Accelerated death kinetics of Aspergillus niger spores under high-pressure carbonation.

The death kinetics of Aspergillus niger spores under high-pressure carbonation were investigated with respect to the concentration of dissolved CO2 (dCO2) and treatment temperature. All of the inactivation followed first-order death kinetics. The D value (decimal reduction time, or the time required for a 1-log-cycle reduction in the microbial population) in the saline carbonated at 10 MPa was 0.16 min at 52 degrees C. The log D values were linearly related to the treatment temperature and the concentration of dCO2, but a significant interaction was observed between them.

The influence of dissolved CO(2) concentration on the death kinetics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

AIMS: The effects of temperature and concentration of dissolved CO(2) on the inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated using a plug-flow system. METHODS AND RESULTS: Several combinations of pressure (4, 6, 8, 10 mega-Pa (MPa)) and temperature (30, 34, 36, 38 degrees C) were used. The D-values obtained were 0.14 min at 8 MPa and 38 degrees C, and 0.15 min at 10 MPa and 36 degrees C. The log D-values were related linearly to the treatment temperature and to the dissolved CO(2) concentration. The thermal resistance constant (zCO(2)(T)) was 9.5 degrees C in the media, including significant levels of CO(2), and the CO(2) resistance constant was z(temp.)(gamma)=7.2 gamma. CONCLUSION: This work has shown that inactivation followed first-order death kinetics, and the effects of temperature and CO(2) concentration were consistent through the critical temperature and pressure of CO(2). Therefore, it is feasible to estimate D-values at any temperature and any CO(2) concentration. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Non-thermal inactivation of micro-organisms in acidic beverages could be realized by the present technique.

Irreversible unfolding of myoglobin in an aqueous solution by supercritical carbon dioxide.

The conformational changes in myoglobin, treated by microbubbling of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)), were investigated by measuring the circular dichroism spectra in the ultraviolet range and compared with those in other proteins (ovoalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and beta-lactoglobulin). Irreversible unfoldings were observed after the microbubbling of SC-CO(2) at 35 degrees C and 30 MPa for 30 min. The degree of unfolding depended on the number of intramolecular S-S bonds. alpha-Helix contents of myoglobin decreased with increasing density of SC-CO(2). Unfoldings of myoglobin induced by heating, pH-lowering, and the addition of a denaturant were reversible. The irreversible unfolding of myoglobin was also observed by the bubbling of gaseous CO(2) under atmospheric pressure, but heating was required.

Desorption behavior of sorbed flavor compounds from packaging films with ethanol solution.

Desorption behavior of sorbed flavor compounds such as ethyl esters, n-aldehydes, and n-alcohols from LDPE and PET films was investigated in 0 to 100% (v/v) ethanol solutions at 20 degrees C, 50 degrees C, and 60 degrees C. In both films, the desorption apparently increased with increasing ethanol concentration and treatment temperature, depending on the compatibility of the flavor compound with the solvent. Namely, the partition coefficient of ethyl esters, n-aldehydes, and n-alcohols in the LDPE film turned out to be approximately zero at >/=60%, >/=80%, and >/=40% (v/v) ethanol, respectively (for PET film, >/=80%, >/=80%, and >/=40% (v/v) ethanol concentrations were required for complete desorption, respectively). As for physical properties (heat of fusion, melting point, and tensile strength and elongation at break) of LDPE and PET films, there were no significant differences between intact film and the treated film with 60% (v/v) ethanol for 30 min at 60 degrees C. These results suggest that it is possible to apply a desorption solvent such as ethanol solution for desorption of sorbed flavor compounds from packaging films with no physical change in the film properties by this desorption treatment.

Antihypertensive effect of valyl-tyrosine, a short chain peptide derived from sardine muscle hydrolyzate, on mild hypertensive subjects.

The present study was conducted to determine whether Valyl-Tyrosine (VY) has an antihypertensive effect on high-normal blood pressure and mild essential hypertension, as well as spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR). A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study was carried out on 29 volunteers. A 100-ml drink containing 3 mg of VY and a 100-ml placebo drink were prepared. The subjects were grouped as VY(16M/1F, 45.5 +/- 3.2 years, 146.4 +/- 2.3/90.5 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) and the placebo (P) (11 M/1F, 48.8 +/- 3.0 years, 145.5 +/- 2.4/92.3 +/- 1.8 mm Hg). At 3 weeks of the control (C) period, a VY- or P-drink was administered twice a day for 4 weeks in the experimental (E) period and during the 4-week recovery period, neither drink was given to either group. Blood pressure (BP) was measured every week in the morning in the sitting position. Blood specimens were taken on the last day of the C and E periods. In the VY-group, reduction in systolic (S) and diastolic (D) BP was 9.7 and 5.3 mm Hg (P < 0. 001) at 1 week, and 9.3 and 5.2 mm Hg (P < 0.001) at 4 weeks, following the start of the E period, respectively. Neither SBP nor DBP changed in the P-group. BP in the VY-group increased gradually by the end of the recovery period. Plasma angiotensin (Ang) I and VY concentrations significantly increased while Ang II and aldosterone significantly decreased after VY administration in the VY-group. VY appeared to have a significant antihypertensive effect on mild hypertensive subjects via Ang I-converting enzyme inhibition, as well as SHR, but no adverse effects could be detected at all.

