To clarify the bioavailability of vitamin B 12 in lyophylized purple laver (nori; Porphyra yezoensis), total vitamin B 12 and vitamin B 12 analogue contents in the laver were determined, and the effects of feeding the laver to vitamin B 12 -deficient rats were investigated. The amount of total vitamin B 12 in the dried purple laver was estimated to be 54´5 and 58´6 (SE 5´3 and 7´5 respectively) mg/100 g dry weight by Lactobacillus bioassay and chemiluminescent assay with hog intrinsic factor respectively. The purple laver contained five types of biologically active vitamin B 12 compounds (cyano-, hydroxo-, sulfito-, adenosyl-and methylcobalamin), in which the vitamin B 12 coezymes (adenosyl-and methylcobalamin) comprised about 60 % of the total vitamin B 12 . When 9-week-old vitamin B 12 -deficient rats, which excreted substantial amounts of methylmalonic acid (71´7(SE 20´2) mmol/d) in urine, were fed the diet supplemented with dried purple laver (10 mg/kg diet) for 20 d, urinary methylmalonic acid excretion (as an index of vitamin B 12 deficiency) became undetectable and hepatic vitamin B 12 (especially adenosylcobalamin) levels were significantly increased. These results indicate that vitamin B 12 in dried purple laver is bioavailable to rats.Vitamin B 12 deficiency: Purple laver: Urinary methylmalonate excretion: Hepatic vitamin B 12 content

of samples steamed only once, except for 20:5n-3 of DM. Sensory evaluation showed that at days 3 and 7 of storage, the odor of reheated fish slices had deteriorated. Therefore, steamed yellowtail meat reheated after refrigerated storage of up to 3 days could be consumed without deterioration of its odor and nutritive value.

To examine the antioxidative compounds of nonprotein amino acids in a red alga, Porphyra yezoensis, an ethanol extract of the cultured thalli was fractionated with Dowex columns. The basic fraction V showed strong antioxidative capacities with ferric thiocyanate and TBARS measurements. In this basic fraction, histidine, 3-methylhistidine, carnosine, and anserine were detected beside ornithine, lysine, and arginine by amino acid analysis. The occurrence of carnosine and anserine suggests that the histidine-related compounds also contribute to the antioxidative reactions in P. yezoensis.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) contains abundant protease, actinidin, and two possible components which were named A1 and A2.

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