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Summary Rice seed endosperm has two types of protein bodies (PB). Type I protein body (PB-I) accumulates prolamin and is hard to digest, while type II protein body (PB-II) mainly consists of glutelin, an easily digestible protein. A simple method to process rice protein and improve its digestibility was tested from the viewpoint of its application to food manufacturing. Rice protein prepared by alkaline extraction followed by neutralization sedimentation (AE-RP) was compared with that prepared by starch degradation by ␣ -amylase (SD-RP). The crude protein content of AE-RP and SD-RP was 84.7% and 78.2%, respectively. There were no major differences in protein composition among AE-RP, SD-RP and rice flour by SDS-PAGE, except 16 kDa polypeptide. With respect to amino acids, all the groups showed quite similar compositions, although cysteine and methionine were lower in AE-RP. In an in vitro digestion study with pepsin and pancreatin, both the SDS-PAGE analysis of protein pattern and the crude protein content of undigested residue clearly demonstrated that AE-RP has a higher digestibility than SD-RP. To find the cause of the difference in digestibility, the structural property of protein bodies by two production methods was compared using electron microscopy. PB-II of AE-RP was transformed into small, amorphous granules, while that of SD-RP was still kept partial protein body structures. PB-I of AE-RP kept its protein body structure, but produced double layers. From the finding that glutelin-gold was detected by immunochemistry not only in small, amorphous granules but also in PB-I, mainly the cortex layer, in AE-RP, it became clear that PB-I was swollen and fragile as a result of alkali treatment. These results strongly indicate that the improvement in digestibility of AE-RP is a result of the structural change of PB-I and -II caused by alkaline extraction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of a supplementary diet containing heat-killed lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus paracasei K71 (LAB diet) on adult patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 34 adult type AD subjects who were treated with conventional topical corticosteroid and tacrolimus. LAB diet or placebo was added over 12 weeks. The primary end-point was the clinical severity of AD which was evaluated by a severity scoring system proposed by the guideline of the Japanese Dermatological Association. The effect was also secondarily evaluated by itch scores of visual analog scales (VAS), quality-of-life (QOL) impairment scores of Skindex 16 and consumption amounts of topical therapeutics. Data on these four assessment variables were collected at baseline and at week 4, 8 and 12. Within the study population, the skin severity scores were significantly decreased from baseline at week 8 (P<0.05) and at week 12 (P<0.01) in the LAB diet group but not in the placebo group. Influence of LAB diet on itch scores or QOL impairment scores was not evident. The consumption of topical therapeutics in the placebo group was 1.9-times greater in total amount compared with the corresponding value in the LAB diet group during the intervention period, although there was no significant difference. No LAB diet- or placebo-related adverse events were observed. We concluded that the LAB diet may have some benefits as a complementary therapy for adult AD patients who are managed with the conventional treatment.

This study aimed to assess the suppressive effect of long-term diet supplementation with Lactobacillus strains on cognitive decline in the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) model. For 43 weeks, fourteen-week-old female SAMP8 mice were fed a standard diet containing 0.05% (w/w) Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei 327 (L. 327) or Lactobacillus paracasei K71 (L. K71) derived from rice grains and sake lees, respectively. SAMP8 mice that were fed a L. K71-supplemented diet had better cognitive performance compared with the control and L. 327 groups in the Barnes maze and passive avoidance tests. An ELISA analysis revealed that the levels of serotonin were elevated in the serum and brain tissue of L. K71-fed mice. The protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and phosphorylated CREB were evaluated using western blot. Long-term administration of L. K71 resulted in increased protein expression of BDNF and CREB phosphorylation in the hippocampus. These results suggest that prolonged intake of a diet supplemented with a Lactobacillus strain derived from sake lees may prevent age-dependent cognitive decline by upregulating BDNF expression in the hippocampus.

Oral administration of K71 can be useful in dogs with cAD as a complementary therapy, by providing a steroid-sparing effect.

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The effect of rice protein (RP) on diabetic nephropathy in non-obese, spontaneous type 2 diabetic Goto -Kakizaki (GK) rats was investigated. GK rats at 7 weeks of age were fed 20 % RP or casein (C) in standard or high-sucrose diets for 10 weeks. Plasma total cholesterol, TAG, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), adiponectin, creatinine and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) were measured and renal histology was evaluated. Compared with C, RP lowered plasma TAG and improved plasma adiponectin levels in GK rats fed the standard diet (P,0·05), and also lowered total cholesterol and ALP in high-sucrose-fed GK rats (P, 0·05). RP markedly suppressed the sharp increase in UAE when GK rats were fed high-sucrose diets (P, 0·05), and prevented glomerular mesangial matrix expansion in the deep renal cortex near the corticomedullary junction (P,0·05). These results strongly indicate that dietary RP can ameliorate the progression of diabetic nephropathy at an early stage compared with C.

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