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In the present paper, we investigated the characteristics of chalky rice grains generated by ripening under high temperature and compared them with whole grains. We evaluated 14 unpolished Japonica rice grains harvested in Japan in 2021, and these samples (original grains) were divided into two groups (a whole grain group and a chalky grain one). We found that not only activities of endogenous amylase and proteinase, but also cell wall-degrading enzymes, such as xylanase and cellulase, changed markedly between chalky grains and whole grains. Using rice grains blended with 30% of chalky grains as the material, we compared the sugar and mineral contents and textural properties of the rice grains soaked and boiled in either ordinary water or hard water, such as Evian or Contrex. It was shown that xylanase, in addition to amylase and proteinase, may play an important role in changing the texture of the boiled chalky rice grains. For the sake of preventing the above-mentioned deterioration in the texture of boiled grains of chalky rice, we tried to use hard water, such as Evian or Contrex, to soak and cook the chalky rice grains. It was shown that the hard water was useful for the prevention of texture deterioration of the boiled rice grains due to inhibition of the activities of endogenous hydrolytic enzymes, such as α-amylase, β-amylase, proteinase, and xylanase. Furthermore, we found that the hard water was useful in increasing the calcium absorption through the meal by 2.6 to 16.5 times.

The apparent amylose content (AAC) is usually measured by an iodine colorimetric method using the starch as a sample. Nevertheless, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive to prepare rice starch. Therefore, we compared two methods, starch method and milled rice flour method. The former AACs were higher than the latter and correlated with pasting properties, physical properties and sensory scores better than the latter. Therefore, we developed a novel formula for estimating the AACs of starches from japonica rice cultivars using milled rice flours instead of using rice starch. The correlation coefficients of the new formula were 0.89 for calibration and 0.94 for validation, which showed that this equation can be applied to unknown japonica rice samples, and will lead to easy, rapid, and accurate iodine method to determine rice AACs using milled rice flours instead of starch. Abbreviations: AAC: apparent amylose content; RS: resistant starch; SLC: super-long chain; CD: chain length distribution; RVA: Rapid Visco Analyzer; SB: setback; BD: breakdown; Max.vis: maximum viscosity; Min.vis: minimum viscosity; Pt: pasting temperature; Cons: consistency; Final.vis: Final viscosity; SB/Cons: setback/consistency; Max/Min: maximum viscosity/minimum viscosity; Max/Fin: maximum viscosity/final viscosity. Formula for estimating the AACs of rice starch based on the iodine colorimetric analysis using milled rice flour.

This study reports that black rice bran (BRB) intake for 50-52 consecutive weeks (∼12 months) reduces tau phosphorylation with a concomitant activation of insulin signaling and subsequent PI3K/AKT pathway in the brain of aged normal mice. BRB holds promise for preventing the formation of neurofibrillary tangles consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

With rice being one of the most important crops worldwide, rapid and objective quality evaluation methods based on physicochemical measurements of rice are necessary. We compared the pasting properties of various rice samples using three different heating and cooling programs (maximum temperatures were 93, 120, and 140 °C, respectively) in a newly developed high-temperature-type Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA , RVA 4800). Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between the different pasting properties measured by the three programs, with starch microstructure measured by iodine scanning analysis, the physical properties of the cooked rice measured by a Tensipresser after 2 h at 25 °C or after 24 h at 6 °C, and prolamin ratio measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The consistency value (final viscosity–minimum viscosity) yielded by a new program of maintenance for 2 min at 120 °C using RVA 4800 had a higher positive correlation with retrograded surface hardness H1(R) (r = 0.92), retrograded overall hardness H2(R) (r = 0.90), and the absorbance at λmax (Aλmax) of cooked rice (r = 0.88) and resistant starch (r = 0.80) than those by the conventional program at 93 °C. We developed estimation formulae for H1(R) for various kinds of rice, of which the determination coefficient was 0.86. It led to an easy and rapid assay method for the cooking properties of the various rice samples.

