Abstract: A method of improving the quality of a starch-containing food and a method of suppressing the retrogradation of a starch-containing food by adding an enzyme having a glycosyl transfer activity, whereby an ?-1,4 bond is converted into an ?-1,6 bond, to the starch-containing food; and a quality improving agent for a starch-containing food which contains the enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aminoacylase having superior abilities in specifically acylating and hydrolyzing e-amino group of Lys, and a method of producing N?-acyl-L-lysine. The present invention provides N?-acyl-L-lysine-specific aminoacylase containing the amino acid sequence of SERPXTTLLRNGDVH (X unknown) at the N-terminal, and a method of producing N?-acyl-L-lysine comprising acting the aminoacylase on L-Lys and a carboxylic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is an agent, ?-glutamylcysteine, which can effectively and safely stimulate the intestinal immune system. ?-Glutamylcysteine can be formulated in a pharmaceutical composition, a food, and/or a beverage, and used for the treatment or prevention of infectious diseases, diarrhea, polyps, tumors, enteritis or allergy.

Abstract: A processed fiber product having excellent strength, water-absorbability and washing durability can be produced by attaching a partially hydrolyzed product of a wheat protein to a fiber and then allowing a transglutaminase to act on the fiber.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a soothing agent and a food for treating fatigue whereby: physical strength can be quickly restored from exhaustion (a state with lowered spontaneous motility), such as after exercise or exhausting labor or upon awakening in the early morning; physical strength decline can be prevented; and physical strength can be maintained. In accordance with the present invention, a soothing agent and/or a revitalizing agent containing protein hydrolysates obtained by degrading substrate protein via germinated soybean cotyledon-derived thiol protease and/or microorganism-derived serine protease are provided.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a soothing agent and a food for treating fatigue whereby: physical strength can be quickly restored from exhaustion (a state with lowered spontaneous motility), such as after exercise or exhausting labor or upon awakening in the early morning; physical strength decline can be prevented; and physical strength can be maintained. In accordance with the present invention, a soothing agent and/or a revitalizing agent containing protein hydrolysates obtained by degrading substrate protein via germinated soybean cotyledon-derived thiol protease and/or microorganism-derived serine protease are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aminoacylase having superior abilities in specifically acylating and hydrolyzing e-amino group of Lys, and a method of producing N?-acyl-L-lysine. The present invention provides N?-acyl-L-lysine-specific aminoacylase containing the amino acid sequence of SERPXTTLLRNGDVH (X unknown) at the N-terminal, and a method of producing N?-acyl-L-lysine comprising acting the aminoacylase on L-Lys and a carboxylic acid.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for producing foods and/or beverage having improved taste and/or flavour, comprising reacting a microbial aminopeptidase on a protein material optionally under the co-existence of a protease, wherein said aminopeptidase has the properties of: (a) having an activity of catalyzing the reaction of specifically releasing a glutamic acid and an aspartic acid from the N-terminal of a peptide and/or a protein; (b) having 50% or more activity at pH6.0-9.0 as compared with the activity at the optimum pH; (c) having 40% or more activity after heating at 25-60° C., pH7.5 for 30 minutes as compared with the activity of the non-heated enzyme; (d) having a molecular weight of about 40-60 kD as measured by SDS-PAGE and about 300-480 kD as measured by native-PAGE; (e) having a hydrolyzing activity of the aminopeptidase toward Glu-Glu dipeptide is 5 U/mg or more, preferably 10 U/mg or more.

Abstract: A method of improving the quality of a starch-containing food and a method of suppressing the retrogradation of a starch-containing food by adding an enzyme having a glycosyl transfer activity, whereby an ?-1,4 bond is converted into an ?-1,6 bond, to the starch-containing food; and a quality improving agent for a starch-containing food which contains the enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for producing foods and/or beverage having improved taste and/or flavour, comprising reacting a microbial aminopeptidase on a protein material optionally under the co-existence of a protease, wherein said aminopeptidase has the properties of: (a) having an activity of catalyzing the reaction of specifically releasing a glutamic acid and an aspartic acid from the N-terminal of a peptide and/or a protein; (b) having 50% or more activity at pH6.0-9.0 as compared with the activity at the optimum pH; (c) having 40% or more activity after heating at 25-60° C., pH7.5 for 30 minutes as compared with the activity of the non-heated enzyme; (d) having a molecular weight of about 40-60 kD as measured by SDS-PAGE and about 300-480 kD as measured by native-PAGE; (e) having a hydrolyzing activity of the aminopeptidase toward Glu-Glu dipeptide is 5 U/mg or more, preferably 10 U/mg or more.

