Publications by authors named "Eiichiro Fukusaki"

B vitamins are integral in maintaining human health. Owing to its high B vitamin contents, tempeh serves as an excellent plant-based option to achieve an adequate intake of these nutrients through diet. In order to investigate the metabolomic profile of tempeh and modulate the contents of vitamins B and B in it, we employed microbial interventions using two species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and various inoculum sizes in the soaking step during tempeh production.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microwave (MA)- and ultrasonic-assisted (UA) alkalization were applied to cocoa powders for 5, 10, and 15 min to investigate their effects on metabolite composition, sensory profile, and consumer liking. Widely targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed alkalization altered metabolite profiles: Natural cocoa powders contained more amino acids, sugars, and flavonoids, while alkalized samples had elevated organic acids. Compared to conventionally alkalized (CA) samples, only UA15 showed a significant increase in 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Soy sauces can be classified into three categories based on the production method used: honjozo, kongojozo (mixed-brewing, amino acid-decomposed), and kongo (mixed, amino acid-decomposed) soy sauces. Although differences in flavor between traditional (honjozo) and modern (amino acid-decomposed) soy sauces are clear, knowledge of the differences in compound profiles and the relationship between these and the sensory characteristics that affect soy sauce quality is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the differences between traditional and modern soy sauce compounds using metabolomic analysis, and to investigate the compounds that may be correlated with differences in flavor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Kopyor (Cocos nucifera L. var. Kopyor) is a distinct coconut variant resulting from a genetic mutation that alters the endosperm.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Renal injury, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a global public health problem. Recent studies have reported that several D/L-amino acid ratios are affected during renal injury; however, most reports have focused on renal dysfunction, and few have focused on the association between D/L-amino acid changes and histopathological alterations in the kidney. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the correlation between D/L-amino acid ratios and the histopathological findings of renal injury in a 5/6 nephrectomy rat model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Flavor is a critical quality of cacao beans and is significantly influenced by the genotype. Relying solely on sensory evaluation to describe the complex flavors of different cacao genotypes is insufficient because of the reliance on human expertise and the need for robust validation. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of flavor quality in different cacao genotypes by investigating the correlation between sensory attributes and metabolite profiles using metabolomics-based approach and sensory analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In metabolomic studies, sample collection and analysis are typically performed at separate locations, necessitating the transport and storage of samples. However, sample transport and storage conditions are often constrained by the available facilities. Specifically, metabolite levels in biological and food samples can fluctuate due to the activity of endogenous enzymes, depending on the transport and storage conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Human oral microbiome consists of diverse bacteria. Not all oral bacteria are well characterized due to challenges in cultivation . In this study, we report the closed genome sequence of one of the recently identified oral bacteria, .

