Radiation dose rates were evaluated in three areas neighboring a restricted area within a 20-to 50-km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in August-September 2012 and projected to 2022 and 2062. Study participants wore personal dosimeters measuring external dose equivalents, almost entirely from deposited radionuclides (groundshine). External dose rate equivalents owing to the accident averaged 1.03, 2.75, and 1.66 mSv/y in the village of Kawauchi, the Tamano area of Soma, and the Haramachi area of Minamisoma, respectively. Internal dose rates estimated from dietary intake of radiocesium averaged 0.0058, 0.019, and 0.0088 mSv/y in Kawauchi, Tamano, and Haramachi, respectively. Dose rates from inhalation of resuspended radiocesium were lower than 0.001 mSv/y. In 2012, the average annual doses from radiocesium were close to the average background radiation exposure (2 mSv/y) in Japan. Accounting only for the physical decay of radiocesium, mean annual dose rates in 2022 were estimated as 0.31, 0.87, and 0.53 mSv/y in Kawauchi, Tamano, and Haramachi, respectively. The simple and conservative estimates are comparable with variations in the background dose, and unlikely to exceed the ordinary permissible dose rate (1 mSv/y) for the majority of the Fukushima population. Health risk assessment indicates that post-2012 doses will increase lifetime solid cancer, leukemia, and breast cancer incidences by 1.06%, 0.03% and 0.28% respectively, in Tamano. This assessment was derived from short-term observation with uncertainties and did not evaluate the firstyear dose and radioiodine exposure. Nevertheless, this estimate provides perspective on the long-term radiation exposure levels in the three regions.Fukushima nuclear disaster | exposure assessment | Strontium-90 | forest contamination | food duplicate

Fruits and seeds of melinjo (Gnetum gnemon L.) are resveratrol derivative-rich materials. Pharmacokinetics of resveratrol derivatives in healthy volunteers after oral administration of 1000 mg of melinjo seed extract (MSE) powder were assessed and compared with those after oral dosing of trans-resveratrol (tRV) powder containing 4.8 mg of tRV only, equivalent to the content in 1000 mg MSE powder. Plasma tRV concentrations with enzymatic hydrolysis were maintained over 24 h, with a tmax of 12 h and a mean residence time (MRT) of 14 h, 5 and 2 times higher than those for tRV powder intake, respectively. Gnetin C, a resveratrol dimer, with hydrolysis was maintained in plasma for >96 h with a 36 h MRT. With repeated doses once daily for 28 days, plasma tRV and gnetin C concentrations with hydrolysis were in good agreement with the theoretical curves. MSE powder was well tolerated up to the oral dosing of 5000 mg with no serious adverse events.

Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon L.) seed extract (MSE) containing trans-resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) and other derivatives exerts various beneficial effects. However, its mechanism of action in humans remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate beneficial effects of MSE in healthy adult males. In this double-blind, randomized controlled study, 30 males aged 35–70 years with ≤10% flow-mediated dilatation received placebo or 750 mg MSE powder for 8 weeks, and twenty-nine males (45.1 ± 8.8 years old) completed the trial. There was a significant difference in the melinjo and placebo groups. Compared with the placebo control, MSE significantly reduced serum uric acid at 4 weeks and 8 weeks (n = 14 and 15, resp.). HDL cholesterol was significantly increased in the melinjo group. To clarify the mechanism of MSE for reducing uric acid, we investigated xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor binding inhibition rate, and agonistic activities for PPARα and PPARγ. MSE, trans-resveratrol, and a resveratrol dimer, gnetin C (GC), significantly inhibit AT1 receptor binding and exhibit mild agonistic activities for PPARα and PPARγ. In conclusion, MSE may decrease serum uric acid regardless of insulin resistance and may improve lipid metabolism by increasing HDL cholesterol.

Botcinins E and F were isolated together with the known botcinolide. The structures of botcinins E and F were determined to be 3-O-deacetylbotcinin A (5) and 3-O-deacetyl-2-epi-botcinin A (6), respectively, by spectroscopic methods and chemical conversion. The structure of botcinolide was revised on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical conversion. Botcinolide was originally reported as a nine-membered lactone (7), but the revised structure is the seco acid of botcinin E (13). Thus botcinolide is renamed botcinic acid, and homobotcinolide is renamed botcineric acid. Reinvestigation of the spectroscopic data reported for all botcinolide analogues indicates that 4-O-methylbotcinolide and 3-O-acetyl-2-epibotcinolide are the same as a methyl ester of botcinic acid (13a) and botcinin A (1), respectively, and that 2-epibotcinolide may be the same as botcinin E (5). Compounds 5, 6, and 13 showed weak antifungal activity against Magnaporthe grisea, a pathogen of rice blast disease.