Unfolding of poly-L-glutamic acid by microbubbling of supercritical carbon dioxide.

The conformational changes in alpha-helical poly-L-glutamic acid caused by microbubbling supercritical CO2 were investigated with circular dichroism spectra. After microbubbling using a micropore filter at 35 and 30 MPa for 30 min, alpha-helix content decreased to 37%, while without the filter it was 68%. The alpha-helix structure was significantly decomposed by a high density of CO2. No important changes were observed in heating, autoclaving, or pH-lowering.

Depressor effect of wheat germ hydrolysate and its novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide, Ile-Val-Tyr, and the metabolism in rat and human plasma.

We report here the antihypertensive effect of wheat germ (WG) hydrolysate and its dominant peptide, Ile-Val-Tyr (IVY), with potent angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. The toxicity test of AG50W fraction purified from the WG hydrolysate and IVY in ddy mice revealed that 1 week median lethal concentrations of AG fraction and IVY were less than 100 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. As a result of an intravenous administration test of both inhibitors in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) significantly decreased with the dose; the MAP reduction of 10.3 and 19.2 mmHg was observed at a dose of 50 mg/kg of AG fraction and 5 mg/kg of IVY, respectively. In addition to this behavior, the MAP gradually decreased after the 5 mg/kg of IVY injection (time to give a maximum reduction; 8 min), and the reduction was held for 20 min. By using rat and human plasma, IVY was found to be metabolized by the action of aminopeptidase in plasma to form a subsequent ACE inhibitor, Val-Tyr (VY). Thus, the intake of IVY as a physiologically functional food would serve in the lowering of blood pressure (BP) by the combined depressor effect of itself and its metabolite after the absorption.

Plasma concentrations of angiotensin metabolites in young male normotensive and mild hypertensive subjects.

The plasma concentrations of angiotensin (Ang) I, Ang II, and their metabolites (Ang (3-8), (4-8), (5-8), and (3-4)) following in vitro ACE inhibitory activity were examined in young male normotensive (NT) (n = 7), and mild hypertensive (HT) volunteers (n = 6). There were no differences in supine plasma levels of Ang I, Ang II, and Ang (5-8) between the NT and HT groups: Ang I, 304 +/- 43 fmol/ml vs. 293 +/- 15 fmol/ml; Ang II, 32 +/- 6 fmol/ml vs. 43 +/- 10 fmol/ml; Ang (5-8), 176 +/- 22 fmol/ml vs. 133 +/- 32 fmol/ml. In addition, there were no significant differences between groups in any of these Ang levels when measured after standing for 60 min. However, the HT group showed significantly reduced supine and upright plasma Ang (3-8) and Ang (3-4) levels as compared to the NT group. In particular, the supine plasma level of Ang (3-4) (71 +/- 13 fmol/ml-plasma) in the HT group was significantly (1/3-fold) lower than that in the NT group (197 +/- 35 fmol/ml-plasma). An inverse correlation between the plasma level of Ang (3-4) and the upright systolic blood pressure (r = -0.627, p < 0.02, n = 13) was observed, indicating that the metabolism of Ang (3-4) might have been associated with the change in blood pressure.

Inhibitory effect of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors varies according to its origin.

The inhibitory effect of alpha-glucosidase (AGH) inhibitors against its origins (baker's yeast and rat, rabbit, and pig small intestines) was investigated. All inhibitors used in this study showed quite different inhibitory activities according to AGH origins. Voglibose, acarbose and glucono-1,5-lactone strongly inhibited mammalian AGHs, whereas no or less inhibition was observed in yeast AGH. On the contrary, (+)-catechin, a good inhibitor against yeast AGH (IC(50) = 1.3 x 10(-)(1) mM) as well as voglibose (IC(50) = 2.6 x 10(-)(2) mM), did not retard the mammalian AGH activity. Subsequent inhibition study with various food components revealed that all of foods except for green (IC(50) = 0.735 mg/mL) and oolong teas (IC(50) = 1.34 mg/mL) showed no inhibitory activity against rat AGH, whereas they inhibited yeast AGH. Consequently, the magnitude of AGH inhibition was greatly affected by its origin, and more attention relating to AGH origin would be needed to evaluate in vitro AGH inhibitory effect.

