Yuri Jibu

The Japanese diet from 1975 delays senescence and prolongs life span in SAMP8 mice

OBJECTIVE Life expectancy in Japan is high, suggesting that the Japanese diet, Nihon shoku (Japanese food), has significant health benefits. However, these benefits have been called into question over the past 50 y, during which time the Japanese diet has become increasingly Westernized. The aim of the present study was to focus on senescence delay and to examine the effects of Japanese diets from different years to identify which Japanese diet is most effective in enhancing life expectancy and delaying senescence. METHODS Weekly menus from the years 1960, 1975, 1990, and 2005 were reproduced based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan and prepared as powdered foods. The senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were fed standard laboratory chow supplemented with a 30% mix of Japanese meals from various years ad libitum throughout their lifetime. Additionally, the control group was given standard laboratory chow only, to examine the development of mice reared under standard conditions. RESULTS In the group that ingested the traditional 1975 Japanese diet, life span was prolonged, senescence was delayed, and learning and memory capacities were maintained compared with the group fed the 2005 Japanese diet. The life span of the group that ingested the 1990 Japanese diet showed a tendency to be longer than SAMP8 mice fed the 2005 diet. CONCLUSION The results of the present study suggested that the traditional Japanese diet is more effective in enhancing life expectancy and delaying senescence than the current Japanese diet.

The quality of high pressure-induced and heat-induced yuzu marmalade

Yuzu is a typical Japanese citrus with a desirable smell. The objectives of this study are to establish a process for pressure-induced marmalade (without both heating or the addition of pectin) and compare it with heat-induced marmalade. Sliced peel (flavedo) was soaked in 2% citric acid solution (pH 2.0). Albedo, endocarp and juice sacs were homogenized with 0.3% citric acid solution (pH 2.5). After soaking for 24 h, these were mixed and 50% or 60% sucrose of the total weight was added, then pressurized at 500 MPa or boiled (process A). Process B: all processing was done at pH 2.7. Peel of high pressure-induced marmalade maintained a natural color. Flavedo in heat-induced marmalade was softer than that of pressure-induced marmalade. There was no difference in viscosity between heat-induced and high pressure-induced marmalade. High pressure-induced marmalade with 50% sugar was preferred by a sensory test because fresh flavor and color were maintained.