Abstract: Provided are a food, a drink and a food/drink material having improved EGCg absorbability, and a method of producing the same, by improving the absorbability of EGCg to be taken in. The contents of caffeine and/or epigallocatechin gallate are regulated so that the ratio by mass of caffeine to epigallocatechin gallate contained in a food, drink, food/drink material or oral ingesta comes close to 0.4.

Abstract: A sugar decomposition inhibitor, a maltase activity inhibitor, a glucoamylase activity inhibitor, a sucrase activity inhibitor and an isomaltase activity inhibitor comprising as an effective component a hot-water extract of banaba, a synthetic resin adsorption fraction of said hot-water extract, or a mixture thereof are provided. Further, an insulin secretion controller comprising as an effective component a hot-water extract of banaba is also provided. In addition, a healthy food and beverage comprising a hot-water extract of banaba, a synthetic resin adsorption fraction of said hot-water extract or a mixture thereof and sugar except for monosaccharides are provided.

Abstract: In order to provide a xanthine oxidase inhibitor having as an effective component an extract from highly safe plants, ten kinds of plant materials were compared for the xanthine oxidase inhibition activity, and in consequence Lagerstroemia speciosa (banaba) was found to have the strongest activity. In addition, it was found that the xanthine oxidase inhibition activity was present in an “crude extract” obtained by extracting banaba with hot water or the like, “resin adsorbed components” obtained by adsorbing the crude extract on a styrene-divinyl benzene synthetic resin or the like, and “organic solvent soluble components” obtained by the partition of the resin adsorbed component between water and an organic solvent.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide compositions which exert excellent effects allowing improvement in the mental function of humans and animals other than humans, such as reduction of mental fatigue, maintenance and enhancement of concentration maintenance and enhancement of mental vigor, and the like. These compositions are provided as mentally functional compositions containing, as the active component, a mixture component comprising caffeine, theanine, and arginine which are contained in tea. It is preferable that caffeine, theanine, and arginine are mixed such that the mixing ratio approaches a ratio of 1:2:2. Further, by combining the above-described mixture component with sugar and citric acid, mentally functional foods and beverages can be also provided which are taken with ease and effective.

Abstract: In order to provide a xanthine oxidase inhibitor having as an effective component an extract from highly safe plants, ten kinds of plant materials were compared for the xanthine oxidase inhibition activity, and in consequence Lagerstroemia speciosa (banaba) was found to have the strongest activity. In addition, it was found that the xanthine oxidase inhibition activity was present in an “crude extract” obtained by extracting banaba with hot water or the like, “resin adsorbed components” obtained by adsorbing the crude extract on a styrene-divinyl benzene synthetic resin or the like, and “organic solvent soluble components” obtained by the partition of the resin adsorbed component between water and an organic solvent.

Abstract: A sugar decomposition inhibitor, a maltase activity inhibitor, a glucoamylase activity inhibitor, a sucrase activity inhibitor and an isomaltase activity inhibitor comprising as an effective component a hot-water extract of banaba, a synthetic resin adsorption fraction of said hot-water extract, or a mixture thereof are provided. Further, an insulin secretion controller comprising as an effective component a hot-water extract of banaba is also provided. In addition, a healthy food and beverage comprising a hot-water extract of banaba, a synthetic resin adsorption fraction of said hot-water extract or a mixture thereof and sugar except for monosaccharides are provided.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing process of carrot juice capable of obtaining, with high yield, carrot juice having a high-quality and stable characteristic free from occurrence of cohesion with less fishiness. To this end, the present invention comprises, first, peeling washed raw carrot, carrying out enzyme deactivation processing within one day, preferably, within 12 hours after peeling, and second, completely deactivating pectin esterase activity of carrot and carrying out enzyme deactivation processing so that a residual rate of pectinase activity is less than 60%. Such an enzyme deactivation processing may be done by blanching carrot till an internal temperature reaches 70 to 80° C. in water at 70 to 80° C., or blanching carrot till an internal temperature reaches 60 to 70° C. in 0.02M to 0.05M citric acid solution at 60 to 70° C., or processing carrot with supercritical carbonic acid gas by a microbubble SC—CO2 method.

Abstract: This invention is characterized by a brain function improving preparation containing theanine not less than 50 &mgr;M. It was confirmed that theanine could increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration by acting on NMDA receptors even at a low dose of about 50 &mgr;M. Thus, the brain function improving preparation of this invention was shown to be capable of causing plastic change in neurons or neural circuit. Since theanine has been approved as a food additive and being consumed daily, its safety has no problem. Moreover, theanine passes the blood-brain barrier relatively easily and, thus, it is effective as an oral preparation.

Abstract: An excitement accelerating agent was produced by incorporating a very small amount of theanine as an effective compoment in a range that shows the excitement accelerating action. The very small amount in a range that shows the excitement accelerating action means a range containing theanine in an amount of from about 0.17 mg/kg to 0.85 mg/kg, preferably from about 0.17 mg/kg to 0.34 mg/kg based on the weight as an injection agent, and in an amount of from about 0.20 mg/kg to 2.8 mg/kg, preferably from about 0.50 mg/kg to 2.5 mg/kg (0.17/0.338-0.85/0.338) as an oral agent. A safe and effective excitement accelerating agent can be provided by utilizing sufficiently the excitement accelerating action given by theanine, and if it is regularly taken for a long period of time, it is also effective as a nutritious tonic, an energy-increasing agent, and a stamina-sustaining agent.

Abstract: The caffeine stimulation inhibitor that inhibits stimulation by combining the use of theanine extracted from tea leaves and/or a substance having theanine for its major active ingredient which is produced by extracting tea leaves with a solvent such as water, hot water or ethanol, chemical synthesis, microbial fermentation or plant tissue culturing. These active ingredients are able to inhibit the stimulatory action of caffeine without degrading the quality, such as the flavor and aroma, of caffeine-containing beverages and foods, allowing persons hypersensitive to caffeine to consume caffeine-containing beverages and foods without worry over its effects.

Abstract: Substantially flavorless extracts from the leaves of C. sinensis are provided which promote the growth of Bifidobacterium. Compositions are provided by extracting water or ethanol-soluble solids from C. sinensis leaves with a polar organic solvent that is immiscible with water.