Background: Kombu (Laminariaceae) is traditionally consumed in Japan. “Harudori-kombu” is young kombu harvested in spring. Harudori-kombu contains functional components, such as fucoxanthin—a carotenoid—which confer various biological effects.Methods: In this study, we investigated effects of the continuous intake of dried Harudori-kombu (2.0 g/day) for 6 weeks. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study including 70 healthy Japanese subjects with body mass index between 22 and 30 kg/m2 and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels between 120 and 160 mg/dL. Subjects were randomly assigned to either Harudori-kombu group or placebo group. Subjects ingested 9 capsules per day for 6 weeks. We conducted medical interviews, vital sign examinations, and blood sampling at weeks 0 (baseline), 2, and 6. Moreover, we assessed body composition at weeks 0 and 6.Results: Harudori-kombu intake did not improve the lipid profile but did reduce body fat. In addition, adiponectin levels were significantly improved.Conclusions: Harudori-kombu intake showed beneficial health effects, such as reduction in body fat and improvement of adiponectin levels, and was deemed safe at the dose administered in this study.

Background: Consumption of Lactobacillus plantarum HOKKAIDO (HOKKAIDO strain) reportedly increases immunocompetence. However, the concentration of viable bacteria and the type of food they can be incorporated into limits their consumption. The study aims to demonstrate the effect of daily intake of the heat-killed L. plantarum HOKKAIDO strain (HK-HOKKAIDO strain; 5 × 1010 colony-forming units/day) by healthy subjects with low natural killer (NK) cell activity for 8 weeks.Method: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, 70 healthy Japanese subjects who showed relatively low NK cell activity were recruited and randomly assigned to the HK-HOKKAIDO strain or placebo group. All subjects ingested one capsule per day for 8 weeks. We conducted medical interviews and performed body composition measurements, vital sign examinations, and blood sampling at weeks 0 (baseline), 4, and 8, and we collected salivary samples at weeks 0 and 8. In addition, the frequency and severity of cold symptoms in the subjects were recorded daily during the intake period.Results: Intake of the HK-HOKKAIDO strain did not increase the NK cell activity or immunity marker levels, including those of immunoglobulin, leukocyte fraction, and salivary secretory immunoglobulin A. However, the frequency and severity of the common cold symptoms were significantly reduced after the daily consumption of the HK-HOKKAIDO strain.Conclusions: The results showed that HK-HOKKAIDO strain administration can decrease the frequency and severity of common cold symptoms in healthy subjects. Our findings support the use of the HK-HOKKAIDO strain as a functional food with health benefits.Clinical trial registration: UMIN000034822

Background: Marine brown algae, Kjellmaniella crassifolia Miyabe (Gagome) is extensively harvested in Northern Japan and is known to help improve the immune system and prevent lifestyle diseases by its functional constituents, particularly the polysaccharide fucoidan. However, since most scientific findings come from animal studies, we examined its potential effectiveness in humans to raise immune functions, using small amounts of Gagome to avoid overconsumption of iodide. Methods: We set up a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (n=30 subjects for Gagome consumption; n=30 for placebo), in which 0.8 gram/day of Gagome containing 200 mg as dietary fiber (ca. 80 mg as fucoidan) was ingested for 8 weeks. The primary end-point was natural killer (NK) cell activity while other immune-related biomarkers, such as immunoglobulins (IgM and IgA) and cytokines (IL-12 and IFN-g) were secondary end-points.Results: No adverse effects were observed during the course of the clinical trial. We found that 8-week daily Gagome intake raised NK cell activities for the group with a relatively higher baseline number of NK cells (p=0.03). We also demonstrated that Gagome intake exerted a tendency to stimulate IgA secretion. These results indicate the possibility that Gagome intake may potentiate host defense systems in human as seen in animal studies.Conclusion: In this study, we used small amounts of Gagome (0.8 g daily) as an active test sample to avoid overconsumption of iodide, and found that this amount could enhance NK cell activities, particularly in the subclass with initially higher NK cell numbers. We also found an appreciable increment of IgA. With all of these facts, it seems that Gagome intake activates immune responses that contribute to the promotion of health through stimulation of the immune system.Keywords: clinical trial, dietary fiber, fucoidan, Gagome, natural killer cells

To identify factors aŠecting the somatic growth of the winter-spawning stock of Japanese common squid, the somatic growth of squid caught in the East China Sea, the Paciˆc Ocean and the Tsushima Strait from 2000 to 2011 was estimated using age determination from statolith microstructure analysis. The relationship between estimated age in days and dorsal mantle length wasˆtted using a Gompertz growth equation. The residuals of dorsal mantle length from the growth equation diŠered among year classes, hatch months, and sexes. Although no environmental factors correlated with the annual diŠerence in growth, increased sea water temperature in spring in the Kuroshio Oyashio transition region corresponded to increased growth with hatch month. Growth was smaller in males than in females during the southward migration, which suggested depressed growth in males due to earlier sexual maturation than in females.

Background: Soy isoflavones belong to a class of plant-based compounds known as phytoestrogens and effect menopausal symptoms and bone metabolism. We evaluated the effects of high-isoflavone soybeans (“Yukipirika”) in climacteric women.Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we randomly selected 64 female subjects (aged 46–60 years) to consume products made from high-isoflavone soybeans (active test), low-isoflavone soybeans (Placebo 2), or wheat (Placebo 1). The simplified menopausal index (SMI) test, visual analog scale (VAS) of skin and hair conditions, joints functions, and bowel movements, hematological analysis, and urinalysis were performed at weeks 0, 4, and 8 during the study period. Results: Intake of high-isoflavone soybeans did not change bone metabolism parameters. However, a subsection of the SMI score was improved in the active test food group compared to the Placebo 2 food group. Additionally, VAS of skin conditions, joints functions, and bowel movements improved in the active test group compared to the Placebo 1 or Placebo 2 groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that the ingestion of high-isoflavone soybeans can improve skin conditions, joints functions, and bowel movements, in addition to menopausal symptoms.Keywords: bone metabolism; clinical trial; isoflavone; soybeans; menopausal symptoms; Yukipirika