Microorganisms have been reported to exist in many edible flowers and leafy vegetables. The total viable bacterial counts (TVBC) in edible flowers and leafy vegetables have been reported to have reduced after treatment with electrolyzed acidic water (EAW). In this study, we determined TVBC in chrysanthemum, roses, and flower of perilla during 2 days holding after treatment. We performed the following 3 treatments in all flowers: washing with EAW, washing with purified water, and no treatment. EAW treatment was reduced to one-tenth values immediately after treatment, however, TVBC of all materials increased to the same levels after 2 days holding of all materials. We clarified that EAW indicated the best effectiveness for reducing microorganisms, and it had better use edible flowers immediately after EAW treatment.
Electrolyzed acidic water was applied to fresh-cut green bananas stored at 20℃. This treatment delayed the decrease in the chlorophyll content of the peels, and prevented the peels and the cut surface area from browning and wilting. This treatment also delayed the decrease in the content of o-diphenol, which is a very important astringent ingredient, and the increase in reduced sugar content in the flesh. As a result, the electrolyzed acidic water delayed the ripening of the bananas. It was found that many bacteria existed on sections of the fresh-cut green bananas. The number of bacteria was highest on the peel, followed by the cut surface area, then the flesh. However, the electrolyzed acidic water efficiently sterilized the peel and the cut surface area and inhibited the reproduction of bacteria in the fresh-cut green bananas during storage. These results suggest that the electrolyzed acidic water delayed the ripening of these bananas by its sterilization effect.
To determine the potent immunomodulating activities of different types of Japanese rice bran, we analyzed the effects of extracts of red, brown and black rice brans on the cell proliferation and cytokine production of mouse immunocompetent cells by cell culture experiments. Methanol extracts of these rice brans showed suppressive activities against the proliferative response (3H-thymidine incorporation) of mouse spleen cells induced by concanavalin A (Con A) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the cell culture experiments. Although the black and brown rice bran extracts showed suppressive effects on the production of interferon gamma (IFN gamma) or interleukin 6 (IL-6) in mouse spleen cells induced by Con A or LPS, the red rice bran extract exhibited stimulatory effects on the same cytokine-producing systems. Furthermore, when the effects of these extracts on the production of macropahage-derived inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were assayed, the red rice bran extract caused a stimulatory effect on the IL-1alpha production from mouse macrophages induced by LPS, but did not show a significant effect on TNF-alpha production. However, the brown and black rice bran extracts exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the production of IL-1alpha and TNF-alpha in the same macrophage culture experiment. A possible mechanism of the immunomodulating activities of the rice bran extracts and the immunopharmacological significance of these findings are discussed.
The total viable bacterial counts (TVBC) of radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) during cultivation were constant through cultivation, and were in the order root≧seminal leaf>hypocotyl. With foliar spray treatment of electrolyzed acidic water (EAW), an antiseptic effect became more pronounced as frequency of spraying increased. The TVBC of hypocotyl and seminal leaf of radish sprouts decreased at most 1 logCFU/g compared with the control. When EAW was used as a culture of radish sprouts during cultivation or seed disinfection at 20℃, the roots of radish sprouts did not elongate and decayed. The decay of plants was not observed in seed disinfection of EAW at 2℃. However, the longer seeds were dipped in EAW at 2℃, the lower the normal germination rate became. The normal germination rate was high compared with the control when EAW treatment time was less than one hour. In the case where seed disinfection treatment with EAW was performed for a short time at 2℃, the TVBC of cotyledon of radish sprouts decreased slightly. The TVBC of hypocotyl and seminal leaf of radish sprouts decreased approximately 1 logCFU/g compared with the control. The EAW treatment at 0℃ was more effective than that at 2℃ in microbiological control. The apparent condition of radish sprouts treated with EAW was not significantly different from that of the control. The combination of seed disinfection and foliar spray treatment of EAW reduced bacterial counts compared with the control and distilled water treatment, but there was no synergism of both treatments.
To estimate the preventive potential of Japanese traditional cereals against oxygen radical-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities in the extracts of five Japanese traditional cereal grains were analyzed by using an assay system of lipid peroxidation and a radical compound, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). DPPH radical-scavenging activities in the extracts of Japanese cereal grains were divided into two groups. One group including Japanese sorghum, black rice and red rice showed strong radical-scavenging activities, but the other group including Japanese barnyard millet and foxtail millet did not exhibit significant radical-scavenging activities. The DPPH radical-scavenging activities of these extracts were closely correlated to the contents of phenolic compound in the extracts, but not to the sugar or protein content in the extracts. In contrast, all the methanol and water extracts of the cereal grains caused significant antioxidant activities against hydroperoxide generation in the peroxidation of linoleic acid, in which the water extracts of these cereal grains caused much higher antioxidant activities than the methanol extracts of the same cereals. These results suggest that Japanese traditional cereals contain qualitatively different principles associated with antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities, and possible principles responsible for the antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities in the cereal grains are discussed.
