Abstract: A novel aldolase is described. 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-keto-pentanoic acid, which is useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of 4-hydroxy-L-isoleucine, may be synthesized from acetaldehyde and ?-ketobutyric acid using a novel aldolase, which is derived from the genus Arthrobacter.

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 a protein deamidating enzyme that is added to a food material containing muscle protein and acts on the same to produce high-quality foods.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dairy product with smooth oral sensation and suppressed acidic taste and bitter taste and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein a protein deamidating enzyme is added to raw milk to act on the milk protein in the raw milk.

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: 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: 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.