Abstract: A desiccant comprising crystalline, anhydrated nystose, which contains 70% or more of nystose and 2% or less of moisture and is in the form of a crystalline powder, is capable of maintaining water activity of a food at an extremely low level without heat drying the food or drying the food with silica gel or the like and can safely prevent deteriorations of foods and maintain the qualities at a low cost. The desiccant can be produced by anhydrating crystalline nystose hydrate under reduced pressure or in the presence of a dehydrating agent. The desiccant is used for lowering water activity of a food and maintaining the same, by directly contacting the desiccant with the food or mixing the same with the food.

Abstract: A method for cultivating plants comprises using a plant growth accelerating oligosaccharide obtained by decomposing a polysaccharide.

Abstract: A transparent storage stable acidic beverage or other alimentary product containing casein phosphopeptide is obtained by reacting casein with trypsin, precipitating insoluble components at acid pH, adding a divalent cation such as calcium to the reaction medium, recovering the reaction product, and adding the casein phosphopeptide to a mixture to produce a beverage or product having beneficial solubilizing effects on calcium.

Abstract: A microorganism belonging to the genus Enterobacter and having a plant growth acceleratory activity, particularly Enterobacter cloacae, and a method for cultivating crops using the microorganism or polysaccharides produced therefrom are disclosed.

Abstract: An Enterobacter cloacae-derived gene encoding an enzyme involved in the biosynthetic pathway from tryptophan to indoleacetic acid via indolepyruvic acid and indoleacetaldehyde as intermediates.

Abstract: A fructose transferring enzyme is immobilized by adsorption on a granular carrier having a primary to quaternary amine. The carrier is preferably an epoxy polymer, a vinyl polymer or a chitosan derivative having a primary, secondary or tertiary amine. Immobilization can be performed without or with a crosslinking agent. The immobilized enzyme is used for producing fructooligosaccharides by passing a sucrose solution through a column containing the immobilized enzyme.

Abstract: The quality including sugar content of fruit can be readily improved regardless of the climate or varieties by applying alginic oligosaccharide(s), which are obtained by enzymatically decomposing or hydrolyzing alginic acid, derivatives thereof or materials containing the same, to a fruit tree.

Abstract: A process for preparing endoinulase by cultivating a microorganism belonging to the genus Aspergillus and capable of producing inulase and recovering the inulase produced and accumulated in the culture medium by organic solvent precipitation, wherein inulase having a high exo activity is first precipitated at a low concentration of a water-soluble organic solvent and is removed, and then inulase having a high endo activity is precipitated at a high concentration of the water-soluble organic solvent and is recovered.

Abstract: New animal diet designed for breeding sows contains, as an essential ingredient, a sugar composition that is mainly fructo-oligosaccharides, mixed at 0.1 to 5% level with regular feed. Above diet has effective roles to short days to estrus after weaning of sows, thereby increasing the numbers of piglets at low cost and less labor is expected as a result. The sugar composition is obtained through the enzymatic process of fructose transferase upon sucrose in order to produce fructo-oligosaccharide as a main component.

Abstract: A livestock feed contains, as sugar component, inulooligosaccharides (oligosaccharides consisting of one to five fructose units linked together through .beta.-1,2 linkage) in an amount of 0.1 to 10.0%. This is effective in markedly reducing scours and loose passage often observed in weaned livestock and poultry and thus promoting their growth.

Abstract: A feed for domestic animals containing saccharides mainly composed of fructooligosaccharide is particularly effective for growing young domestic animals. The feed can remedy the scours or loose passage frequently occuring young domestic animals in the weaning period of young animals and remarkably increase the weight of the young animals.

Abstract: A low-calorific and low-cariogenic sweetener, and processes for the preparation and use thereof, are described, said sweetener comprising oligosaccharides having from 1 to 4 molecules of fructose bound to sucrose.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of producing maltose of high purity from starch, in which starch is saccharified by .beta.-amylase and .alpha.-amylase and/or .alpha.-1, 6-glucosidase thereby making saccharified liquor containing less than 0.5% of glucose, 60.about.85% of maltose, less than 5% of maltotriose together with by-products such as oligo-saccharide and dextrin. And then this liquor is passed through the columns filled with granular active carbons, which have a peak of micropore diameter distribution of above and below 25 A respectively, under the condition of Special velocity (SV) below 2 thereby removing dextrin and oligosaccharide and thus producing maltose of high purity.

Abstract: A method for producing a substance highly containing high content of maltose therein, by saccharifying a liquefied starch with amylase produced by streptomyces at the same time with or after treatment with .beta.-amylase.