We examined the differentiation-inducing effects of extracts of 49 wild plants, 25 types of seaweed and 26 mushrooms in Akita on the human leukemia cell line HL60 and a B16 mouse melanoma-derived sub-clone with high differentiation capability (B16 2F2). Differentiation inducers of HL60 cells such as retinoic acid, showed no effects on the differentiation of B16 2F2 cells. Furthermore, chemical compounds known to be inducers of B16 cells, did not induce differentiation of HL60 cells. Screening tests showed that the differentiation of HL60 cells was induced by extracts of 28 wild plants, 10 types of seaweed and 2 mushrooms, and melanogenesis of B16 2F2 cells was increased by extracts of 21 wild plants, 8 types of seaweed and 7 mushrooms. All of the alcoholic extracts of plants belonging to the subfamily Cichorioideae of the family Compositae caused cell differentiation of the melanoma cell line. The extracts of Chinese dandelion root, also inhibited cell growth and induced melanogenesis of B16 2F2 cells. We isolated the active compound from ethanol extracts of the crude drug. Chemical and physical data for the active compound were identical with those for lupeol, a lupane-type triterpene.

The potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to measure the main inorganic components of seawater as salt-manufacturing materials was investigated. A total of 72 seawater samples collected from six locations was used, and spectra (1100-1800 nm) were acquired by a NIR spectrophotometer with a 1-mm path length. Principal component analysis (PCA), canonical correlation analysis (CCA), and partial least-squares (PLS) regression were performed based on the reference inorganic components. As a result, the principal component analysis and canonical correlation analysis showed that the near-infrared spectra could be related to the inorganic components of seawater. The partial least-squares regression analysis showed that the inorganic components (ion concentration of Cl, Na+, K+, SO4(2-), and Ca2+) could be predicted with good accuracy using NIR spectra and their second derivatives. For Cl ion and K+ ion concentrations, the accuracy was high.

Hardening process in the manufacture of rice cakes is the most important process, because it is time-consuming process. We aimed to develop a new cultivar of waxy rice characterized by both high yield and excellent processing properties. For this purpose, the urea dissolution and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods were employed in order to quantitatively assess the factors associated with rice cake hardness. In this study, rice starch dissolution rate and measurement of relative starch crystallinity (RSC) are discussed. Four waxy rice cultivars with different hardening properties were selected as test samples, and pasting properties, hardness, urea dissolution of starch and XRD properties were assessed. It is supposed that dissolution rate and RSC are closely related to rice cake hardening, are suitable parameters for quantifying rice cake hardening, and are useful for predicting the hardness of new novel cultivars. To assess rice cake hardness in novel cultivars, it is important that tests focusing on the determination of different parameters, such as pasting properties, urea dissolution and XRD, be designed.

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