Abstract: The present invention provides a clathrate in which equol is included in a cyclodextrin, and an equol-absorbent composition containing an equol clathrate in which equol is included in a cyclodextrin. In addition, the present invention provides a method for producing the clathrate or the equol-absorbent composition, the method including adding a cyclodextrin to a fermentation medium during a fermentative production of equol from at least one equol raw material selected from the group consisting of daidzein glycosides, daidzein, and dihydrodaidzein, using a microorganism that assimilates the equol raw material into equol.

Abstract: Methods of obtaining a carotenoid-containing composition were developed, in which degradation of carotenoids is suppressed even though extraction and purification are performed on a culture of microorganism that produces carotenoids including astaxanthin by simple steps using a lower alcohol which is a conventionally known solvent, and the compositions have high astaxanthin content and contain highly pure carotenoids and also have satisfactory crystal properties. Further addition of a simple step that promotes isomerization of astaxanthin successfully improved the carotenoid yield.

Abstract: Methods of obtaining a carotenoid-containing composition were developed, in which degradation of carotenoids is suppressed even though extraction and purification are performed on a culture of microorganism that produces carotenoids including astaxanthin by simple steps using a lower alcohol which is a conventionally known solvent, and the compositions have high astaxanthin content and contain highly pure carotenoids and also have satisfactory crystal properties. Further addition of a simple step that promotes isomerization of astaxanthin successfully improved the carotenoid yield.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing the L-form of an amino acid enzymatically from an enantiomeric mixture of the amino acid. The process includes the step of contacting a transformant or a treated product thereof with an enantiomeric mixture of the amino acid. The transformant includes a single host and one or more recombinant vectors introduced thereinto, in which the one or more recombinant vectors include one or more expression vectors and nucleotide sequences integrated thereinto respectively, and the nucleotide sequences are a nucleotide sequence encoding an enzyme capable of converting the D-form of an amino acid into a keto acid and a nucleotide sequence encoding an enzyme capable of converting a keto acid into the L-form of an amino acid. According to this process, a reaction for converting the D-form of an amino acid into a keto acid and a reaction for converting the keto acid into the L-form of the amino acid can be conducted in a single step.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for producing (S)-1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanol, which include the step of reacting an enzyme of any one of alcohol dehydrogenase CpSADH, alcohol dehydrogenase ReSADH, carbonyl reductase ScoPAR, (2S,3S)-butanediol dehydrogenase ZraSBDH, carbonyl reductase ScGCY1, tropinone reductase HnTR1, tropinone reductase DsTR1, or alcohol dehydrogenase BstADHT, a microorganism or a transformant strain that functionally expresses the enzyme, or a processed material thereof, with 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone. The present invention also provides methods for producing (R)-1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanol, which include the step of reacting alcohol dehydrogenase PfODH, a microorganism or a transformant strain that functionally expresses the enzyme, or a processed material thereof, with 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone.