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INTRODUCTION Dietary soy protein SOY decreases plasma and hepatic lipid concentrations in normal and obese rodents 1 3. β-Conglycinin β-CON , one of the major components of SOY 4 , is reported to lower body fat mass and plasma and hepatic triglyceride concentrations in rodents to a greater extent compared to SOY 1, 2, 5 7. The effect of β-CON may be due in part to decreased fatty synthesis 2, 3, 5 and increased fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver 2, 3. These preclinical studies suggest that β-CON may be useful as an anti-obesity food component. However, the mechanisms of action underlying the impact of β-CON on obesity and me

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activities and taste qualities of fresh onions produced in the Minamishimabara city, Nagasaki, Japan. Samples were 'Super-Up' (SU), a conventional cultivar, and 'Kazusa No. 13' (K13), a new cultivar, and these were compared with 'Shippowase No. 7' (S7), a general-use cultivar. The total oxygen radical absorbance capacity of K13 was higher than that of S7. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging activity and the total quercetin concentration were higher in SU and K13 than in S7. Umami and saltiness values (determined using the Taste Sensing System) and total free amino acid concentrations in SU and K13 were lower than those in S7, with the differences in total free amino acid concentration contributing to the difference in taste responses between the onion cultivars. Total sugar concentration in SU was lower than in S7. These results suggest that the advantages of SU and K13 were in terms of high levels of antioxidant activity and quercetin concentration, rather than in terms of taste or flavor. Thus, onions of cultivars SU and K13 are expected to be new regional brand foods of Nagasaki, targeted at health-conscious consumers.

This study investigated the effects of dietary high-dose biotin intake on fat oxidation in rats using respiratory gas analysis, and evaluated fatty-acid oxidation-related enzyme activities and gene expressions in the liver. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control diet and three biotin-supplemented diets (additive biotin concentration: 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.20% of diet) for 3 wk. In 2 wk, fat oxidation in the 0.20% biotin-supplemented diet group was higher than that in the 0.05% biotin-supplemented diet group; however, the energy expenditure and carbohydrate oxidation were unchanged between the dietary groups. At the end of 3 wk, body weight and epididymal white adipose tissue weight reduced in the 0.20% biotin diet group, and hepatic triglyceride levels tended to decrease. Additionally, increased plasma adiponectin concentration and hepatic mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity as well as decreased hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 gene expression were observed in the 0.20% biotin-supplemented diet group compared with those in the control group. These results provide strong evidence that dietary high-dose biotin intake activated fat oxidation due to the increase in hepatic boxidation, which may contribute to the decrease in hepatic triglyceride concentration and white adipose tissue weight.