Extract of Lentinula edodes mycelia (LEM) reportedly maintains and improves the quality of life (QOL) of patients with cancer who undergo chemotherapy. We investigated the influence of LEM extract on the QOL of 73 Japanese patients with different backgrounds and stages of cancer who were undergoing various types of therapy at 16 institutions. All patients were orally administered with LEM (1200 mg/day) for four weeks. We compared changes in their QOL before and after taking LEM using the EORTC-QLQ-C30. The QOL scores for emotional function and fatigue were significantly improved after LEM intake. Global QOL and physical function scores improved only in patients with cancer at stages III and IV. These findings suggest that oral LEM intake improves the QOL of patients with advanced cancer.

Although introduced to Japan as a health food, Huaier granule emerged with abundant evidence, both from fundamental and clinical researches, and is being prescribed clinically in China, since it was originally developed as a new pharmaceutical. Huaier granule has a wide range of application and this review narrow down to the effects of it to hepatocellular carcinoma, the most reported one.

Objectives: To study the effect of astaxanthin contained drink to skin conditionMethod: The study was conducted to the Japanese females between age over thirty to less than fifty , who had weakening of skin (including aging, sag and dry skin) and skin dullness. In order to conduct the objective evaluation, the comparison between the groups by the double-blind test was taken. Twenty of subjects were randomly allocated to the intake group of astaxanthin contained drink (astaxanthin 3mg contained) and the placebo group. After eight weeks intake of the drink, each group was evaluated with skin water contents, transepidermal water loss, skin elasticity, VISIA and skin texture etc.Result: In between the groups, the intake group of astaxanthin contained drink was greatly excellent in the categories of skin moisture, transepidermal water loss, skin elasticity , erythema dose and skin texture.Conclusion:Astaxanthin has protecting effect of skin barrier and is considered to increase the water retention capability to reduce skin dryness. Astaxanthin is also effective to erythema dose, skin elasticity and skin texture.　As no adverse events resulting from the test drink was seen, such food containing astaxanthin is considered as a safe and useful health functional food material to skin.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of lactic fermenting beverage ANP71 on defecation, blood pressure, immune function, constitution of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and safety.Methods: An open Clinical study was conducted on 15 healthy adults (female 11, male 4). ANP71 150ml per day was administrated for 4 weeks. At week 0, 1 and 4, blood samples were collected. blood pressure, immune function and constitutionwere measured.Results:① Defecation amount and exhilarating feeling increased. Abdominal feeling of fullness decreased.② Decrease of blood pressure was observed. ③ The change of parameters of blood biochemistry was in normal range. ④ Humoral immunity was predominant(Th1/Th2 decreased). ⑤ In constitution of TCM, Gentleness type, Yang-deficiency type, Yin-deficiency type, Phlegm-wetness type, wet-heat type and Qi-depression type were improved. ⑥ No significant adverse events were observed.Conclusion: Lactic fermenting beverage ANP71 appears to have benefits in improving defecation and constitutional problems. Various other biological effects of ANP71 were also observed.

Japanese version of the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ-J) in Chinese consists of 60 items for 9 sub-scales called Gentleness, Qi-deficiency, Yang-deficiency, Yin-deficiency, Phlegm-wetness, Wet-heat, Blood-stasis, Qi-depression, and Special diathesis. Each question is answered by choosing one form 5 grades of a Likert scale where the grades from 1 to 5 corresponding to Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often and Always, respectively. In the present study, we examined the relationship of scores based on 597 respondents to 60 items. We tentatively classified 60 items into 12 groups by utilizing the Ward’s hierarchical clustering method and discussed similarity of items and 9 body conditions. Body Mass Index (BMI) and age can be explained by the score of 60 items by partial least square model. Significantly high correlation coefficients between real and estimated values were obtained for BMI (0.81 for male and 0.82 for female) and age (0.82 for male and 0.83 for female). Those results indicate that the answers to the 60 items can reflect aging and BMI properties and CCMQ-J can be used to assess the situation of health for evaluating the actual aging conditions in human.

On the study of polyphenols from Fragaria ananassa fruit, we reported that some polyphenols showed inhibition of metabolic enzyme, cytochrome P450. Continuous study of health effects of F. ananassa fruit, we isolated a new quercetin glycoside, flagarin, quercetin-3-O- β-glucuronyl- (2→1)- β-D-xyloside along with ten known compounds. Those compounds showed inhibitory activity of fat accumulation in rat white adipocyte. Among the isolated compounds, strictinin and the new compound, flagarin showed high inhibitory activity of fat accumulation in rat white adipocyte.