Functional food and nutraceutical registration processes in Japan and China: a diffusion of innovation perspective.

Purpose - This paper looks into the functional food and nutraceutical registration processes in Japan and China. The Japanese have developed the Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) registration process whereas the Chinese have put into place the Health Food (HF) registration process. The aim of this paper is to compare the regulation processes between the two countries in search for answers to three core empirical questions: (1) how have the registration processes developed and changed? (2) What are the similarities and differences between the processes of registration in the two countries investigated? (3) Why are the registration processes similar/different? Method - The study was conducted using secondary sources.

Immune response to an 18-kilodalton outer membrane antigen identifies lipoprotein 20 as a Helicobacter pylori vaccine candidate.

Experiments were performed using the standardized murine model of Helicobacter pylori infection to determine the immunogenicity of H. pylori outer membrane vesicles in immune protection. These vesicles, which are naturally shed from the surface of the bacterium, induce a protective response when administered intragastrically to mice in the presence of cholera holotoxin, despite the absence of the urease enzyme and associated Hsp54 chaperonin.

Modification of red cell membrane lipids by hypochlorous acid and haemolysis by preformed lipid chlorohydrins.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a strong oxidant generated by the myeloperoxidase system of neutrophils and monocytes, has been implicated in inflammatory tissue damage by these cells. Reaction of HOCl with the double bonds of unsaturated lipids produces alpha, beta-chlorohydrin isomers. We have exposed red cell membranes to HOCl and used thin layer chromatography (TLC) of the extracted lipids and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using an antichlorohydrin monoclonal antibody, to show that fatty acyl chlorohydrins are formed.

A monoclonal antibody recognizing the chlorohydrin derivatives of oleic acid for probing hypochlorous acid involvement in tissue injury.

A monoclonal antibody against hypochlorous acid-modified oleic acid has been raised to investigate involvement of HOCI in tissue injury. Mice were immunized with an isomeric mixture of chlorohydrin derivatives of oleic acid (18:0-chlorohydrin) conjugated to keyhole limpet haemocyanin (CH-KLH). The chlorohydrin was formed by the treatment of oleic acid with hypochlorous acid.

Protein carbonyl measurement by a sensitive ELISA method.

We describe a new immunoassay for measuring protein carbonyls as an index of oxidative injury. Protein samples were reacted with dinitrophenylhydrazine then adsorbed to wells of an ELISA plate before probing with a commercial antibody raised against protein-conjugated dinitrophenylhydrazine. The biotin-conjugated primary antibody was then reacted with streptavidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase for quantification.

Decreased thermal stability of red blood cell glu100-->gly superoxide dismutase from a family with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative motor neuron disease associated in some cases with the presence of a mutant form of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. We have studied the stability of the gly100-->glu mutant in extracts of red cells obtained from members of a family with a history of the disease. Extracts containing the mutant had an average 68% of normal superoxide dismutase activity.

Chlorination of tyrosyl residues in peptides by myeloperoxidase and human neutrophils.

Hypochlorous acid is the major strong oxidant generated by human neutrophils, and it has the potential to cause much of the tissue damage that these inflammatory cells promote. It is produced from hydrogen peroxide and chloride by the heme enzyme myeloperoxidase. To unequivocally establish that hypochlorous acid contributes to inflammation, a stable and unique marker for its reaction with biomolecules needs to be identified.

Superoxide dismutase (glu100-->gly) in a family with inherited motor neuron disease: detection of mutant superoxide dismutase activity and the presence of heterodimers.

Superoxide dismutase glu100-->gly, a mutation known to be associated with familial motor neuron disease (familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) has been detected in one symptomatic and five of seven asymptomatic members of a family with a history of this disease. On average, the individuals with the mutation had 75% of normal red blood cell superoxide dismutase activity. Native polyacrylamide gels stained for superoxide dismutase activity showed two abnormal bands in the family members identified as carrying the mutation.

Characterization of the peribacteroid membrane ATPase of lupin root nodules.

Peribacteroid membranes can be isolated in essentially pure form from 20-day lupin root nodules by osmotic shock of the purified membrane enclosed bacteroids. The ATPase (EC 3.6.