Abstract: A solid medium having a 10 minute-average water absorption rate of at least 0.05 ml/minute, which is obtainable by a method for producing a solid medium comprising the steps of dissolving components of the solid medium other than solvent water into the solvent water, solidifying the obtained solution, and drying the solidified medium to remove water, wherein water is removed in such an amount that the solid medium after the removal of water should have the 10 minute-average water absorption rate of at least 0.05 ml/minute, and the amount of the solvent water is larger than a prescribed amount by an amount almost equal to the amount of the water to be removed. The solid medium does not cause growth inhibition of microorganisms due to drying, shows a superior water absorption rate to enable application of a larger amount of a sample in a short period of time, and is suitable for quick and accurate measurement tests of microbial numbers.

Abstract: A solid medium having a 10 minute-average water absorption rate of at least 0.05 ml/minute, which is obtainable by a method for producing a solid medium comprising the steps of dissolving components of the solid medium other than solvent water into the solvent water, solidifying the obtained solution, and drying the solidified medium to remove water, wherein water is removed in such an amount that the solid medium after the removal of water should have the 10 minute-average water absorption rate of at least 0.05 ml/minute, and the amount of the solvent water is larger than a prescribed amount by an amount almost equal to the amount of the water to be removed. The solid medium does not cause growth inhibition of microorganisms due to drying, shows a superior water absorption rate to enable application of a larger amount of a sample in a short period of time, and is suitable for quick and accurate measurement tests of microbial numbers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a safe antioxidant applicable for food, drug medicine, non-medical drug and other products.The antioxidant of the present invention contains, as an effective ingredient, an antioxidant substance selected from the group consisting of a hydrolysate of lactoferrin, one or more peptides isolated from a hydrolysate of lactoferrins, one or more synthetic peptides having the same sequence as that of the peptide isolated from the hydrolysate of lactoferrins, and any mixture thereof, or said antioxidant substance and oxidant preventive agent.This antioxidant has an excellent antioxidant action for various lipids, and is very safe even when used in foods and drug medicine. Scince it exhibits antioxidant effect with only small quantity, there is almost no adverse effect on flavor even when applied in foods and the like.

Abstract: There is disclosed an antimicrobial agent comprising one or more of antimicrobial peptides derived from lactoferrins, and one or more of specific compounds and/or at least an antibiotic, and a method for treating matters with said antimicrobial agent. The antimicrobial agent has a potent antimicrobial activity against wide variety of microorganisms, thus it is useful not only as a medication, but also useful for making antimicrobial treatment of matters such as foods, non-medical products, and the like with safety and great efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention provides an activating agent of digestive tract cells, which contains an epidermal growth factor, lactoferrins, a hydrolysate of the lactoferrins, or a mixture thereof.The activating agent of digestive tract cells of the present invention has such effects as prevention and improvement of a damage to the digestive tract, improvement of digestive tract functions deteriorating with age, and acceleration of growth and proliferation of digestive tract cells of a newborn. It is also possible to add it to, or mixed with, various food products to obtain digestive tract cels activating foods.

Abstract: Bioactive agents, having growth-promoting activity upon Bifidobacteria, consisting of one or more lactoferrin-compounds selected from the group consisting of bovine lactoferrin, bovine apolactoferrin and bovine Fe-lactoferrin, which can be used as it is as agents to promote proliferation of Bifidobacteria both in vivo and in vitro, and as additives to prepare compositions, materials and products to afford growth-promoting activity thereto, and to improve survivability of Bifidobacteria, if contained therein.

Abstract: Lactoferricin (Trade Mark), also called LFCIN (Trade Mark), a potent antimicrobial peptide, is produced by contacting an enzymatic hydrolysate of bovine lactoferrin or any mixture of peptides containing lactoferricin preferably with a butyl moiety-containing hydrophobic interaction chromatography medium, or alternatively with a carboxymethyl moiety-containing cation-exchange chromatography medium, rinsing the medium to remove unbound peptides, desorbing the lactoferricin solution at constant pH, and desalting the desorbed solution. The utility of the process is illustrated, for example, as follows. An enzymatic hydrolysate of bovine lactoferrin (600 g) was contacted with 3000 ml of BUTYL-TOYOPEARL 650M, the medium was rinsed with water, and then with McIlvaine (citric acid-sodium phosphate) buffer at pH 7.0., and lactoferricin was desorbed with McIlvaine buffer at pH 5.0.

Abstract: A milk-protein hydrolyzate consisting of a mixture of peptides and free amino acids having proliferation activating property on human cutaneous cells but not having antigenicity of the milk-protein may be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of milk protein. The peptides of the hydrolyzate have molecular weights less than 1000 daltons, and the hydrolyzate has a free aromatic amino acid/total aromatic amino acid ratio of at least 90%. Fractionation of the milk protein hydrolyzate yields a fraction consisting of a mixture of peptides. The fraction has a proliferation activating property on human cutaneous cells but does not have the antigenicity of the milk protein. The fraction contains aromatic amino acids in an amount of less than 5% by weight of total amino acids. Both the hydrolyzate and the fraction can be formulated into cosmetic compositions for application to the hair and skin.

Abstract: Bioactive agents consisting of one or more lactoferrin-compounds selected from the group consisting of Zn-, Cu- and Mn-lactoferrin and having selective biological activities, i.e. growth-inhibitory activity against certain harmful microorganisms on one hand and growth-promoting activity upon certain useful microorganisms on the other hand; as well as compositions, products or materials therefor comprising the bioactive agents consisting of one or more lactoferrin-compounds selected from the group; and a method for treating materials, which are edible for human beings or animals or which are applicable to a portion of body of human beings or animals, with the bioactive agents consisting of one or more lactoferrin-compounds selected from the group consisting of Zn-, Cu- and Mn-lactoferrin or the compositions comprising the bioactive agent consisting of one or more lactoferrin-compounds selected from the group consisting of Zn-, Cu- and Mn-lactoferrin as an effective component.

Abstract: This invention relates to a reverse osmosis treatment process, particularly a stable reverse osmosis treatment process which prevents a lowering in throughput capacity by carrying out treatment while keeping the permeate flux of a reverse osmosis membrane constant through the time of use of a module. The process of this invention can keep the throughput capacity constant, can prevent adhesion and pollution onto membrane surfaces and fouling thereon, and moreover can maintain stable operation in a continuous run.

Abstract: Dietary fibers having average molecular weight of 2,000-15,000, which are prepared by partially hydrolyzing polysaccharides of Konnyaku powder with a cellulase derived from microorganisms belonging to the genus Aspergillus, which are readily soluble in water, which do not prevent adsorption of useful minerals such as calcium in the digestive tract, and which do not give rise to diarrhea when an excessive amount thereof is ingested.