Abstract: The present invention relates to a new and distinct White Maitake variety named ‘YUKIGUNIMAI 14GO’, which is characterized by: (1) there is no color unevenness throughout the caps of the fruit body, and it has a homogeneous white color; (2) it has a remarkably low incidence of the caps to be colored in the fruit body; and (3) it does not become colored even under black light irradiation including ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A protein being the following (A), (B), or (C): (A) a protein represented by the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; (B) a protein represented by an amino acid sequence in which one or a plurality of amino acid is substituted, deleted, inserted or added in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the protein having binding activity specific for a mixture of a sphingolipid and cholesterol; or (C) a protein represented by an amino acid sequence being at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: A method of producing a beverage including: combining roasted, ground maitake mushroom with roasted, ground coffee beans to provide a maitake-coffee mixture, and brewing the maitake-coffee mixture; and a maitake-coffee beverage produced thereby.

Abstract: This invention is intended to discover a fraction having strong anti-influenza virus activity via M? activation in the Grifola frondosa extract or an active substance distributed therein to develop a simple and effective production method and to use such fraction for food and beverage products, pharmaceutical products, feeds or feed additives, and the like. This is realized by treatment of maitake mushrooms with a molecular sieve apparatus, such as an ultrafiltration apparatus or gel filtration apparatus, to isolate glycoprotein-containing fractions or sugar-protein complex-containing fractions having molecular weights of 30,000 to 100,000, so as to minimize the influence on substances having strong anti-influenza virus activity and contaminants.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to develop a Grifola-derived substance having advanced immunopotentiating activity and antitumor activity, which has a molecular weight lower than that of a conventionally known glucan-protein complex and is structurally different from such complex. A Grifola-derived low-molecular-weight substance is produced by the following steps 1) to 4): 1) a step of thermally extracting mycelia or fruit bodies of Grifola with water; 2) a step of adding alcohol to the obtained water-soluble extract fraction to a final concentration between 10% and 80% by volume, allowing the resulting solution to stand at a temperature between 1° C. and 40° C.

Abstract: A method for treating a lignocellulose raw material so as to facilitate a pulverization treatment that is necessary for the efficient and effective use of a lignocellulose raw material as a raw material or resource for material conversion. When converting a lignocellulose raw material into sugar or a useful material, such as ethanol, with the aid of an enzyme or producing a biodegradable material derived from a lignocellulose raw material via a mechanical or chemical treatment, a lignocellulose raw material is treated with an enzyme prior to or simultaneously with the pulverization process, so that the viscosity of slurry comprising a lignocellulose raw material and water is lowered and the pulverization efficiency is improved.

Abstract: This invention is intended to discover a fraction having strong anti-influenza virus activity via M? activation in the Grifola frondosa extract or an active substance distributed therein to develop a simple and effective production method and to use such fraction for food and beverage products, pharmaceutical products, feeds or feed additives, and the like. This is realized by treatment of maitake mushrooms with a molecular sieve apparatus, such as an ultrafiltration apparatus or gel filtration apparatus, to isolate glycoprotein-containing fractions or sugar-protein complex-containing fractions having molecular weights of 30,000 to 100,000, so as to minimize the influence on substances having strong anti-influenza virus activity and contaminants.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to develop a conversion method for easily obtaining a useful substance such as ethanol from a cellulose-based biomass at a good yield via enzyme reaction and microbial fermentation. It has been found that the conversion efficiency can be increased with the use of hard balls or the like when a cellulose-based biomass is converted into sugar with the use of enzyme(s) and then a useful substance such as ethanol with the use of microorganism(s).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing diseases in weaned piglets, which relieves the stress of postweaning piglets and enhances the immunostimulating ability in order to prevent the death due to colibacillosis such as edema disease in postweaning piglets and to increase the rate of raising. Pig diseases such as colibacillosis, particularly diarrhea, can be prevented by administering a Grifola-derived substance selected from one or more of dried Grifola, dried Grifola powder and a Grifola extract to pigs in weaning period, so as to solve the problems of the present invention.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to maintain good conditions of mother pigs and decrease the stillborn piglets and the death rate of piglets in breast-feeding period, so as to increase the productivity in pig farming. In a method for feeding pigs, by administering a Grifola-derived substance selected from one or more of dried Grifola, dried Grifola powder and a Grifola extract to mother pigs, particularly to postpartum mother pigs, good conditions of mother pigs can be maintained and the stillborn piglets and the death rate of piglets in breast-feeding period can decrease. As a result, the productivity in pig farming can increase.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to develop a method of pretreating a waste mushroom bed so as to easily and efficiently obtain sugars and ethanol with the use of such waste mushroom bed. It is another objective of the present invention to develop a method of converting the pretreated waste mushroom bed to yield sugars and ethanol. According to the present invention, it has been found that the above objective can be achieved by maintaining a waste mushroom bed at 4° C. to 30° C. for 1 week or longer after harvesting of fruit bodies for conversion of the waste mushroom bed to yield sugars and ethanol.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to develop a Grifola-derived glucan-protein complex that has a molecular weight lower than that of a conventionally known high-molecular-weight glucan-protein complex and has advanced immunopotentiating activity and antitumor activity. The glucan-protein complex of interest was obtained through the following 1) to 5): 1) a step of thermally extracting mycelia or fruit bodies of Grifola with water; 2) a step of adding alcohol to the obtained water-soluble extract fraction to a final concentration between 20% and 70% by volume, allowing the resulting solution to stand at a temperature between 1° C. and 25° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an active oxygen scavenging agent and a cancer chemopreventing agent both comprising a dried Grifola, a dry Grifola powder and/or a Grifola extract, and to a food or animal feed comprising the active oxygen scavenging agent or the cancer chemopreventing agent.

Abstract: An antitumor substance having high immunopotentiating activity, extracted and fractionated from mycelia or fruit bodies of Grifola with water can be obtained by adding alcohol to its extract at a final concentration of 20 to 60%, preferably at a final concentration of 20 to 50% by volume (low-concentration addition) to remove floating or adhering matter from it.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new and distinct White Maitake variety named ‘YUKIGUNIMAI 14GO’, which is characterized by: (1) there is no color unevenness throughout the caps of the fruit body, and it has a homogeneous white color; (2) it has a remarkably low incidence of the caps to be colored in the fruit body; and (3) it does not become colored even under black light irradiation including ultraviolet light.