Naturally occurring furan fatty acids were synthesized and their antioxidant activity has been studied during the oxidation of linoleic acid in the phosphate buffer, pH 6.9, in the dark. The extent of the oxidation was followed both by the accumulation of conj ugated diene and by the measurement of the residual amounts of linoleic acid. The tetra-alkylsubstituted furan fatty acids were found to suppress the oxidation. The trialkylsubstituted compound also showed antioxidant activity, being about 50% as effective as the tetraalkylsubstituted ones. The di-alkylsubstituted one revealed no significant activity. The antioxidant activity of furan fatty acids depended on the number of substituents on the furan ring. Therefore, a tetraalkylsubstituted furan ring may be necessary for the antioxidant action of furan fatty acids. The tetraalkylsubstituted furan fatty acids reduced 1,1diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, reacted with the peroxyl radical generated from the thermal decomposition of a radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)hydrochloride (AAPH), and also suppressed the AAPHinduced oxidation of linoleic acid, indicating that, by scavenging, the peroxyl radical furan fatty acids inhibit the oxidation. KEY WORDS: Antioxidant, furan fatty acid, linoleic acid, peroxyl radical.

Well-defined 16-electron metal amido complexes bearing chiral Ts-diamine ligands readily react with nitromethane, acetone, or phenylacetylene to give new organometallic compounds in almost quantitative yields. For example, an Ir amido complex, Cp*Ir[(R,R)-Tscydn], reacts with nitromethane at room temperature to give quantitatively a nitromethyl Ir complex, Cp*Ir-(CH 2 NO 2 )[(R,R)-Tscydn], as a single diastereomer. The isolable organometallic compounds with chiral amine ligands are relevant to active catalysts for asymmetric C-C bond formation.

Although the physiological role of relaxin (RLN) in males remains largely unknown, there is limited evidence that the testis might be a candidate source and target of RLN in boars, as RLN transcripts are detected in the boar testis and it contains RLN-binding sites. To determine whether the boar testis acts as a source and target tissue of RLN, we characterised the expression pattern and cellular localisation of both RLN and its own receptor LGR7 (RXFP1) in boar testes during postnatal development by molecular and immunological approaches. Testes were collected from Duroc boars, and partial cDNA sequences of the boar homologue of human RXFP1 were identified. RLN expression increased through puberty onwards, while RXFP1 expression changed little during development.RLN mRNA and protein expression were restricted to the Leydig cells, whereas both Leydig cells and seminiferous epithelial cells expressed RXFP1 mRNA and protein.Interestingly, RLN was expressed in the testis as an 18 kDa form (the expected size of proRLN), but not as the 6 kDa mature form, during development because of a lack of the enzyme required for proRLN processing. In contrast, RXFP1 was detected at all stages as specific bands of 75 and 91-95 kDa (likely non-glycosylated and glycosylated RXFP1 respectively). Thus, we provide evidence for expression of RLN-RXFP1 ligand-receptor system in the boar testis, suggesting that the testis act as a source and possible target tissue of RLN.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the biofi lm removing and antimicrobial effects of microbubbled tap water and other functional water. The biofi lm removal test showed that the activity of microbubbled tap water against the biofi lm of Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans was signifi cantly higher than that of ordinary tap water (p<0.01). When the antimicrobial activities of two types of functional water were compared, the activity of electrolyzed hypochlorite water was signifi cantly stronger than that of the ozonated water (p<0.01). The antimicrobial effect of the electrolyzed hypochlorite water was increased in the microbubbled form, and was stronger than microbubbled tap water. The same results were obtained not only for biofi lms, but also for planktonic microbes. Our results demonstrated that the microbubbled water showed strong biofi lm removing effects. Moreover, the application of functional water, such as electrolyzed hypochlorite microbubbled water was effective for both removing and sterilizing biofi lms.