Discovery of an S-equol rich food stinky tofu, a traditional fermented soy product in Taiwan.

A recent epidemiological study showed that daily intake of mg quantities of S-equol is required for health-promoting effects in menopausal women. However, the maximum equol content in food was reported to be approximately 130 µg/100 g in egg yolk. The objective of this study was to find a high equol-containing food. We measured the equol content of 33 egg yolks and 21 fermented soybean foods. Equol was detected in 28 egg yolks at the maximum content of 43 µg/100 g. In the fermented soybean foods, equol was detected only in stinky tofu. We examined 16 stinky tofu samples purchased during different seasons and the average equol content was 1.39 mg/100 g, ranging from 0.34 to 2.68 mg/100 g. Equol was present in stinky tofu as the S-enantiomeric form and as an aglycon type. This is the first report demonstrating that stinky tofu contains high levels of S-equol, which may exert beneficial effects in menopausal women.

A quantitative and relative increase in intestinal bacteroides in allergic infants in rural Japan.

Recent studies have suggested that intestinal microbiota play a substantial role in the development of allergic diseases during infancy. We analyzed fecal microbiota in 18 Japanese infants with or without allergy at 6 months and 2 years of age using a cell culture technique. Allergy determination was based on doctor-diagnosed allergic diseases and skin prick tests. There were no differences between 9 allergic and 9 non-allergic infants at 6 months of age in the frequencies or counts of 13 genera and yeast-like organisms. Bifidobacterium was dominant in all infants irrespective of allergy status. At 2 years of age, 8 infants were non-allergic and 10 infants were allergic. Allergic infants at 2 years of age had higher counts of Bacteroides and higher ratios of Bacteroides to Bifidobacterium than non-allergic infants. Despite the small population size used in this study, the results support a significant role of Bacteroides in the pathogenesis of allergy during infancy.

Clinical efficacy of apple polyphenol for treating cedar pollinosis.

A double-blind comparative study was conducted on cedar pollinosis patients in order to evaluate the treatment efficacy of apple polyphenol (Ap). Ap was administered (500 mg) once daily for 12 weeks, starting about 2 weeks prior to cedar pollen dispersion. Pollinosis symptoms during the study were evaluated according to the classification in the guidelines for allergic rhinitis diagnosis and treatment. The results show that the sneezing score was significantly lower for the Ap group than with the placebo group during the early period of pollen dispersion and during the main dispersion period. In addition, no adverse reactions were induced by Ap during the study. These results suggest that Ap may alleviate the symptoms of cedar pollinosis.

Differences in fecal microflora between patients with atopic dermatitis and healthy control subjects.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD), has been increasing. However, few investigations have been made of the intestinal microflora in Japanese patients with AD. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in microflora, fecal serum IgA concentrations, and skin IgA contents between patients with AD and healthy control subjects. METHODS: This trial was conducted as a case-control study using 30 minor patients with AD and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (n = 68). One week after a questionnaire was administered, fecal specimens and 24-hour skin secretion specimens were collected from all subjects. Fecal microflora, fecal IgA concentrations, and IgA contents on the skin surface were analyzed. RESULTS: The counts of Bifidobacterium (in log10 colony-forming units per gram) were significantly lower in patients with AD than in healthy control subjects (9.75 +/- 0.68 vs 10.10 +/- 0.50 log(10) colony-forming units/g, P <.05). In particular, percentages of Bifidobacterium were significantly lower in patients with severe skin symptoms than in those with mild skin symptoms (40% +/- 6% vs 19% +/- 6%, P <.05). In addition, the frequency of occurrence of Staphylococcus was significantly higher in patients with AD than in healthy control subjects (83% vs 59%, P <.05). There were no significant differences in fecal IgA content or IgA content on the skin between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with AD had lower counts of Bifidobacterium than healthy control subjects, and the frequency of Staphylococcus was higher in patients with AD than in control subjects. Disorder of the intestinal microflora might play a role in the onset of AD and the aggravation of skin symptoms.