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Luminescent particles have been attracting significant attention because they can be used in biochemical applications, such as detecting and imaging biomolecules. In this study, luminescent polystyrene latex particles were prepared through miniemulsion polymerization of styrene with dissolved europium complexes in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and poly(ethylene glycol) monomethoxy methacrylate as surfactants. The solubility of the europium complex in styrene has a strong effect on the yield of the particle. Europium tris(2-thenoyl trifluoroacetonate) di(tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide), which has a high solubility in styrene, was sufficiently incorporated into the polystyrene particles compared to europium tris(2-thenoyl trifluoroacetonate), which has a low solubility in styrene. The luminescence property of the europium complex could remain intact even after its incorporation through the miniemulsion polymerization. In the aqueous dispersion, the resulting particles could emit strong luminescence, which is a characteristic of the europium complex. The antibody fragments were covalently attached to BSA-covered particles after a reaction with a bifunctional linker, N-(6-maleimidocaproyloxy)succinimide. The time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay technique showed that 3.3pg/mL of human α-fetoproteins (AFP) can be detected by using the resulting luminescent particles. An immunochromatographic assay using the resulting particles was also performed as a convenient method to qualitatively detect biomolecules. The detection limit of AFP measured by the immunochromatographic assay was determined to be 2000pg/mL. These results revealed that the luminescent particles obtained in this study can be utilized for the highly sensitive detection of biomolecules and in vitro biochemical diagnosis.

The difference in microbiota including non-lactic acid bacteria, non-acetic acid bacteria, and wild yeast during winemaking and in the end-products between sulfite-added and sulfite-free wine, was investigated using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and a culture-dependent method. There were differences between the microorganisms detected by PCR-DGGE and those detected by the culture-dependent method, probably because of the selectivity of culture medium and the characteristics of PCR-based method. In both the red wine and white wine, the microbial diversity of the sulfite-added wine was lower than that of the sulfite-free wine during fermentation. Tatumella terrea was detected from the fermenting must by PCR-DGGE and by the culture-dependent method, even though sulfite inhibited its growth to some extent. We confirmed that the addition of sulfite plays an important role in winemaking by inhibiting the growth of unexpected microorganisms, but on the other hand, it was revealed that some microorganisms can survive and grow in sulfite-added fermenting must. We also analyzed 15 samples of commercial wines by the PCR-DGGE method and detected various microorganisms. Among them, Sphingomonas sp., Pseudozyma sp., Ochromonas sp. and Methylophilus sp. were found for the first time in wine as far as we know. We did not identify a specific microorganism that was detected only from wines without sulfite addition. Thus, the microbiota of end-products seemed to be influenced by other factors, such as filtration before bottling, the production equipment and the storage environment.

Various methods are used for analyzing a bacterial community. We recently developed a method for quantifying each bacterium constituting the microbiota by combining a next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis with a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (NGS-qPCR) assay. Our NGS-qPCR method is useful for analyzing a comprehensive bacterial community because it is enables the easy calculation of the amounts of each bacterium constituting the microbiota. However, it has not been confirmed whether the estimated bacterial community obtained using this NGS-qPCR method corresponds to the results obtained using conventional methods. Accordingly, we prepared model bacterial community samples and analyzed them by several methods (NGS-qPCR, species-specific qPCR, flow cytometry, total direct counting by epifluorescent microscopy [TDC], and plate count). The total bacterial cell densities determined by the PCR-based methods were largely consistent with those determined by the TDC method. There was a difference between the amounts of each bacterium analyzed by NGS-qPCR and species-specific qPCR, although the same trend was shown by both species-specific qPCR and NGS-qPCR. Our findings also demonstrated that there is a strong positive correlation between the cell densities of a specific bacterial group in craft beer samples determined by group-specific qPCR and NGS-qPCR, and there were no significant differences among quantification methods (we tested two bacterial groups: lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria). Thus, the NGS-qPCR method is a practical method for analyzing a comprehensive bacterial community based on a bacterial cell density.