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

As an important crop, bananas still encounter fruit quality and shelf-life problems that are affected by the ripening process. Improving postharvest technologies may effectively address these challenges, such as by studying the ripening mechanism of banana cultivars with a slow ripening process. A banana cultivar that exhibits this characteristic is Musa balbisiana cv.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Compared to outdoor mango cultivation in the tropics, greenhouse cultivation in temperate regions is less reported due to its short history and small scale. Here, we evaluated for the first time the taste-focused quality of greenhouse-grown mangoes (Irwin) by GC-MS metabolic profiling and sensory evaluation for over three years (2021-2023). The relative standard deviation in sensory evaluation scores was approximately 15 % each year.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Several mesenchymal cell populations are known to regulate intestinal stem cell (ISC) self-renewal and differentiation. However, the influences of signaling mediators derived from mesenchymal cells other than ISC niche factors on epithelial homeostasis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that host and microbial metabolites, such as taurine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), act on PDGFRαhigh Foxl1high sub-epithelial mesenchymal cells to regulate their transcription.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Many previous studies have reported various phospholipids and elements that affect sake production; however, it seems to be challenging to investigate individual types in each rice variety due to their high diversity, not to mention their distribution patterns. Since its introduction, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has gained attention in various fields as a simple compound visualization technique. The current study highlights the progress of powerful MSI in comprehensively analyzing phospholipids and minerals in brown rice for sake production.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Banana is the fourth most consumed crop worldwide, and its high economic value and health benefits have made it very popular. Bananas are climacteric fruits that ripen after harvesting. It has been reported that the endogenous substances in bananas change significantly during the ripening process.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fine-flavored cocoa is generally characterized by fresh bean color and sensory characteristics. However, these methods cannot be applied to progenies/hybrids because their colors may vary depending on their parents. Additionally, sensory evaluation lacks universal quality standards, necessitating robust complementary characterization methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * To combat these issues, the study tested the effects of sodium metabisulfite (SMB) treatment on the metabolite changes in the flesh and water of trimmed coconuts stored at different temperatures.
  • * Results indicated that major metabolites like amino acids and sugars were significantly affected by deterioration, but SMB treatment and refrigeration helped maintain these metabolites; future research should focus on optimizing storage based on metabolite profiles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metabolomic research involves the comprehensive analysis of metabolites in biological samples and has many applications. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an established and widely used approach for metabolic profiling. However, sample preparation and metabolite derivatization are time-consuming, and derivatization options are limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: To assess the direct effect of intensive glycaemic control on periodontal tissues in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-nine patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled and hospitalized to receive a 2-week intensive glycaemic control regimen. We observed and analysed the systemic and oral disease indicators before and after treatment and clarified the indicators related to periodontal inflammation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Understanding the relationship between the concentration of a drug and its therapeutic efficacy or side effects is crucial in drug development, especially to understand therapeutic efficacy in central nervous system drug, quantifying drug-induced site-specific changes in the levels of endogenous metabolites, such as neurotransmitters. In recent times, evaluation of quantitative distribution of drugs and endogenous metabolites using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has attracted much attention in drug discovery research. However, MALDI-MSI quantification (quantitative mass spectrometry imaging, QMSI) is an emerging technique, and needs to be further developed for practicable and convenient use in drug discovery research.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In recent years, the demand for beers with a variety of flavors has increased considerably owing to the diversification of consumer preferences. Sour beer is characterized by a sour taste unlike normal beer flavor, and previous studies on sour beer have been primarily focused on addressing issues, such as inconsistent product quality and long production time, and on the associated microorganisms. Scientific knowledge regarding the characteristic flavor of sour beer and flavor components is limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The research focuses on agmatine, a natural compound produced in rice (strain RIB40) grown under low pH conditions, despite lacking the typical enzyme responsible for its production.
  • The study identified a protein encoded by the gene AO090102000327, previously misclassified as phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, which actually exhibits arginine decarboxylase activity and contributes to agmatine synthesis.
  • Techniques such as mass spectrometry, ion exchange, and gel-filtration chromatography were used to isolate and characterize the protein, revealing its expression predominantly in the substrate mycelial region of the rice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Kopyor is a coconut with unique characteristics from Indonesia, one of the largest coconut producers in the world. Kopyor is an edible mature coconut with soft endosperm. Although this fruit is one of the most popular coconuts in the world, there are limited studies on its properties, including its sensory attributes and metabolite profiles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) are cytosolic enzymes that catalyze the transfer of sulfonate group to key endogenous compounds, altering the physiological functions of their substrates. SULT enzymes catalyze the -sulfonation of hydroxy groups or -sulfonation of amino groups of substrate compounds. In this study, we report the discovery of -sulfonation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl groups mediated by a new SULT enzyme, SULT7A1, and human SULT1C4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study introduces a multidisciplinary approach to investigate bioactive food metabolites often overlooked due to their low concentrations. We integrated an in-house food metabolite library (n = 494), a human metabolite library (n = 891) from epidemiological studies, and metabolite pharmacological databases to screen for food metabolites with potential bioactivity. We identified six potential metabolites, including meglutol (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate), an understudied low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-lowering compound.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hakutsurunishiki is a sake rice cultivar bred using Yamadabo (seed parent) and Wataribune 2 (pollen parent), equivalent to a Yamadanishiki sibling. This study evaluated the structural characteristics of the Hakutsurunishiki rice grain that contribute to the brewing characteristics of daiginjo-shu, via a comparison with Yamadanishiki. Hakutsurunishiki brown rice was a little heavy and had a large white core.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Visceral fat accumulation is a major determinant of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have reported that glutamate is the most elevated amino acid in the plasma amino acid profile in patients with obesity and/or visceral fat accumulation. Here, we show the relationship between plasma glutamate and the clinical features of patients with type 2 diabetes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF