Abstract: An emulsified skin external preparation including 0.01 to 10% by mass of a branched acyl carnitine derivative represented by the following Formula (1) and/or a carnitine derivative salt represented by the following Formula (2), and 0.01 to 20% by mass of a nonionic surfactant: where R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-18 optionally branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group. In Formula (2), R1 and R2 are the same as in Formula (1), X? is a specific anion and Y+ is a specific cation.

Abstract: A skin agent for external use and a cosmetic agent are provided, by transdermal administration of which expected actions and effects of ubiquinone derivatives, salts thereof, ubiquinones and ubiquinols are effectively obtained. The skin agent for external use includes a ubiquinone derivative or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. The ubiquinone derivative is represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or a phosphoric group, at least one of R1 and R2 is a phosphoric group, and n is an integer in the range of 1 to 9.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dermatological preparation that are safe and are excellent in inhibiting and removing skin pigmentation and in inhibiting skin roughness. A dermatological preparation comprising a tocopherol aminoalkylcarboxylate and/or a salt thereof, the tocopherol aminoalkylcarboxylate being represented by Formula (I): wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; R2 and R3 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X is a cycloalkylene group of 3 to 6 carbon atoms; and n is 0 or 1.

Abstract: To provide novel carnitine derivatives and salts thereof that are resistant to hydrolysis in the presence of aqueous media, and also provide external skin preparations and cosmetics that are excellent in storage stability, product life, skin affinity and percutaneous absorption properties. In particular, to provide novel ?-branched acyl carnitine derivatives and salts thereof, external skin preparations and cosmetics comprising specific ?-branched acyl carnitine derivatives and/or salts thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polymers such as polyester.

Abstract: The invention relates to a selection method of an Escherichia coli mutant strain which expresses an exogenous gene at a high level, wherein stress resistance such as hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity is used as an index, the Escherichia coli mutant strain selected thereby and production methods of enzyme using the strain and of useful compounds like amino acids (especially L-amino acid) and the like using the strain. According to the selection method of the invention, an Escherichia coli mutant strain where gene expression amount does not decrease with passage can be obtained, and a compound using a plant-derived ammonia lyase can be efficiently produced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polylmers such as polyester.

Abstract: Hydroxycitric acid derivatives and salts thereof are provided which are useful as active ingredients of skin external preparations and cosmetics. Also provided are processes for production of the hydroxycitric acid derivatives, and skin external preparations and cosmetics containing the hydroxycitric acid derivatives. Specific hydroxycitric acid derivatives or salts thereof are produced wherein at least one of the hydroxyl groups of hydroxycitric acid or least one of the hydroxyl groups and at least one carboxyl group of hydroxycitric acid are modified to linkage moieties breakable by biological enzyme reaction. The hydroxycitric acid derivatives or salts thereof are added in skin external preparations and cosmetics.

Abstract: The invention provides a slimming skin external preparation and a cosmetic that contain a carnitine derivative having excellent skin affinity and percutaneous absorption properties and capable of enhancing the fat metabolism, and that can treat, reduce or prevent the obesity by functioning as a lipolytic agent to enhance the fat metabolism of general or local subcutaneous fat tissues. The slimming skin external preparation contains a particular carnitine derivative and preferably other slimming and skin-care ingredients.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a skin external preparation which contains an inositol derivative in which an inositol and a saccharide are combined. The invention aims to provide the external preparation for skin that can be spread over skin without causing grain feeling and has excellent effects of giving sufficient moist feeling and keeping the skin healthy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a selection method of an Escherichia coli mutant strain which expresses an exogenous gene at a high level, wherein stress resistance such as hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity is used as an index, the Escherichia coli mutant strain selected thereby and production methods of enzyme using the strain and of useful compounds like amino acids (especially L-amino acid) and the like using the strain. According to the selection method of the invention, an Escherichia coli mutant strain where gene expression amount does not decrease with passage can be obtained, and a compound using a plant-derived ammonia lyase can be efficiently produced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel Rhodococcus bacterium and to a process of hydrolyzing a cyano group of a nitrile compound using a novel Rhodococcus bacterium to produce the corresponding carboxylic acid. The present invention also relates to a process of producing carboxylic acids, in particular cyano carboxylic acids using a transformant transformed with a plasmid containing a nitrilase gene, a nitrile hydratase gene and an amidase gene derived from Rhodococcus bacteria capable of exhibiting particularly excellent position selectivity for the cyano group of aromatic polynitrile compounds, to such a transformant, such a plasmid, to such genes, to a process of producing an enzyme using the transformant, and to enzymes obtained by the process. The carboxylic acids, in particular cyano carboxylic acids obtained by the present invention are useful as starting materials for the synthesis of drugs, agrochemicals, dyestuff and other chemicals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for acyltransferase reaction in which an acyl group of acyl coenzyme A is transferred to an acyl group receptor characterized in that the reaction is carried out by production and/or reproduction of acyl coenzyme A from coenzyme A in a reaction system by a chemical thioester exchange reaction with acylthioester. The present invention, wherein expensive acyl CoA is reproduced nonenzymatically in a reaction system, enables to continuously carry out acyltransferase reaction only by putting a small amount of acyl CoA with a donor and a receptor of an acyl group into a system. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can be applied to an industrial production method of various kinds of compounds including useful biological molecules and synthesis of polylmers such as polyester.

Abstract: A method for producing an optically active amino acid, which comprises adding ammonia to an acrylic acid derivative by action of a plant enzyme and obtaining the corresponding optically active amino acid. The method for producing an L-amino acid, which comprises, in the presence of ammonia, allowing phenylalanine ammonia-lyase derived from a plant to act on an acrylic acid derivative, which may have an aromatic ring group that may have various substituents and comprise a hetero atom.

Abstract: [Problems to be Solved]To provide a novel process for simply and easily obtaining a phenylalanine derivative having a high optical purity starting from a cinnamic acid derivative having a substituent on the phenyl group; and a microorganism applied to this process.

Abstract: A method for treating wood, characterized by impregnating wood with a metal-containing treating agent containing lignin and/or lignin derivatives and a metal, a metal compound, and/or a metal ion and oxidizing and/or macromolecularizing of the lignin and/or lignin derivatives in the wood to fix the metal component in the wood, and wood and woody materials obtained by the treating method. According to the method of the present invention, while effectively utilizing lignins, lignosulfonic acids, or lignosulfonic acid salts, leaching of the metal component can be suppressed to a low level to thereby retain the effects due to the incorporation of the metal components for a prolonged period.