Introduction Oxygen has positive benefits and potentially damaging properties in biological systems. It is a highly reactive molecule, which participates in a high-energy electron transfer and through oxidative phosphorylation thereby supports generation of adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP)

According to WHO report, globally, an estimated 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, and diabetes of all types can lead to complications in many parts of the body and increase the overall risk of dying prematurely [1].

In this study, we evaluated 16 Japanese and Chinese rice cultivars in terms of their main chemical components, iodine absorption curve, apparent amylose content (AAC), pasting property, resistant starch content, physical properties, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, and enzyme activity. Based on these quality evaluations, we concluded that Chinese rice varieties are characterized by a high protein and the grain texture after cooking has high hardness and low stickiness. In a previous study, we developed a novel formula for estimating AAC based on the iodine absorption curve. The validation test showed a determination coefficient of 0.996 for estimating AAC of Chinese rice cultivars as unknown samples. In the present study, we developed a novel formulae for estimating the balance degree of the surface layer of cooked rice (A3/A1: a ratio of workload of stickiness and hardness) based on the iodine absorption curve obtained using milled rice.

We searched for the easy and simple method to measure the novel indicators which reflect not only AAC, but also (RS) based on pasting properties using RVA. Novel indexes such as SB/Con and Max/Fin (Maximum viscosity/Minimum viscosity) ratios had a very high correlation with proportion of intermediate and long chains of amylopectin; Fb1+2+3 (DP ≧ 13). In Japonica polished rice, estimation formulae for AAC and RS content were developed using novel indexes based on pasting properties by RVA, and these equations showed determination coefficients of 0.89 and 0.80 for calibration and 0.71 and 0.75 for validation test. We developed the estimation formulae for AAC and RS content for Japonica starch samples. These equations showed determination coefficients of 0.86 and 1.00 for calibration and 0.76 and 0.83 for validation test, which showed that these equations can be applied to the unknown rice samples.

Digestion-resistant starch (RS) has many physiologic functions. The RS content is measured by enzymatically degrading flour samples according to the method of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Experiments have been performed with wheat, corn, and other grains, but there are no data for cooked rice grains in the form ingested by humans. Thus, we investigated a method to measure RS that is suitable for cooked rice grains using rice cultivars that are reported to differentially increase postprandial blood glucose in humans. Using a method for cooking individual rice grains and optimized enzyme reaction conditions, we established an RS measurement method. We also found that the amylopectin crystal condition affects the RS content measured using our method.

Objective: To examine whether concurrent use of benzodiazepines (BZDs) affects continuation rates for suvorexant. Background: A wider range of different BZDs and similar drugs are available on prescription in Japan than in other countries, making prescribing more complicated. Safety has only been indicated for the use of suvorexant as monotherapy in primary insomnia. Understanding the safety of concurrent use of suvorexant with other drugs could simplify prescriptions for insomnia. Material and Methods: We obtained the prescription records of patients who were hospitalized or attended outpatient appointments, and were prescribed suvorexant, at Showa University Karasuyama Hospital between November 2014 and April 2016. Results: Patients prescribed suvorexant were retrospectively surveyed for drug discontinuation as indicated in their medical records. Among 326 patients who were prescribed suvorexant during the study period, use of the medication could not be confirmed in 20 patients, who were therefore excluded. This left a final study sample of 306 patients. We could track 289 patients up until day 90. There were no significant differences observed between patients treated with a BZD combination (54.0%) and those not treated with a combination (46.0%) in terms of medication continuation across the 90-day observation period (Exp(B)=1.304, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.827-2.057, P=0.253). The rates of side effect onset were also not significantly different. Conclusion: We observed that concurrent use of BZD was not related to withdrawal from suvorexant in patients being treated for insomnia.

