Abstract: The present invention provides a composition which may be ingested orally in a small dose for the purpose of improving brain function, and a method for improving brain function. The present invention is a composition for improving brain function, comprising, as an active ingredient, Phe-Pro.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent having a suppressive action against the thickening of the heart wall, a prophylactic agent for heart failure containing the above described agent, and functional foods expected to have a prophylactic effect for heart failure. The agent for suppressing heart wall thickening comprises Xaa Pro Pro as an active ingredient.

Abstract: There is provided an agent having at least one of an improving effect on vascular endothelial functions and an inhibitory effect on vascular intimal thickening, as well as a prophylactic of arteriosclerosis, which have excellent safety, improve functions associated with the vascular endothelium, have effects of preventing various diseases associated with vascular endothelial functions and of inhibiting vascular intimal thickening, and may be expected to provide prophylactic effect on arteriosclerosis or the like. The agents of the present invention contain, as an active component: (a) Xaa-Pro-Pro, (b) a hydrolysate of animal milk casein containing Xaa-Pro-Pro, or a concentrate thereof, or (c) a fermentation product containing Ile-Pro-Pro and/or Val-Pro-Pro obtained by fermenting a starting material containing milk protein with a bacterial strain of the species Lactobacillus helveticus.

Abstract: The present invention provides an orally ingestible composition and a method for regulating an autonomic nervous activity. In particular, the present invention provides an orally ingestible composition capable of suppressing an increase in a sympathetic nervous activity, and an orally ingestible composition capable of promoting a parasympathetic nervous activity. The present invention is a composition for regulating an autonomic nervous activity, comprising, as an active ingredient, Tyr-Pro or a salt thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a vasodilator having an endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect, a prophylactic of arteriosclerosis, and functional food having an endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect, which is suitable for daily and regular intake and excellent in safety. The vasodilator and the functional food according to the present invention are characterized in at least one of the tripeptides Val-Pro-Pro and Ile-Pro-Pro, or a proteolytic product containing Val-Pro-Pro and/or Ile-Pro-Pro, contained as an active component.

Abstract: There is provided a rheumatoid arthritis inhibitor for oral intake that has an inhibitory effect on rheumatoid arthritis and is excellent in safety. The rheumatoid arthritis inhibitor for oral intake of the present invention contains, as an active component, a casein hydrolysate containing free amino acids and peptides obtained by hydrolyzing animal milk casein to have an average chain length of not longer than 2.1 in terms of the number of amino acid residues, or a mixture of free amino acids and peptides contained in the hydrolysate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition which may be ingested orally in a small dose for the purpose of improving brain function, and a method for improving brain function. The present invention is a composition for improving brain function, the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, X-Met-His-Gln-Pro-His-Gln-Pro-Leu-Pro-Pro-Thr-Val-Met-Phe-Pro-Pro-Gln-Ser-Val-Leu (SEQ ID NO: 6) or a salt thereof, wherein X is absent or represents Ser-Trp or Leu-Gln-Ser-Trp (SEQ ID NO: 7).

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition which may be ingested orally in a small dose for the purpose of improving brain function, and a method for improving brain function. The present invention is a composition for improving brain function, comprising, as an active ingredient, X-Val-Arg-Gly-Pro-Phe-Pro-Ile-Ile-Val (SEQ ID NO: 5), wherein X is absent or represents Pro.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition which may be ingested orally in a small dose for the purpose of improving brain function, and a method for improving brain function. The present invention is a composition for improving brain function, the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, Xaa-Pro-Pro (wherein Xaa represents Ile, Leu or Ser).

Abstract: The present invention provides a peptide and a composition which are suitable for oral ingestion, and which have a skin aging-inhibiting activity, a collagen-production promoting activity, an epidermal turnover promoting activity, and a cutaneous cell-proliferating effect. The present invention also provides a medicament and a functional food which have a skin aging-inhibiting activity, a collagen-production promoting activity, and a cutaneous cell-proliferation promoting activity. The present invention provides a composition including at least one peptide of Asn-Ile-Pro-Pro-Leu, Ile-Pro-Pro-Leu, Ile-Pro-Pro, Pro-Val-Val-Val-Pro-Pro, Val-Pro-Pro-Phe, Val-Pro-Pro, Phe-Pro-Pro-Gln, and Leu-Pro-Pro-Thr.

Abstract: There is provided a rheumatoid arthritis inhibitor for oral intake that has an inhibitory effect on rheumatoid arthritis and is excellent in safety. The rheumatoid arthritis inhibitor for oral intake of the present invention contains, as an active component, a casein hydrolysate containing free amino acids and peptides obtained by hydrolyzing animal milk casein to have an average chain length of not longer than 2.1 in terms of the number of amino acid residues, or a mixture of free amino acids and peptides contained in the hydrolysate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent having a suppressive action against the thickening of the heart wall, a prophylactic agent for heart failure containing the above described agent, and functional foods expected to have a prophylactic effect for heart failure. The agent for suppressing heart wall thickening comprises Xaa Pro Pro as an active ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent having a suppressive action against kidney glomerular disease and renal arteriosclerosis, a prophylactic agent for renal failure containing the above described agent, and functional foods expected to have a prophylactic effect for renal failure. The agent for preventing kidney glomerular disease and renal arteriosclerosis comprises Xaa Pro Pro as an active ingredient.

Abstract: There is provided an agent having at least one of an improving effect on vascular endothelial functions and an inhibitory effect on vascular intimal thickening, as well as a prophylactic of arteriosclerosis, which have excellent safety, improve functions associated with the vascular endothelium, have effects of preventing various diseases associated with vascular endothelial functions and of inhibiting vascular intimal thickening, and may be expected to provide prophylactic effect on arteriosclerosis or the like. The agents of the present invention contain, as an active component: (a) Xaa-Pro-Pro, (b) a hydrolysate of animal milk casein containing Xaa-Pro-Pro, or a concentrate thereof, or (c) a fermentation product containing Ile-Pro-Pro and/or Val-Pro-Pro obtained by fermenting a starting material containing milk protein with a bacterial strain of the species Lactobacillus helveticus.

Abstract: There is provided a vasodilator having an endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect, a prophylactic of arteriosclerosis, and functional food having an endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect, which is suitable for daily and regular intake and excellent in safety. The vasodilator and the functional food according to the present invention are characterized in at least one of the tripeptides Val-Pro-Pro and Ile-Pro-Pro, or a proteolytic product containing Val-Pro-Pro and/or Ile-Pro-Pro, contained as an active component.

Abstract: A peptide having anti-HIV activity consists of an amino acid chain represented by Asn-Phe-Pro-Leu-Ile-Ile-Lys-Asn-Leu-Lys-Ile-Glu-Asp-Ser-Asp-Thr-Tyr-Ile-Cy s-Glu-Val-Glu-Asp-Gln-Lys-Glu. The Cys underlined in the above amino acid chain may be replaced by Phe, Ser, Cys.sup.Acm or Cys.sup.Bzl.