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Institute of Arts and Sciences

Exploring the Added Value of Agricultural Products in Cooperation with the Local Community

Eriko Watanabe
Associate Professor
Institute of Arts and Sciences

 


Hiroyuki Hoshi, the general manager of the Research Institute for the Functional Peptides, and me

見出し

Yamagata prefecture has many agricultural products including cherries and La France (Western) pears. They are very delicious and contain ingredients that are good for our health. I am working with NittoBest Corporation, the Research Institute for the Functional Peptides and many organizations in Yamagata prefecture to fi nd new functionalities of agricultural products.


Cultured human skin cells


Culture medium


Staff of the Central R&D Laboratory of NittoBest Corporation and me

Working to Utilize Discarded Items

Imperfect fruits and pruned branches are usually discarded in fruit tree cultivation, but they should be utilized effectively if the discarded parts contain functional ingredients. We have evaluated the functions of discarded parts, using cell cultures. We found an ingredient that promotes skin metabolism and inhibits skin melanin synthesis in the extract from the branches of La France trees. Furthermore, we found an extract from imperfect cherries that promotes synthesizing molecules signifi cant for our skin barrier. We are now exploring the functional ingredients in a watermelon that is a specialty of Obanazawa city.