Abstract: A method for modifying a food material, which comprises immersing a food material in a solution containing an enzyme, carrying out pressure treatment at 1.04-50 atm or less for the enzyme to infiltrate into the food material, and causing an enzyme reaction to take place inside the food material.

Abstract: A method for producing pumpkin that does not lose its shape, which comprises immersing a cut of pumpkin in an aqueous solution that containing divalent cationic salt and pectinesterase, wherein the aqueous solution is at a temperature lower than the optimum temperature for the reaction of pectinesterase (5° C. to 30° C., preferably 7° C. to 25° C., and more preferably 10° C. to 20° C.).

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a cheese yield enhancing method in a cheese manufacturing method including a process of separating a cheese curd from a whey after a milk coagulating treatment of a material milk by a milk coagulating enzyme, said cheese yield enhancing method comprising steps of: adding/mixing a protein decomposing enzyme treated material of a milk whey protein (a partial hydrolysate of the milk whey protein) to the material milk; and subjecting a resulting mixture to the milk coagulating treatment by the milk coagulating enzyme, or said cheese yield enhancing method comprising steps of: adding/mixing a partial hydrolysate of a milk whey protein to the material milk; allowing transglutaminase to act on a resulting mixture; and subjecting the mixture to the milk coagulating treatment by the milk coagulating enzyme, whereby a yield of a cheese curd from a material milk, and therefore a yield of cheese may be enhanced and a cheese superior in quality may be manufactured.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a peptide having angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity also improved in the taste, and to provide a method of producing an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors comprising at least one of such enzymes. Another object of the present invention is to provide an antihypertensive comprising a peptide having angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity. Thus, the present invention is any of the five peptides represented by the following formula (1) to (5) and the salts thereof, soybean protein hydrolysates containing these peptides and the method of producing these peptides or the salts thereof comprising hydrolyzing soybean proteins with protease D3:(1)Tyr-Val-Val-Phe-Lys; (2)Pro-Asn-Asn-Lys-Pro-Phe-Gln; (3)Asn-Trp-Gly-Pro-Leu-Val; (4)Ile-Pro-Pro-Gly-Val-Pro-Tyr-Trp-Thr; (5)Thr-Pro-Arg-Val-Phe.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein hydrolysate with low bitterness by contacting a protein with a protease having a low specificity to cleave a site of a hydrophobic amino acid residue in the protein.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein hydrolysate with low bitterness by contacting a protein with a protease having a low specificity to cleave a site of a hydrophobic amino acid residue in the protein.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein hydrolysate with low bitterness by contacting a protein with a protease having a low specificity to cleave a site of a hydrophobic amino acid residue in the protein.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a cheese yield enhancing method in a cheese manufacturing method including a process of separating a cheese curd from a whey after a milk coagulating treatment of a material milk by a milk coagulating enzyme, said cheese yield enhancing method comprising steps of: adding/mixing a protein decomposing enzyme treated material of a milk whey protein (a partial hydrolysate of the milk whey protein) to the material milk; and subjecting a resulting mixture to the milk coagulating treatment by the milk coagulating enzyme, or said cheese yield enhancing method comprising steps of: adding/mixing a partial hydrolysate of a milk whey protein to the material milk; allowing transglutaminase to act on a resulting mixture; and subjecting the mixture to the milk coagulating treatment by the milk coagulating enzyme, whereby a yield of a cheese curd from a material milk, and therefore a yield of cheese may be enhanced and a cheese superior in quality may be manufactured.

Abstract: Disclosed are cDNA encoding a new aminopeptidase derived from germinated soybeans, a recombinant expression vector containing the DNA, a transformant obtained by the transformation with the expression vector, and a method of producing an aminopeptidase by culturing the transformed product. According to the present invention, a cDNA can be obtained encoding the amino acid sequence of aminopeptidase GX suitable for producing a highly hydrolized product from a starting material containing a protein and peptide having a high acidic amino acid content. Using the cDNA, a recombinant aminopeptidase can be mass-produced with E. coli or the like. By using the cDNA, it is also possible to produce aminopeptidase GX by using a host other than E. coli. In addition, hydrohized products having high glutamic acid content and aspartic acid content and also excellent seasoning properties can be obtained from soybean protein by combining GX thus produced with protease D3 and leucine aminopeptidase DLAP.

Abstract: An aminopeptidase is provided which efficiently decomposes a low-molecular-weight peptide containing glutamic acid or aspartic acid in its sequence. A method of hydrolyzing a peptide or protein by use of the aminopeptidase is also provided. Aminopeptidase GX is derived from germinated soybean cotyledons and releases glutamic acid or aspartic acid from a peptide or protein containing glutamic acid or aspartic acid at the N-terminal end and is used to hydrolyse peptides or proteins.