Preparation and characterization of novel bioactive peptides responsible for angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibition from wheat germ.

Reported is the preparation of wheat germ (WG) hydrolyzate with potent angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, and the characterization of peptides responsible for ACE inhibition. Successful hydrolyzate with the most potent ACE inhibitory activity was obtained by 0.5 wt.%-8 h Bacillus licheniformis alkaline protease hydrolysis after 3.0 wt.%-3 h alpha-amylase treatment of defatted WG (IC50; 0.37 mg protein ml(-1)). The activity of WG hydrolyzate was markedly increased by ODS and subsequent AG50W purifications (IC50; 0.018 mg protein ml(-1)). As a result of isolations by high performance liquid chromatographies, 16 peptides with the IC50 value of less than 20 microM, composed of 2-7 amino acid residues were identified from the WG hydrolyzate. Judging from the high content (260 mg in 100 g of AG50W fraction) and powerful ACE inhibitory activity (IC50; 0.48 microM), Ile-Val-Tyr was identified as a main contributor to the ACE inhibition of the hydrolyzate.

Isolation and identification of peptidic alpha-glucosidase inhibitors derived from sardine muscle hydrolyzate.

We report here the isolation of alpha-glucosidase (AGH) inhibitory peptides derived from sardine muscle hydrolyzate, which was prepared by digestion with Bacillus licheniformis alkaline protease. As a result of reversed-phase HPLC purification, two AGH inhibitory peptides were isolated from a DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column eluate. The peptides were identified as follows: Val-Trp (IC50 = 22.6 mM) and Try-Tyr-Pro-Leu (IC50 = 3.7 mM). AGH inhibitory studies of Try-Tyr-Pro-Leu and its derivatives demonstrated the importance of the tri-peptide chain length as well as the hydrophobic aromatic amino acid tyrosine at the N-terminus, aliphatic amino acids at the C-terminus, as well as an amide proton from the peptide chain at the middle position of the tri-peptide to develop AGH inhibition activity.

Determination of angiotensin metabolites in human plasma by fluorimetric high-performance liquid chromatography using a heart-cut column-switching technique.

Fluorimetric column-switching HPLC method with naphthalene-2,3-dialdehyde (NDA) was developed for the determination of endogenous angiotensin (ANG) metabolites in human plasma. After one-step extraction to clean up the ultrafiltered plasma sample on the reversed HPLC system, the zone of the retention time of each ANG analyte was subjected to the NDA-derivatization. After putting into a first Phe-ODS (for ANG (3-4) and (5-8) determinations) or ODS column (for ANG I and II determinations), the heart-cut of the retention time of the NDA-ANG was separated on a second ODS column with a mobile phase containing 5 mM ion-pair reagent. Complete separation and good detection were accomplished within 2 h. Good linearity of the regression equation for all ANG analytes with the correlation coefficient of >0.993 as well as good reproducibility (C.V.<4.0%). Good agreement of the range of ANG II plasma level between the present (25-47 fmol/ml in plasma) and the radioimmunoassay methods (28-52 fmol/ml in plasma) indicated that the column-switching method could be applicable for the determination of endogenous smaller ANGs as well as for ANG I or II in plasma.

Eight new anthocyanins, ternatins C1-C5 and D3 and preternatins A3 and C4 from young clitoria ternatea flowers

Eight new anthocyanins 1-8 (ternatins C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, and D3 and preternatins A3 and C4) were isolated from Clitoria ternatea flowers. By the application of chemical, UV-vis, and FABMS methods, the structures of 1-6 were postulated as delphinidin 3-malonylglucoside having 3'-GCGC-5'-G, 3'-GCGCG-5'-G, 3'-GC-5'-G, 3'-GCG-5'-G, 3'-G-5'-G, and 3'-GC-5'-GC, and compounds 7 and 8 as delphinidin 3-glucoside having 3'-GCG-5'-GCG and 3'-GCG-5'-G as side chains, respectively, in which Dp is delphinidin, G is D-glucose, and C is p-coumaric acid. The structures of the compounds 1, 3-5, and 7 were established completely by additional NMR methods.

Metabolic behavior of angiotensins in normotensive human plasma in the supine and upright postures.

