Evaluation of quality of Radix Puerariae herbal medicine by isoflavonoids.

Objectives: A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to examine five isoflavonoids present in Chinese herbal medicinal products containing Radix Puerariae.

Methods: Five isoflavonids, puerarin, daidzin, genistin, daidzein and genistein, were measured by HPLC. The HPLC system was equipped with an ODS-AM-303 column (250 mm x 4.

Using of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to product the isoflavone aglycones in fermented soymilk.

The study determined isoflavone aglycone contents in soymilk and sugar-soymilk fermented with a single culture of two strains of Lactobacillus paracasei, two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, and one strain of Bifidobacterium longum respectively at 37 degrees C for 24 h. Isoflavone concentration was analyzed by HPLC. The viable count of bacteria in all of the fermented soymilk ranged from 7 to 9 log CFU/ml.

Microbiological quality of 18 degrees C ready-to-eat food products sold in Taiwan.

A total of 164 samples of 18 degrees C ready-to-eat (RTE) food products, purchased in 1999-2000 from convenience stores and supermarkets in central Taiwan, were examined to determine the microbiological quality of these products. The 18 degrees C RTE food products, manufactured by 16 factories, were divided into groups based on the type of food and their major ingredients. Aerobic plate count, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and psychrotrophic Pseudomonas spp.