Bioactive Phytocompounds and Products Traditionally Used in Japan

Abstract

12 000 people and resulted in at least 12 deaths. However, despite intensive investigations, the source and carrier of the infection remained unclear. The whole nation went into panic about the unknown source of the infection and many studies were immediately initiated to seek for functional foods with bacteria-killing potency. To date, although numerous food-related books have been published in this area in Japan, many of them lack their own data, and are just collections from other books. Information is passed around from book to book just by changing the titles and they are repeatedly using the same old data. In this chapter, I will advance the debate on the food functions of garlic, vegetable odors (flavors), sweetcorn, mushrooms, and Japanese cypress oil (hinokitiol) by introducing our own new data.

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“…Immunostimulants increase resistance to infectious diseases, not only stimulating the acquired immune response, but also enhancing innate immune mechanisms (Galindo-Villegas & Hosokawa, 2004). Garlic (A. sativum) is an herb found virtually throughout the world, has been used in humans to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the common cold, diabetes, malaria, and tuberculosis for over 4000 years (Sasaki, 2006). Garlic contains an odorless sulfur-containing compound known as S-allylcysteine sulfoxide, which stimulates the hypoglycemic activity (Martins, Tavares-Dias, Fujimoto, Onaka, & Nomura, 2004).…”

Toxicological Evaluation of Dietary Garlic <i>(Allium sativum)</i> Powder in European Sea Bass <i>Dicentrarchus labrax</i> Juveniles

“…Garlic (A. sativum), an herb found virtually throughout the world, has been used in humans to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the common cold, diabetes, malaria, and tuberculosis for over 4000 years [1]. Furthermore, garlic has been reported to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic effects, and to improve the immune system [2].…”

Effects of Garlic and Ginger Oils on Hematological and Biochemical Variables of Sea Bass Dicentrarchus labrax

“…There is now a growing interest in the application of herbs as immunostimulants in fish culture. Garlic is an herb found virtually throughout the world, and it has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the common cold, diabetes, malaria, and tuberculosis for over 4,000 years (Sasaki 2006). Moreover, garlic can generate antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic effects and is able to boost the immune system (Harris et al 2001).…”