Abstract: This invention provides, a novel polyphenol compound having lipase inhibitory activity derived from tealeaves, a process for the preparation of the compound, and foods and/or beverages and pharmaceutical drugs containing the compound. Particularly, this invention provides a novel dimer compound of formula: obtained by oxidative polymerization of epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, a main catechin component of oolong tea, with a tealeaf enzyme (polyphenol oxidase), as well as foods and/or beverages and pharmaceutical compositions containing said novel compound which suppress absorption of dietary lipids and suppresses increase of blood triglyceride.

Abstract: The present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing flavan-3-ol monomers or acylates thereof derived from teas as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said inhibitors. More specifically, the present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing at least one of flavan-3-ol monomers represented by the formula: wherein R1 and R3 independently represent H or OH, R2 represents H, R4 represents H, G, 3MeG or p-cou, R5 represents H or G, R4? and R5? independently represent H or G, R4? represents H or G, and G, 3MeG and p-cou respectively represent the groups of the formulae: or acylates thereof; as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said lipase inhibitors.

Abstract: The invention provides an enzyme having a lignan-hydroxylating activity, particularly an enzyme capable of catalyzing the reaction of transferring a hydroxyl group to a lignan, an enzyme capable of catalyzing the hydroxylation of piperitol to 9-hydroxylpiperitol or pinoresinol to 9-hydroxylpinoresinol. The invention provides a polypeptide having a lignan-hydroxylating activity; a polynucleotide encoding the same; a vector or transformant comprising the polynucleotide; a method for producing a polypeptide having a lignan-hydroxylating activity which comprises using the transformant; and so on. The transformant wherein the polynucleotide is expressibly introduced is useful for the hydroxylation of a lignan or for the production of a product using the same in the food sector and a variety of industry sectors.

Abstract: A method of acylating the 3? position of anthocyanin using an enzyme that transfers an aromatic acyl group to a sugar at the 3? position of anthocyanin or a gene encoding the enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and a polynucleotide encoding the same (for example, a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide consisting of one nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the nucleotide sequence at positions 1 to 1359 in the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 4, the nucleotide sequence at positions 1 to 1365 in the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 10, the nucleotide sequence at positions 1 to 1371 in the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 12, and the nucleotide sequence at positions 1 to 1371 in the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 22; or a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide encoding a protein having one amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 5, 11, 13 and 23), etc. This provides a novel UDP-glucuronosyltransferase with a broad substrate specificity.

Abstract: A novel flavonoid glucosyltransferase originating from rose, a nucleic acid encoding that enzyme, for example, a flavonoid glucosyltransferase having an amino acid sequence indicated in SEQ ID NO. 2 or SEQ ID NO. 4, a nucleic acid encoding that enzyme, a method for changing the color of a rose flower using that nucleic acid, and a rose plant capable of changing color, are provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a rose characterized by comprising a flavone added by a genetic modification method. The flavone is typically produced by expression of a transferred flavone synthase gene. The flavone synthase gene is, for example, a flavone synthase gene of the family Scrophulariaceae, and specifically it may be the flavone synthase gene of snapdragon of the family Scrophulariaceae, or the flavone synthase gene of torenia of the family Scrophulariaceae.

Abstract: The invention provides a rose characterized by comprising a flavone and delphinidin added by a genetic modification method. The flavone and delphinidin are typically produced by expression of a transferred flavone synthase gene and flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase gene, respectively. The flavone synthase gene is, for example, a flavone synthase gene of the family Scrophulariaceae, and specifically it may be the flavone synthase gene of snapdragon of the family Scrophulariaceae, or the flavone synthase gene of torenia of the family Scrophulariaceae. The flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase gene is, for example, the pansy (Viola×wittrockiana) flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase gene.

Abstract: The invention provides a rose characterized by comprising a flavone and malvidin added by a genetic modification method. The flavone and malvidin are typically produced by expression of a transferred flavone synthase gene, pansy flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase gene and anthocyanin methyltransferase gene. The flavone synthase gene is, for example a flavone synthase gene of the family Scrophulariaceae, and specifically it may be the flavone synthase gene of snapdragon of the family Scrophulariaceae, or the flavone synthase gene of torenia of the family Scrophulariaceae. The flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase gene is, for example, the pansy flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase gene. The anthocyanin methyltransferase gene is, for example, the methyltransferase gene of torenia of the family Scrophulariaceae.