We evaluated the effect of heat–moisture treatment (HMT) on the main chemical components, physical properties, and enzyme activities of two types of brown rice flour: high-amylose Koshinokaori and normal-quality Koshiibuki. Five different HMTs using brown rice (moisture content was 12.0%) were assessed: 0.1 MPa/120 °C for 5 or 10 min, 0.2 MPa/134 °C for 5 or 10 min and 0.3 MPa/144 °C for 10 min. HMT, decreased the α-amylase and lipase activities, and fat acidity, and slightly increased the dietary fiber and resistant starch levels. After 2 months’ storage at 35 °C, rice samples that were treated with 0.2 MPa/134 °C or 0.3 MPa/144 °C for 10 min had a lower fat acidity than untreated samples, which would be useful for long-term storage and export of rice flour. And HMT exhibited inhibition of retrogradation in the pasting and physical properties, which is profitable to promote the qualities of the rice products. There was no increase in the fat acidity of the samples treated with 0.3 MPa/10 min HMT during 2 months’ storage at 35 °C.

Objective The aim of this study was to extract the factors possibly associated with sertraline treatment response and elucidate their interactions and extent of influence. Methods Demographic state, stress state, personality, and eight genetic polymorphisms at baseline and clinical symptoms at baseline and 8 weeks were analyzed and examined by logistic regression and a structural equation model in sertraline treatment study of 96 Japanese patients with major depressive disorder. Results Non-responders were associated with higher scores of harm avoidance in Temperament and Character Inventory, higher scores (≥24) of 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression at baseline, recurrence, and 12/12 genotype of the serotonin transporter variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism in intron 2 (5HTTSTin2). When we calculated the response index using four factors extracted, the mean response index value of non-responders was significantly higher than that of responders. The symptoms at baseline, personality, recurrence, and polymorphism of 5HTTSTin2 showed significantly direct and positive influences on the symptoms at 8 weeks in our final structural equation model with a good model fit. Conclusion Considering the combination of four factors extracted may be useful for predicting a worse response to sertraline treatment and selecting different treatment other than sertraline. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We developed a method for the preparation of template DNAs for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from beer. We improved the method by (i) lyophilizing and pulverizing the beer to concentrate DNAs, (ii) decomposition of polysaccharides and proteins so as not to inhibit DNA extraction by the use of heat-resistant amylase and proteinase K, (iii) separation of template DNA by purification using 70% EtOH extraction and isopropyl alcohol precipitation, and (iv) the use of magnetic beads to purify DNA. We developed suitable 7 STS (sequence-tagged site) primers related to beer quality for PCR, and it proved possible to identify 16 dominant malting barley cultivars and 22 kinds of beers. To digitize the results of PCR, discriminative DNA bands were binarized as 0 (disappeared) or 1 (appeared) and subjected to multiple regression analysis. Estimation formulae for the quality of beer were developed using the above-mentioned independent variables based on the results of PCR against dependent variables related to the qualities of beer, including foam stability, bitterness, sourness and astringency. These equations showed multiple regression coefficients of 0.93, 0.82, 0.87, and 0.87 for calibration.

Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes are very serious diseases with the latter having been suggested to cause the former. We prepared super-hard rice bread blended with black rice bran (SRBBB), which contained a high amount of resistant starch that showed strong inhibitory activities against β-secretase and acetylcholinesterase even after heating. Black rice bran showed greater β-secretase inhibitory activity (3.6-fold) than Koshihikari rice. The bran contained more oleic acid and anthocyanin, meaning that it is potentially a biofunctional food with a high antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, aged mice, which were fed a SRBBB diet for four weeks, showed lower amyloid β 40 peptide in the blood than mice fed a commercial diet (p