The effect of activating the renin-angiotensin system on the metabolism of angiotensins (ANGs) in normotensive human plasma was investigated. In normotensive supine human plasma, four peptides with in vitro angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity which correspond to the sequence of ANG (3-8), ANG (4-8), ANG (5-8), and ANG (3-4) existed at a concentration of > 39 fmol/ml of plasma. When activating the renin activity by keeping upright in posture for 60 min, ANG II and the four peptides significantly increased as compared with the levels in the supine posture, except for ANG I. In particular, Val-Tyr corresponding to ANG (3-4) in the upright posture was about 4-fold more than the value in the supine posture, and was predominantly present (447 fmol/ml of plasma) as well as ANG I. As a result of in vitro degradation tests on ANGs, ANG (3-4) was produced from ANG I, and not from ANG II, III or (3-8), during the 30-min incubation.

Inactivation of Bacillus spores by the supercritical carbon dioxide micro-bubble method.

Bacillus spores were effectively inactivated by the supercritical (SC) CO2 micro-bubble method. The micro-bubble SC CO2 treatment of B. cereus, B. subtilis, B. megaterium, B. polymyxa, and B. coagulans at 40 degrees C and 30 MPa for 30 min produced greater reduction (about 3 log cycles of reduction) than a similar treatment without a filter. The SC CO2 treatment of B. polymyxa, B. cereus, and B. subtilis spores at 45 degrees C, 50 degrees C, respectively, and 30 MPa for 60 min resulted in a 6-log cycle reduction of survival. The SC CO2 treatment under the foregoing conditions should offer higher efficiency than that of heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 60 min. In addition, the SC CO2 treatment (30 MPa, 60 degrees C, 30 min) of B. polymyxa and B. cereus spores also produced a 6-log cycle reduction.

Determination of endogenous peptides with in vitro ACE inhibitory activity in normotensive human plasma by the fluorometric HPLC method.

An in vitro degradation test of angiotensin (ANG) II or III in normotensive supine human plasma from 9 healthy male subjects confirmed the production of smaller ANG metabolites with angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity. These metabolites were identified as ANG (3-8), ANG (5-8), and ANG (3-4), whose respective peptide concentrations were determined by our proposed naphthalene-2,3-dialdehyde (NDA)-HPLC method to be 64 +/- 9, 39 +/- 5, 176 +/- 22, and 197 +/- 35 fmol/ml of plasma.

In vitro survey of alpha-glucosidase inhibitory food components.

A survey of food components with alpha-glucosidase (AGH) inhibitory activity was conducted to identify a prophylactic effect for diabetes in food. Sardine muscle hydrolyzed by alkaline protease showed potent activity (IC50 = 48.7 mg/ml) as well as green and oolong teas (IC50 = 11.1 and 11.3 mg/ml, respectively). Furthermore, hydrolyzates prepared by various proteases gave differing AGH inhibitory activity. DEAE-Sephadex chromatography of the alkaline protease hydrolyzate eluted potent AGH inhibitors (IC50 = 15.6 mg/ml) with a 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 0.3 M NaCl, and their subsequent separation by HPLC in an ODS column showed that there were some inhibitors possessing primary amino groups. This indicates that they would have been high anionic and peptidic compounds.

S-methylmethionine sulfonium in fruits of citrus hybrids.

The S-methylmethionine sulfonium (MMS) concentrations in fruits of citrus hybrids were measured, and found to increase during ripening of the fruit. However, there of eleven hybrids of 'Seto unshiu' crossed with 'Morita ponkan' and four of 9 hybrids of 'Murcott' tangor crossed with 'Seto unshiu' had low MMS concentrations even at late harvest stage. Crossbreeding is useful in producing new citrus fruits that have juices with the desirable characteristics of their parents without formation of dimethyl sulfide which is an off-flavor.

Five new anthocyanins, ternatins A3, B4, B3, B2, and D2, from Clitoria ternatea flowers.

Five new ternatins 1-5 have been isolated from Clitoria ternatea flowers, and the structures have been determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods as delphinidin 3-malonylG having 3'-GCG-5'-GCG, 3'-GCG-5'-GC, 3'-GCGCG-5'-GC, 3'-GCGC-5'-GCG, and 3'-GCGC-5'-GC side chains, respectively, in which G is D-glucose and C is p-coumaric acid. Pigment 1 had symmetric 3',5'-side chains. Compounds 3 and 4 are structural isomers. These ternatins were shown to form an intramolecular stacking between the aglycon ring and the 3',5'-side chains in solution.

Sterilization of microorganisms by the supercritical carbon dioxide micro-bubble method.

Lactobacillus brevis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were completely sterilized by the supercritical (SC) CO2 micro-bubble method. Gaseous (G) and liquid (LQ) CO2 were used in a similar manner to compare the sterilizing effect. Among the three treatments, the microorganisms were only effectively sterilized by the SC CO2 treatment at 25 MPa and 35 degrees C.