Effect of one-week administration of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitory peptides from chum salmon milt on postprandial blood glucose level: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover, pilot clinical trial.

Salmon milt peptide (SMP), an unused fish processing byproduct, exhibits strong inhibitory activity against dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and a suppressive effect on postprandial hyperglycaemia in Sprague-Dawley rats. Herein, we conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study of healthy Japanese subjects to investigate the effect of glucose loading on postprandial blood glucose levels after one week of administering continuous or single dose of 500 mg of SMP. The primary and secondary outcomes of reduced blood glucose and insulin levels were not met in the 14 subjects included in the analysis.

Evaluation of deep groundwater development for arsenic mitigation in western Bangladesh.

Groundwater contamination by arsenic frequently occurs in western Bangladesh. Integrated hydrogeological studies were carried out by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the Jessore, Jhenaidah and Chuadanga districts to assess the possibility of supplying safe drinking water from deep aquifers. The subsurface geology of up to 300 m in depth was classified into 5 formations (viz.