Such rice cultivars as Japonica, Japonica-Indica hybrid, Javanica and Indica, were evaluated for their main chemical components (amylose content and protein content), pasting property of rice flour (consistency), physical property of the cooked rice grains (adhesion, L3), and enzyme activities (cellulase and xylanase). The amylose content, cellulase activity and xylanase activity showed significant positive or negative correlation with the pasting property (consistency) of rice flour (r = 0.89, r = 0.58, r = 0.70, respectively) and with the physical property of the cooked rice grains (adhesion, L3: r = -0.51, r = -0.61, r = -0.71, respectively) at the level of 1%. Endogenous xylanase and cellulase played important roles to determine the texture of the cooked rice grains similarly to the amylose content. Part of the DNA sequences of the α-glucosidase gene differed among the Japonica, Japonica-Indica hybrid and Indica subspecies. We found discriminative DNA bands appearing by PCR, corresponding to 1,4-β-xylanase and endo-1,4-β-glucanase 13 in the case of Indica rice, Indica-Japonica hybrid rice, and Javanica rice (non-Japonica subspecies). The equation for estimating the physical property (adhesion) of cooked rice grains by PCR was improved by adding novel primers related to the cell-wall-degrading enzymes.

The processing suitability as a material for rice crackers was characterized in the present study, based on physicochemical measurements and sensory testing of high-quality premium rice, low-amylose rice, Japonica-Indica hybrid rice, and red rice as the rice cultivar samples. Puffed rice crackers were prepared and the relationship between the physicochemical properties of the rice grains and the quality of the resulting products was investigated. It was possible to estimate the physical properties of a rice cracker by using multiple-regression analysis based on the chemical components, pasting properties and physical properties of the constituent rice. A formula for estimating the amylose content of the constituent rice was developed from the results of physicochemical measurements of the rice crackers. We assayed the quality of commercial rice crackers and examined the deterioration during the storage by measuring the physicochemical properties. The hardness and fat acidity of crackers increased markedly during storage for 20 d at 35 °C. The novel method of a one-bite test with a Tensipresser was useful to assay the quality of a rice cracker and made it possible to evaluate the quality deterioration of the rice cracker during storage.

As ae mutant rice, such as EM10, lacks the starch branching enzyme IIb, its amylopectin contains more long-chain glucans than that of ordinary Indica and Japonica rice grains. Although boiled grains of ae rice cultivars are too hard and nonsticky for table rice, they are promising in terms of biofunctionality, such as prevention of diabetes. The present paper investigates the characterization of a novel group of four ae mutant rice cultivars (EM72, EM145, EM174, and EM189). They were subjected to the evaluation for their main chemical components, physical properties, and enzyme activities at different grain conditions (raw milled rice, roasted rice, boiled rice, and rice boiled after preroasting). These mutant rice grains are characterized by high apparent amylose, high protein and high glucose contents, high pasting temperature, high α-amylase activities, high resistant starch, and low degree of gelatinization. A novel method was developed to maintain the high resistant starch contents of gelatinized rice grains. Rice boild after preroasting showed a higher ratio of resistant starch and a lower amount of glucose than ordinary boiled rice. It became possible to produce high-quality and biofunctional pregelatinized rice flours by boiling with frozen fruits, such as tomatoes, after rice grains had been preroasted. These ae mutants were found to be suitable materials for rice/fruit or rice/vegetable products to serve as palatable, low-glucose, and high resistant starch rice products.

The physicochemical properties of rice flour and wheat flour influenced the oil uptake of tempura frying batter. Rice flour was better than wheat flour in the overall quality and crispness of the fried tempura batter. Rice flour resisted oil absorption more than wheat flour, and a higher level of apparent starch amylose and higher consistency/breakdown ratio of the pasting properties led to a lower oil uptake of the batter. Super hard EM10 rice showed the highest apparent amylose content and higher consistency/breakdown ratio than the other flour samples, the batter from EM10 revealing the lowest oil content after frying among all the batters examined. The apparent amylose content, consistency/breakdown ratio and oil absorption index are proposed as useful guides for oil absorption when frying from among the physicochemical properties that influence the oil content of fried batter. Our proposal for the "oil absorption index" could be a simple, although not perfect method for estimating the oil content of batter flour.

