Abstract: Provided are a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for a peptic ulcer, a food additive for prevention and treatment of a peptic ulcer, an iNOS expression inhibitor, and a COX-2 expression inhibitor, all of which have little side effects. The prophylactic or therapeutic agent contains a Euglena-derived material as an active ingredient. The Euglena-derived material may be Euglena, paramylon, or an acid-treated paramylon. The prophylactic or therapeutic agent is useful for the prevention or treatment of a peptic ulcer induced by psychological stress. The peptic ulcer may be a gastric ulcer. The food additive contains a Euglena-derived material as an active ingredient.

Abstract: An algae culture method capable of efficiently producing an osmotic pressure adjusting substance, a production method of the substance, and an algae culture method for recovering carbon dioxide from a mixed gas containing carbon dioxide and sulfurous acid gas. The methods involve preparing a plurality of enrichment cultures each containing betaine by culturing a culture of microalgae derived from an environmental specimen under a photoautotrophic condition and under a plurality of culture conditions; making a cultivation plan in which an optimum enrichment culture suitable for a main culture is selected from the plurality of enrichment cultures; producing a main culture that contains betaine under the photoautotrophic condition and a salt concentration of 10 wt. % or more; and separating betaine. In the main culture, the algae containing betaine are cultured while the mixed gas containing sulfurous acid gas and carbon dioxide is blown to a culture solution of the algae.

Abstract: Provided are a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for a peptic ulcer, a food additive for prevention and treatment of a peptic ulcer, an iNOS expression inhibitor, and a COX-2 expression inhibitor, all of which have little side effects. The prophylactic or therapeutic agent contains a Euglena-derived material as an active ingredient. The Euglena-derived material may be Euglena, paramylon, or an acid-treated paramylon. The prophylactic or therapeutic agent is useful for the prevention or treatment of a peptic ulcer induced by psychological stress. The peptic ulcer may be a gastric ulcer. The food additive contains a Euglena-derived material as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A ?-1,3-glucanase that exhibits decomposition activity with respect to paramylon derived from the genus Euglena. The ?-1,3-glucanase is derived from the genus Euglena and exhibits the properties indicated below: (1) effect: hydrolyzing the ?-1,3-bond of ?-1,3-glucan; and (2) substrate specificity: decomposing at least paramylon. The ?-1,3-glucanase additionally exhibits the properties indicated below: (3) decomposition activity: the ratio of paramylon decomposition activity with respect to laminarin decomposition activity is 20% or higher; (4) optimum pH: 3.7-7.0; and (5) optimum temperature: 30-70° C.

Abstract: An algae culture method capable of efficiently producing an osmotic pressure adjusting substance, a production method of the substance, and an algae culture method for recovering carbon dioxide from a mixed gas containing carbon dioxide and sulfurous acid gas. The methods involve preparing a plurality of enrichment cultures each containing betaine by culturing a culture of microalgae derived from an environmental specimen under a photoautotrophic condition and under a plurality of culture conditions; making a cultivation plan in which an optimum enrichment culture suitable for a main culture is selected from the plurality of enrichment cultures; producing a main culture that contains betaine under the photoautotrophic condition and a salt concentration of 10 wt. % or more; and separating betaine. In the main culture, the algae containing betaine are cultured while the mixed gas containing sulfurous acid gas and carbon dioxide is blown to a culture solution of the algae.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel immune balance regulator that regulates an immune balance in a living body. The immune balance regulator contains a Euglena-derived material and regulates an immune balance between Th1, Th2, and Th17, which is a balance between immune responses individually induced by Th1, Th2, and Th17 in a living body. The immune balance regulator regulates the immune balance between Th1, Th2, and Th17 so that immune responses induced by Th1 become relatively dominant over immune responses induced by Th2 or Th17 to improve a physical constitution that has an immune imbalance of Th1, Th2, and Th17 shifted towards Th2 and to prevent or treat a disease associated with the immune imbalance of Th1, Th2, and Th17 shifted towards a Th2 dominance. The immune balance regulator is administered prior to expected onset of a disease associated with the immune imbalance of Th1, Th2, and Th17 shifted towards the Th2 dominance.

Abstract: A ?-1,3-glucanase that exhibits decomposition activity with respect to paramylon derived from the genus Euglena. The ?-1,3-glucanase is derived from the genus Euglena and exhibits the properties indicated below: (1) effect: hydrolyzing the ?-1,3-bond of ?-1,3-glucan; and (2) substrate specificity: decomposing at least paramylon. The ?-1,3-glucanase additionally exhibits the properties indicated below: (3) decomposition activity: the ratio of paramylon decomposition activity with respect to laminarin decomposition activity is 20% or higher; (4) optimum pH: 3.7-7.0; and (5) optimum temperature: 30-70° C.

Abstract: An information terminal having a touch panel includes an acquisition unit that acquires operation information related to an input operation on the touch panel, a determination unit that determines the amount of operation in a first specified operation in the operation information, and a control unit that reduces an operating region where an operation on the touch panel can be received relative to the touch panel screen in accordance with the amount of operation in the first specified operation, and the determination unit does not make determination on an operation start position of the input operation in the operation information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for introducing a gene into Euglena, which can stably maintain a foreign gene, and a transformant therefrom. In this method of introducing a gene into Euglena, a DNA fragment containing an amino acid sequence for encoding a protein is introduced into a Euglena cell. The method includes a step of producing a binary vector containing a DNA fragment, a step of obtaining a linear gene fragment that includes a T-DNA region including the DNA fragment in the binary vector, and a direct gene introduction step of directly introducing the linear gene fragment into the Euglena cell.