Abstract: The present invention provides lipase inhibitory agents comprising a gallotannin or ellagitannin component(s) isolated from teas or Tellima grandiflora as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said inhibitory agents. The present invention provides lipase inhibitory agents comprising at least one of compounds represented by formula I below: wherein R1, R2 and R3 independently represent H or a gallic acid residue, and R4 and R5 represent H or a gallic acid residue, or R4 and R5 together form an HHDP group represented by the formula below: provided that at least two of R1 to R5 represent a gallic acid residue or when all of R1, R2 and R3 are H, R4 and R5 together form the HHDP group; as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said lipase inhibitory agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fucoidan-derived low molecular weight compound with a good quality of taste, which has a specified structure and function and is free from problems in absorption, antigenicity, uniformity, an anticoagulant activity and so on, which problems arise when developing fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide having an extremely large molecular weight, as drugs or health foods. As a result of analyzing low molecular weight compounds obtained by acid hydrolysis of fucoidan, the inventors have identified fucoidan oligosaccharides (I) to (XI). Further, these oligosaccharides have been found to have anti-obesity and/or blood glucose elevation suppressing effects through inhibition of carbohydrate and/or lipid absorption as a result of ?-glucosidase inhibition and/or lipase inhibition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protein having aurone synthase activity involved in the color of flowers such as snapdragons, a gene that encodes it, cDNA in particular, and its applications. This gene can give yellow color to the flowers of plants by introducing into plants deficient in chalcone isomerase and so forth and expressing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method for quantifying procyanidin and flavan-3-ols contained in natural products, foods and drinks, pharmaceuticals and/or cosmetics. The present invention provides a method for quantifying procyanidin (a generic name for a mixture of catechin n-mer; n?1) contained in test samples such as natural products, foods and drinks, pharmaceuticals and/or cosmetics, which comprises a) pretreating a test sample using a column to remove contaminants which affect the analysis of procyanidin and flavan-3-ol; and b) effecting high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate and quantify procyanidin and flavan-3-ols in the solution treated to remove contaminants during the above pretreatment step a).

Abstract: The object is to provide beverages that allow for sustained intake and which have an effect of improving the vascular endothelial function as by promoting the secretion of NO from vascular endothelial cells so as to potentiate the NO action. The object is attained by providing proanthocyanidins containing tea beverages that contain procyanidin B1 (PB1) and procyanidin B3 (PB3) in a total amount not smaller than a certain concentration and which are free from any peculiar flavor to become easier to drink; they allow for sustained intake and have an effect of improving the vascular endothelial function.

Abstract: The present invention provides an enzyme which catalyzes a reaction to transfer sugar to a hydroxyl group at position 2? of chalcones and a gene thereof, and preferably an enzyme which catalyzes a reaction to transfer glucose to a hydroxyl group at position 2? of the chalcones. Furthermore, the invention provides a plant whose flower color has been changed using the glycosyltransferase. Using probes corresponding to conservative regions of the glycosyltransferase, some tens of glycosyltransferase genes having nucleotide sequences corresponding to the conservative regions were cloned from flower petal cDNA libraries of carnation and the like. Furthermore, each of the glycosyltransferase genes was expressed in Escherichia coli, activity to transfer glucose to position 2? of the chalcone, i.e., the glycosyltransferase activity at position 2? of chalcone was confirmed in an extract solution of the Escherichia coli, and it was confirmed that cloned genes encoded the glycosyltransferase at position 2?.

Abstract: The present invention provides lipase inhibitory agents comprising a gallotannin or ellagitannin component(s) isolated from teas or Tellima grandiflora as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said inhibitory agents. The present invention provides lipase inhibitory agents comprising at least one of compounds represented by formula I below: wherein R1, R2 and R3 independently represent H or a gallic acid residue, and R4 and R5 represent H or a gallic acid residue, or R4 and R5 together form an HHDP group represented by the formula below: provided that at least two of R1 to R5 represent a gallic acid residue or when all of R1, R2 and R3 are H, R4 and R5 together form the HHDP group; as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said lipase inhibitory agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing dimers of flavan-3-ols derived from teas as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said inhibitors.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel method for assaying OPC contained in natural substances, foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals and/or cosmetics. The present invention is a novel method for assay of OPC which assays anthocyanidin, obtained by hydrolysis of OPC, to determine the total amount of OPC, and elucidates the proportions of the polymerization degrees of OPC by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the contents of the respective polymers in OPC.

Abstract: The present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing dimers having an epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) unit derived from teas as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said inhibitors. More specifically, the present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing at least one of proanthocyanidins represented by the formula: wherein R1 and R2 independently represent H or OH, and R3 and R4 independently represent H or a galloyl group; as well as foods and beverages and pharmaceutical compositions containing said lipase inhibitors.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a lipase activity inhibitor which shows a high inhibitory activity on pancreatic lipase, regulates the absorption of fat from meals and/or contributes to the regulation or prevention of obesity, a food and a drink containing the same, and a tea-origin lipase inhibitor being highly preferable and not worsening taste. It is also intended to provide a method of producing the lipase inhibitor. It is further intended to provide antioxidative agent. To overcome these problems, an epigallocatechin dimer (oolong homo bis flavans) or trimer is added to foods or drinks. Thus, the absorption of fat from meals can be regulated and an antioxidative effect can be obtained. The above compounds can be produced by reacting epigallocatechin gallate with formaldehyde in the presence of an acid.