Human beta-defensins (hBDs), a group of antimicrobial peptides, are involved in the protective barrier of the oral epithelium. Nicotine induces periodontal and oral epithelial diseases. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of nicotine on the expression pattern of hBD-2 in keratinocytes. HaCaT cells, a keratinocyte cell line, were incubated with 8, 15, 30, or 80 μM nicotine for 24 h. Expression of hBD-2 was observed by RT-PCR, qRTPCR, and ELISA assay. The cells were treated with inhibitors for intracellular pathways (p38MAP kinase, NF-κB, JNK, MAPK-ERK) and with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) inhibitors in a series of experiments. Data were analyzed using Student’s t test. qRT-PCR revealed that the expression level of hBD-2 mRNA was significantly higher at 30 and 80 μM nicotine than the control without nicotine (P < 0.05). The 80 μM cell extraction contained significantly higher hBD-2 peptide levels than the control (P < 0.05). The p38MAP kinase inhibitor abolished the upregulated expression of hBD-2 by nicotine. Both nAChR inhibitors also abolished the upregulation of hBD-2 by nicotine. The present study demonstrated that nicotine causes upregulated expression of hBD-2 via the p38MAP kinase pathway in keratinocytes.

The identification of cereal grain sources in yeast leavened breads is challenging because of the mixtures of DNA from yeast and mixtures of related grains. DNA is decomposed during the fermentation and bread consists of not only rice but also wheat, yeast, sugar, butter, shortening etc. Wheat-specific and rice-specific PCR primers were developed to amplify the wheat DNA or rice DNA to detect the contamination of rice in wheat bread and to detect wheat contamination in rice bread. These primers are useful for PCR to prevent allergic patients from eating, unconsciously, bread contaminated with allergen cereals. A novel method was developed to identify or differentiate the cultivar of rice using a wheat/rice blended bread as a sample. The template DNA for PCR was prepared by the CTAB method followed by the extraction of DNA with 70% ethyl alcohol. Four kinds of suitable PCR primers were developed or selected to amplify only the DNAs of material rice without the proliferation of DNAs derived from wheat or yeast. It became possible to identify or differentiate these 4 kinds of characteristic rice cultivars from each other by PCR using the wheat/rice blended bread as a sample.

As many rice wine brewers label the name of the cultivar of the material rice, authentication technology is necessary. The problems are (1) decomposition of DNAs during the fermentation, (2) contamination of DNAs from microorganisms, (3) co-existence of PCR inhibitors, such as polyphenols. The present authors improved the PCR method by (1) lyophilizing and pulverizing the rice wine to concentrate DNAs, (2) decomposition of starches and proteins so as not to inhibit DNA extraction by the use of heat-resistant amylase and proteinase K, (3) purification of the template DNA by the combination of CTAB method and fractional precipitation by 70% EtOH. To prevent the amplification of microorganism's DNAs during PCR, the present authors selected the suitable plant-specific primers. It became possible to prepare the template DNAs for PCR from the rice wine. The sequences of the amplified DNAs by PCR were ascertained to be same with those of material rice. Mislabeling of material rice cultivar was detected by PCR using the commercial rice wine. It became possible to extract and purify the template DNAs for PCR from the rice wine and to differentiate the material rice cultivars by the PCR using the rice wine as a sample.

beta-Defensins (BD) are small cationic antimicrobial peptides that produced principally in the epithelial cells of a number of organs. The present study analyzed the expression patterns of BD-1, -2, and -3 during the development of sialoadenitis in MRL/lpr mice. Submandibular glands were dissected from MRL/lpr mice at 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks of age. The expression of mouse (m) BD-1, -2, and -3 mRNAs was examined by RT-PCR and quantified using TaqMan real-time RT-PCR. No significant differences in the level of expression of mBD-1 were observed among mice of different ages. The level of expression of mBD-2 was significantly higher at 16 weeks than at 4 or 8 weeks. The expression level of mBD-3 was highest in 14-week-old mice and was significantly higher than in 4-week or 16-week-old animals. Immunohistochemical staining showed that BD-3 was clearly localized in the ductal cells with variable intensities. In the center of the foci of lymphatic infiltration, ductal staining was faint or often not present. The results indicate that BD-2 and -3 may be upregulated during the development of autoimmune sialoadenitis.