The relationships among flavor stability, antioxidant activity, and aging-related indices of beer were examined in traditional all-malt and adjunct beer, Happoshu (a beer-like beverage with less th...

Fermented foods and beverages contain several different types of dipeptides, which are believed to be important components for taste. To date, however, a method for the comprehensive analysis of dipeptides in these products has not yet been established. In this study, comprehensive analysis of dipeptides in alcoholic beverages was performed by a high-resolution separation method based on the structural characteristics of 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC)-derivatized dipeptides as well as dipeptide quantification and structural estimation using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) and UHPLC-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOFMS), respectively. Dipeptide content was found to differ considerably among Japanese sake, beer, and wine; UHPLC–MS/MS analysis revealed that many types of dipeptides are present in sake. Dipeptide quantification analysis identified 32 types of dipeptides within the concentration range of 1.1–97.2 μM in sake. The analysis was validated by dipeptide recovery of 64.0–107.2% (2.5 μM of standard) with a relative standard deviation of ≤33.2% from an actual alcoholic sample. Furthermore, UHPLC-Q-TOFMS analysis suggested the existence of more than 35 types of dipeptides in sake. Thus, by the combined analysis methods, we discovered that more than 60 dipeptides are present in sake. This research is the first report of dipeptide profiling of fermented alcoholic beverages by comprehensive analysis.

Here, we examined the effect of soy peptides (SPs) on the fermentation and growth of Yeast Bank Weihenstephan 34/70 (W34/70), a bottom-fermenting yeast. We compared fermentation for SP with that for a free amino acid (FAA) mixture having the same amino acid composition as SP, as a nitrogen source. Maltose syrup was used as a carbon source, and the medium contained excess amounts of essential minerals and vitamins. We observed that SP was better than FAA mixture at promoting fermentation and growth and that much more beta-phenylethyl alcohol was produced during fermentation with SP than with FAA mixture. Subsequently, we compared fermentations with the FAA mixture and selected mixtures containing various dipeptides of Phe as a nitrogen source. We found that the rates of Phe metabolism and beta-phenylethyl alcohol generation were much higher when Phe was presented as a dipeptide (Phe-Asp, Phe-Leu, or Phe-Phe) than when presented as FAA. These results show that amino acids such as Phe are absorbed more rapidly when presented as a peptide than as FAA, resulting in a more rapid production of beta-phenylethyl alcohol.

A continuous, primary bottom fermentation system for beer brewing with the ability to maintain a stable and high level of yeast activity during its long operation was designed, and its performance was evaluated. The basic strategy was to realize the same physiologically or morphologically synchronized changes in yeast and wort constituents during the main fermentation as those realized in traditional bottom beer fermentations. The liquid nonabsorbent carrier particles used to fill the fermenter successfully promoted the fermentation of wort sugars, which were supplied from the top of the fermenter, by preventing their rapid sinking. In addition, the carrier particles displayed other benefits that resulted in effective operation. The quality of the harvested young beer was satisfactory but had a low ester content that might be improved by further studies.

Proanthocyanidins, which are oligomers and polymers of flavan-3-ol units (e.g., (+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin), are important components of grapes for red winemaking. Flavan-3-ols are biosynthesized by the catalysis of anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) and leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR). In this study, we investigated the effect of shading on proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in berries of Vitis vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. Shading of the berries reduced the accumulation of proanthocyanidins and the transcription of ANR and LAR genes in the skins during berry development, while no significant effect was observed in the seeds. Because the proanthocyanidins significantly decreased in the skins and seeds of the control berries during ripening, the levels of proanthocyanidins were similar in the shaded and control berries at the harvest stage.

