Abstract: A process for producing Surfactin, comprising culturing a microorganism of the genus Bacillus in a liquid culture medium containing flour of beans such as soybean or an extract thereof as a nitrogen source and accumulating Surfactin in the culture broth, and a microorganism of the genus Bacillus which have an activity to produce a crude Surfactin in a concentration of from 8 to 50 g/L on culturing for 20 to 90 hours.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to produce a 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione by an industrially advantageous method. The invention relates to novel process for producing a high-purity 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione comprising the steps of reacting a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid amide with a carbonic acid ester in the presence of a metal alcoholate, thereby completing the reaction in one step, and then isolating the reaction product by a neutralization crystallization method.

Abstract: A fish-farming solid feed containing stabilized vitamin C, wherein at least 50% by mass of stabilized vitamin C, based on the total weight thereof contained in the solid feed, is present in a surface layer portion of the solid feed, spanning from the surface to a 1 mm depth; or the content of stabilized vitamin C in a surface layer portion spanning from the surface to a 1 mm depth of the solid feed is at least 50 ppm by mass. The fish-farming solid feed can be produced by a process wherein a fish-farming feed material is kneaded and shaped into a shaped product; the shaped product is dried; and then, the dried shaped product is contacted with stabilized vitamin C having been dissolved, emulsified or dispersed in a liquid such as vegetable or animal oil, preferably fish oil.

Abstract: A process for producing Surfactin, comprising culturing a microorganism of the genus Bacillus in a liquid culture medium containing flour of beans such as soybean or an extract thereof as a nitrogen source and accumulating Surfactin in the culture broth, and a microorganism of the genus Bacillus which have an activity to produce a crude Surfactin in a concentration of from 8 to 50 g/L on culturing for 20 to 90 hours.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to produce a 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione by an industrially advantageous method. The invention relates to novel process for producing a high-purity 5-alkyl-oxazolidin-2,4-dione comprising the steps of reacting a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid amide with a carbonic acid ester in the presence of a metal alcoholate, thereby completing the reaction in one step, and then isolating the reaction product by a neutralization crystallization method.

Abstract: (1) Methods for producing isochromanone compounds from o-xylene compounds as starting compounds through &agr;-halogeno-o-xylene derivatives, &agr;-cyano-o-xylene derivatives, and &agr;-halogeno-&agr;′-cyano-o-xylene derivatives, and (2) methods for producing isochromanone compounds from o-xylene compounds as starting compounds through &agr;,&agr;′-dihalogeno-o-xylene derivatives, &agr;,&agr;′-dihydroxy-o-xylene derivatives, &agr;-halogeno-&agr;′-hydroxy-o-xylene derivatives and &agr;-cyano-&agr;′-hydroxy-o-xylene derivatives, and methods for producing these intermediate compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protease obtained from Bacillus, which is enzymatically active at alkaline pH and high temperature in the presence of surfactants. In a preferred embodiment, the protease is isolated from Bacillus sp. SD 114 and has a molecular weight of about 29,000 and a pI of about 10.