion-exchange group.

Abstract: A material consisting mainly of protein and water is supplied into an extruder through a supply port, mixed by screws and extruded from an extrusion port. The extrusion port is provided with a die including a plate having a plurality of holes. A mixture extruded from the extrusion port is provided with a fibrous orientation. The die has a cooling mechanism for cooling the mixture extruded from the extruder. The obtained protein material is heated and compression-molded by a pressing machine, and a protein food having a meat-like texture and mouth feeling is produced. Thus, a high-protein, low-calorie protein food having a meat-like complex texture and mouth feeling can be produced by a simple process.

Abstract: The transesterification method is conducted with a powdery lipase wherein the powdery lipase is dispersed in ester-containing starting materials in the presence or absence of an inert organic solvent, and the diameter of at least 90% of the dispersed lipase particles is kept in the range of 1 to 100 .mu.m in the course of the trans-esterification reaction. A reactivity higher than that realized by the conventional transesterification method with a powdery lipase is obtained and the lipase can be easily recovered and reused, without causing a loss of the lipase activity, lowering of the conversion due to the residence of the substrate on the immobilizing carrier and side reactions caused by water introduced into the reaction system by the immobilizing carrier.

Abstract: An immobilized lipase is prepared for transesterification of oils, fats or phospholipids in a reaction system containing a very small amount of water such as 50 to 2,000 ppm. The lipase may be a phospholipase such as phospholipase A.sub.2. In a first embodiment, lipase from a microorganism of the genus Rhizopus, Mucor, Alcaligenes or Candida is immobilized on the surface of a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having pores of an average diameter of 10 nm or larger. A solution of lipase is contacted with the polymer carrier for 10 minutes to 40 hours to covalently bond the lipase to the carrier. The immobilized lipase is dried under reduced pressure to a water content of 0.5 to 30 wt %. In a second embodiment, lipase is immobilized on the surface of a polymer carrier such as a hydrophobic, insoluble organic polymer carrier having a pore diameter of 5 to 1,000 nm and having a functional group capable of binding lipase in a aqueous solution and an anion-exchange group on the surface.

Abstract: Diclosed is a lanolin-like synthetic oil produced by esterification of glycerol with a branched fatty acid having 6 to 14 carbon atoms, a linear fatty acid having 15 to 28 carbon atoms and a dibasic acid having 4 to 10 carbon atoms while all the following conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied:(a) molar ratio of the branched fatty acid to the linear fatty acid ranges from 1.7 to 2.3,(b) 0.7 to 0.8 mol of the dibasic acid is used per mol of glycerol, and(c) the number of remaining hydroxyl group ranges from 0.4 to 0.6 for three hydroxyl groups of glycerol.The synthetic ester oil has a color, smell and stability superior to those of lanolin and an adherability, spreadability, gloss and touch very similar to those of lanolin. Such an oil can be suitably incorporated into cosmetics, toiletries and external preparations to overcome the defects of lanolin and also to exhibit the characteristic features of the oil.

Abstract: Disclosed are ganglioside GM.sub.3 analogs represented by the formula ##STR1## in which X represents a radical of the following formula ##STR2## wherein at least one of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is hydrogen and the remainder is hydroxyl; ##STR3## wherein at least one of R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 is hydrogen and the remainder is methyl; ##STR4## wherein m is an integer of 15 to 25, l is an integer of 0 to 3, n is an integer of 11 to 15 and Ac represents acetyl. The ganglioside GM.sub.3 analogs are expected to possess an inhibitory activity for influenza virus.