Abstract: To provide a lecithin or lecithin preparation of which resistance to heat discoloration is achieved without significant change of the phospholipid composition of the lecithin nor of the oligosaccharide content; and a method for producing the same. A lecithin or lecithin preparation obtained by bringing a lecithin into contact with an adsorbent and removing the adsorbent, the lecithin or lecithin preparation having resistance to heat discoloration and having an oligosaccharide content being 50% by mass or more of the content before the contact with the adsorbent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preparing a solubilized composition containing an oil-soluble substance having both acid and heat resistance, including: the step of dissolving an oil-soluble substance and two or three emulsifiers selected from (1) an emulsifier E1 comprising an ester of a fatty acid having an HLB of not less than 10 and not more than 14 carbon atoms with a polyglycerol having a polymerization degree of not less than 3, (2) an emulsifier E2 comprising an ester of a fatty acid having an HLB of not less than 10 and not more than 14 carbon atoms with sucrose, or (3) an emulsifier E3 comprising lecithin in which phosphatidylcholine accounts for not less than 50% and/or lysolecithin in which lysophosphatidylcholine accounts for not less than 50% of a phospholipid content in (a) ethanol or (b) a mixed solvent of ethanol with at least one selected from the group consisting of acetone, hexane, and ethyl acetate to prepare a transparent solution; and the step of distilling the solvent of

Abstract: [PROBLEM] To provide a novel method for suppressing heat discoloration of lecithin and a novel lecithin or lecithin preparation having resistance to heat discoloration. [SOLUTION] A method for suppressing heat discoloration of lecithin, comprising adding a fatty acid metal salt to lecithin, and a lecithin or lecithin preparation having resistance to heat discoloration and containing a fatty acid metal salt. Preferably, the metal constituting the fatty acid metal salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of lithium, beryllium, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, calcium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, silver, barium, thallium, and lead, and the fatty acid of the fatty acid metal salt is at least one selected from saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids having 3 to 36 carbon atoms.

Abstract: [PROBLEM] To provide an antioxidant comprising a ginger oil, the antioxidant having a higher unpleasant odor masking effect and a higher inhibitory effect on the increase in peroxide value than those of ginger oils produced by a steam distillation method. [SOLUTION] An antioxidant for an oil or fat or a complex lipid comprises a ginger oil, and the ginger oil has at least one peak detected within 5 minutes before a peak of neral and has at least three peaks within 7 minutes after a peak of geranial when subjected to a high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis in the following analysis conditions: sample: an ethanol containing 0.1% (w/v) of the ginger oil, column: an ODS column having a particle size of 5 ?m, an inner diameter of 4.6 mm, and a length of 250 mm), column oven temperature: 40° C.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a process for manufacturing vegetable lysolecithins which comprises allowing a hydrolysis enzyme consisting of phospholipase A.sub.1 or A.sub.2 to act on a hydrated lecithin used as a starting material, then adding for stirring to the resultant lysolecithin solution acetone in a proportion on a volume basis of either 1 to 4, or 5 or more, against the water contained in said resultant lysolecithin solution to thereby either float or precipitate the lysolecithin phase, then separating out said lysolecithin phase, followed by repetition of the acetone extraction procedure to separate for removal free fatty acids by-produced in the said lysolecithin production reaction as well as oil-soluble impurities originated from the starting material.The process of the present invention can produce high-quality vegetable lysolecithins with reduced discoloration and improved flavor in increased yields.