Beer brewing using a fusant between a sake yeast (a lysine auxotrophic mutant of sake yeast K-14) and a brewer's yeast (a respiratory-deficient mutant of the top fermentation yeast NCYC1333) was performed to take advantage of the beneficial characteristics of sake yeasts, i.e., the high productivity of esters, high tolerance to ethanol, and high osmotolerance. The fusant (F-32) obtained was different from the parental yeasts regarding, for example, the assimilation of carbon sources and tolerance to ethanol. A brewing trial with the fusant was carried out using a 100-l pilot-scale plant. The fusant fermented wort more rapidly than the parental brewer's yeast. However, the sedimentation capacity of the fusant was relatively low. The beer brewed using the fusant contained more ethanol and esters compared to that brewed using the parental brewer's yeast. The fusant also obtained osmotolerance in the fermentation of maltose and fermented high-gravity wort well.

Solid-state culture of microorganisms is an important style of culture both in the traditional food industry and in the modern fermentation industry. We propose here a simple method for metabolite extraction from the solid-state fermentation of a filamentous fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, which is known as rice-koji. To evaluate the efficiency of metabolite extraction, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was used for simultaneous detection of a wide range of metabolites including amino acids, organic acids and vitamins, which are of interest in rice-koji making. Among eleven different metabolite extraction methods tested, we found that extraction using acetonitrile/water (50:50), coupled with boiling at 70 °C for 5 min, was advantageous in terms of both extraction yield and metabolism quenching. We consider that our method provides a technical basis for metabolome analysis of a solid-state fermentation.

The ball-milling hydration of highly reactive β-Ca 2 SiO 4 synthesized from hillebrandite, Ca 2 (SiO 3 )(OH) 2 , was investigated and compared with its static hydration under a water/solid ratio of 10. In static hydration, the hydration is completed in 8 days to yield C-S-H with a Ca/Si ratio of 1.81 and Ca(OH) 2 . There is no major change after this period. In the case of ball milling, the hydration is completed in 2 days to yield C-S-H with Ca/Si=1.81 and Ca(OH) 2 . After this, the two products react to form a C-S-H(II)-like monophase hydrate having a Ca/Si ratio of 1.98. The morphology and structure of this hydrate are different from those of the earlier hydrate, and afwillite is not formed. 29 Si MAS NMR measurements indicated the C-S-H to be a mixture of dimers and single-chain structures. Dimeric species are the main species up to completion of the reaction, but polymerization progresses very rapidly after the completion

We isolated a mutant with low acetic acid and high ethanol productivities from 2-deoxyglucose-resistant mutants of brewers’ yeast NCYC1245 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). To determine the mechanism for these properties in the mutant (2DGR19) during fermentation, gene expression and enzyme activity related to acetic acid and ethanol production were investigated. DNA microarray analysis revealed that the transcriptional levels of many genes involved in glycolysis were higher in 2DGR19 than in NCYC1245. Among these transcriptional levels of 2DGR19 relative to NCYC1245, the expression level of ADH4 encoding alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was highest, which corresponded to the high ADH activity in 2DGR19. Quantitative PCR analysis also revealed that the transcriptional level of ADH4 was the highest among ADH1 to ADH4. Although no significant differences in the transcriptional levels of ALD2 to ALD6 encoding acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALD) between 2DGR19 and NCYC1245 were observed, ALD activity in 2DGR19 was lower. Using quantitative PCR analysis, ALD6 was found to be the most highly expressed among the ALD2 to ALD6 genes. These results indicate that ALD6 contributes to a low ALD activity, depending on post-transcriptional regulation. A high ADH activity appeared to be the major reason for the high ethanol productivity of 2DGR19. A low ALD activity was considered to be principally responsible for a low acetic acid productivity, although a high ADH activity also might have played a role. Beer brewed using 2DGR19 in pilot-scale high-gravity brewing contained about half as much acetic acid and 1.1% more ethanol compared with that brewed using NCYC1245. The use of 2DGR19 may overcome difficulties associated with high-gravity brewing.