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This study was conducted to clarify the effect of eucalyptus essential oil mixed with milk casein peptide food for human physiological relaxation. Fifteen male university students (21.2 ± 0.9 yr) participated in study as subjects. The subjects were given one of two types of experimental drink (peptide + eucalyptus flavor (Pep + EF), and peptide + grapefruit·orange flavor (Pep + G·O), each flavor contains natural essential oil). We measured the change in salivary cortisol concentration and POMS scores before and two hours after taking experimental drink. The results of a Type A behavior pattern test were used to classify subjects. The concentration of salivary cortisol decreased significantly two hours after taking Pep + EF. And Type B showed bigger change than Type A. In conclusion, the results show that eucalyptus essential oil has the effect of relaxation, and that the effects on Type A and Type B are different.

Background: The gut microbiota of breast-fed infants is dominated by infant-type human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB) that contribute to infant health; thus, it is crucial to develop infant formulas that promote the establishment of a gut microbiota enriched with infant-type HRB, closely resembling that of breastfed infants. Methods: We compared various non-digestible prebiotic oligosaccharides and their combinations using a fecal culture system to explore which candidates could promote the growth of all infant-type HRB and rarely yield non-responders. The analysis included lactulose (LAC), raffinose (RAF), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and short- and long-chain fructooligosaccharides. Fecal samples were collected from seven infants aged 1.5–10.2 months and cultured with each oligosaccharide individually or their combinations. Results: No single oligosaccharide effectively promoted the growth of all infant-type HRB, although GOS promoted the growth of HRB other than Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum. Only the LAC/RAF/GOS group evenly and effectively promoted the growth of all infant-type HRB. Accordingly, acetate production was higher in fecal cultures supplemented with GOS or LAC/RAF/GOS than in the other cultures, suggesting that it is a superior combination for all infant-type HRB and rarely yields non-responders. Conclusions: This study can aid in developing infant formulas that help align the gut microbiota of formula-fed infants with that of breastfed infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many improvements have been made to bring infant formula (IF) closer to human milk (HM) regarding its nutritional and biological properties. Nevertheless, the protein components of HM and IF are still different, which may affect their digestibility. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the protein digestibility of HM and IF using the infant INFOGEST digestion method. Pooled HM and a commercial IF were subjected to the infant INFOGEST method, which simulates the physiological digestion conditions of infants, with multiple directions, i.e. the curd state, gel images of SDS-PAGE, molecular weight distribution, free amino acid concentrations and in vitro protein digestion rate. HM underwent proteolysis before digestion and tended to have a higher protein digestion rate with finer curds during gastric digestion, than the IF. However, multifaceted analyses showed that the protein digestibility of HM and IF was not significantly different after gastrointestinal digestion. In conclusion, the infant INFOGEST method showed that the digestibility of HM and IF proteins differed to some extent before digestion and after gastric digestion, but not at the end of gastrointestinal digestion. The findings of this study will contribute to the refinement of IF with better protein digestibility in infant stomach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idealized numerical simulations of the Kuroshio western boundary current flowing over the Hirase seamount were conducted to examine the mechanisms of phenomena observed by shipboard and mooring measurements. Along the Kuroshio, enhanced mixing [vertical diffusivity, Kρ = O(10−2) m2 s−1] was observed in a low-stratification layer between high-shear layers around low tide, and a V-shaped band of the negative vertical component of relative vorticity (ζz) was also observed. Those features were reproduced in simulations of the Kuroshio that included the D2 tide. In the simulation, a streak of negative ζz detached from the Hirase turned into vertically tilted 10-km-scale vortices. The buoyancy frequency squared (N2) budget at the mooring position showed that the low stratification was caused by vertical and horizontal advection and horizontal tilting. The Kρ tended to increase when the Ertel potential vorticity (PV) < 0, as expected given the inertial instability. However, the magnitude of Kρ also depended on the tidal phase near Hirase, and Kρ was increased in the high vertical shear zones at the periphery of vortices where a strain motion is large. These results indicate that not only inertial instability but also tidal and vertical shear effects are important for driving turbulent mixing. Significance Statement: A basin-scale distribution of wind stress drives a strong surface-intensified current in the western part of each ocean basin, such as the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio. This western boundary current is regarded as a place where the kinetic energy and vorticity generated by winds are dissipated, allowing the basin-scale circulation to keep a steady state, but its dissipation mechanisms are not well understood. To understand the mechanisms, we conducted idealized numerical simulations that isolate the interactions between a seamount and the current as well as tidal currents, and compared results with observations. Our findings provide insights into how the current transfers kinetic energy to smaller scales when it flows over a seamount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]