Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.： Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has entered the third year of a five-year research programme on "The Development of Versatile Application Technologies for Carbohydrates Using Carbohydrate Engineering, Subsidised and Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries" (The project name is still to be finalised).

Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has entered the third year of a five-year research programme on "The Development of Versatile Application Technologies for Carbohydrates Using Carbohydrate Engineering, Subsidised and Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries" (The project name is still to be finalised).

Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Daiwa, located in Setagaya, Tokyo, president Mr. Y. Ninomiya) has been carrying out an R & D project entitled "Research and Development of Versatile Application Technologies for Carbohydrates Using Carbohydrate Engineering Technology, and Commercialization of Its Product, one of the First Programs Subsidised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries." It is now the third year of the above five-year project. Daiwa has participated in this scheme as a member of "The Japanese Research and Development Association for New Functional Foods" which comprises influential companies chosen by the Ministry.

Daiwa discovered the physiological activity of the capsular polysaccharide kefiran, which is produced by Lb. Kefiranofaciense, present in kefir particles or starter bacteria, in fermented milk of kefir originating in the Caucasus. The theme of Daiwa's above study is "production technology for the mucilaginous polysaccharide kefiran and development of a technology for manufacturing functional food using kefiran."

In FY1998, the first year of the above project, the following results were achieved:

Objective of the study: Establishment of rice medium for culture of Lb. Kefiranofaciense
1) Saccharification of starches using enzymatic preparations
- amylase, glucoamylase
2) Lowering the molecular weight of glycoprotein in rice using enzymatic preparations
- pepsin, trypsin and other proteases
3) Study of saccharification system using live organisms such as Saccharomyces

In FY1999, the following progress was achieved:

Objective of the study:
To establish a culture method for Lb. Kefiranofaciense using rice as the main component of medium to produce
cultured products including kefiran, in order to lead to kefiran production.

Experiments of the above study: 1. Culture of Lb. Kefiranofaciense with medium using ingredients from rice
2. Examination of safety and utility

The research has now entered a third year, and there are considerable expectations for the outcome of the studies.

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