To obtain strains of bacteria suitable for the production of that we have not yet been able to collect in Japan, we explored the Northeastern region of Myanmar. We obtained twenty-nine samples with saline concentrations between. and. . We isolated bacteria from the samples and identified strains of. We selected of these strains as bacilli, as judged from the stickiness of

QῘQ̰´̱Q̰ῌ QQῥ̰Ό῏ Q῏̲QQQῩ`̯ῳQ -Q̰̰ῘQ̲῝̱ῤ̮ῳῠΊῥῌ Q῎̰Q QῘῨ̮̯ΎῩ̮Q̰QQ´̱̰Q̲ῘQΌῩῨῢῤ̮ῳ῍ Q̳ῌ ̱ῷῴ̲ῴῩ̰ῌ ̰Q̰̱ῌῌ QQ̰Ὶ Qΐ ῒ̯Qΐΐ Ῠῧ´̱QῘQῚ ῟ῤ̮ῳ῍ ῾Q̰ῌ ̱ῷῴ̲ῴ̰´̱Q̰Q̰ΎQῦ̮῟̮´̱Q ̰ῩQ̰̯ΎῩQQQQ̱QῢῤῙ̯῍ ̯̰QQῦ῟ῤQῘQ̰̮῟̮QQ´̱̱Q̲̯ῳ̯ΎῩῌ ̰Q̰ ̱ῌ̰QQ̱Qῢ̯῍ ̱ῌῗQQ̱ Q῟ῤῌ ̮῟̮QQ´̱̰̯̱Q̮ῌ Ὸῗ̮´̱̱̯῟̮ῳ ´̱Qῌ Bacillus subtilis ῒnattoΐ KFP2.-̱QΰΊ̯῍ ̯̱̰ῌ ̯῟῭ῚQΌῨ̰̯̰̯῟῭Ὶῌ̮̱QQ ΌῨQQQQΊ̰̮̰QΰῦῨῲ̮ῳῥ̮̱̮῍ ̰̯ῌ ῼQ̳QQ῏Ώ̲´QQ ̲Q̳῏ῦ GC-MS ῥQ̲´̱ῦῚQΐ̰Ῡῖ̮ῗ ̱ ῝῟ῤῌ ++, Q̰̳῏´̱Q῍῟ῌ GC-̲ ̳Q̲̳ῥ´̱̰Q QῨῩῖ̮ῗ ῦ῟ῤ +* Q̰QQ ̱ῴ῭῟̯῍ ῝Ῡῌ Ὸῗ̮´̱̰Ῡῖ̮Ῡ̰̯̰̮ῡ 1 Q̰ῗ ̰̰ῥ̮ῳῦῌ Q̯Qῶ´Q̰῍̳ῥQ̲´̱Ῡ̰QQῗ ̰ῼ̱ῩQῘ̮ῳῦ̱̰ΰΊ̯῍

We investigated the sporulation of vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis (natto) KFP ., isolated from commercial Takahashi natto starter. When the temperature of culture plates was increased from-1̮ to .*̮, the spore number (/ml) after sporulation treatment was observed to increase, and the number of spores was maximized by using cells from the second culture day. In a previous study, the addition of *.*+ mmol/ l Mn , to the culture medium increased the spore ratio (ratio of spore number to whole cell number) from 1,ῌ (data obtained in a previous study) to more than 3*ῌ. In the present study, as inorganic Mn , was not permitted as a food additive, we prepared extracts from four foods with high Mn , content : dry sea lettuce, raw and dry green laver, and poppy seeds. By adding these extracts to the medium we could achieve a spore ratio of more than 3*ῌ. There were no large di#erences in organoleptic test results for natto produced with starters prepared from four kinds of food extracts.

With the increase in the proportion of older people in the population, the development of foods especially suitable for this segment of the population is eagerly expected. We produced a soft, sticky variety of natto that is easy for older people to masticate and to swallow, using a bacterial strain improved by mixed culture. By screening natto bacilli for their ability to make soft Itohiki-natto, we selected the strain Bacillus subtilis (natto) KFP 231, but the stickiness of the natto produced with this strain was very weak. Using a mixed culture of KFP 231 with Micrococcus luteus IAM+*/0, we obtained strain KFP 231++, which produced a soft, sticky natto. At approximately /., times that of KFP 231-natto, the relative viscosity of KFP 231++-natto was close to that of marketed natto. Similarly, the activity of the g-glutamyltranspeptidase of KFP 231 natto was approximately six times that of KFP 231++-natto. Analysis by capillary column gas chromatography detected the ten volatile substances that are responsible for the flavor of natto, showing that the flavor of KFP 231++-natto was similar to that of Japanese Itohiki-natto. Organoleptic tests were conducted on elderly subjects concerning the taste of the new soft, sticky natto at three o$cial centers for the elderly in Chiyodaku, Tokyo. The participants viewed the new soft, sticky natto as being slightly better than their generally held opinion of natto. Consequently, the newly developed soft, sticky natto proved to be a useful food for older people.

Japanese traditional fermented food natto is rich in vegetable protein and is consumed on a daily basis. Japan's older population is rapidly increasing and therefore, it is important to develop a new natto preferred in the elderly people from a nutritional standpoint. For the development of a new natto, following four aspects are essentially required : (1) soybeans and natto strains, its combination, (2) new manufacturing methods, (3) sauce for natto, (4) types of package. However so far, the studies for improving natto have been mainly focused on the characteristics of natto strains. In the present study, by carefully watching the dietary habits of the elderly people, we have developed the new natto that is consumed conveniently and is popular with them. In addition, we explained the sauce and types of package, for natto. It is hoped that natto will be consumed not only in Japan but also in wider areas in the near future.