| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
1.Effects of seasonings on the stability of ascorbic acid in a cooking model
The thermolability of ascorbic acid (AA) in aqueous solution at 100□C was assessed in the presence of various seasonings commonly used in Japanese style cooking. The decrease of AA in the reaction system of this experiment was a first-order reaction with respect to the concentration of AA loss. When each seasoning was added to AA solution, salt stabilized AA and Japanese alcohol-containing admixtures, such as sake and sweet sake (mirin), did not have a significant effect on the stability. Conversely, soy sauce, miso and broth powder from skipjack accelerated the decrease of AA in a concentration-dependent manner. Of the constituents of Japanese seasonings, not only iron but also amino acids are involved in the acceleration of AA degradation.
2.Effects of antioxidants on TNF-induced apoptosis
The effects of antioxidants on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -induced apoptosis of human monocytic U937 cells were evaluated. Apoptosis of U937 cells induced by TNF in the presence of cycloheximide was attenuated by N-acetylcystein (NAC), 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), vitamin E (VE), or butylhydroxytoluene (BHT). The inhibition rate of apoptosis was 40 -60%, indicating that antioxidants could play a role as a partial inhibitor of TNF-induced apoptosis. When NAC or 2-ME was added to culture medium and cells were treated with TNF, the level of intracellular glutathione (GSH) was maintained higher than the control group (without antioxidant treatment). However, when cells were treated with YE or BHT, the level of GSH remained unchanged. These results suggested that all the inhibitory effects by antioxidants are not explicable by the level of GSH.
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