Ken-ichi Kosuna

Education

• B.A., Agricultural Economics, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan

Research Interests

Mr. Kosuna is an internationally-recognized business leader and innovator in the area of botanical extracts for human health. His current research interests focus on regulatory aspects of nutritional products in Asia and the United States, and the development of safe and effective natural products for use in food, beverage and dietary supplement industries.

Selected Publications

Oral administration of Active Hexose Correlated Compound enhances host resistance to West Nile encephalitis in mice.  Shuhui Wang, Thomas Welte, Hao Fang, Gwong-Jen J. Chang, Willi K. Born, Rebecca L. O’Brien, Buxiang Sun, Hajime Fujii, Ken-Ichi Kosuna, Tian Wang, Journal of Nutritional Immunology, 139: 598-602 (2009).

Platelet reactivity in male smokers following the acute consumption of a flavanol-rich grapeseed extract.  John A. Polagruto, Heidrun B. Gross, Faranak Kamangar, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Buxiang Sun, Hajime Fujii, Carl L. Keen, Robert M. Hackman, Journal of Medicinal Food, 10(4): 725-730 (2007). [PubMed]

Active hexose correlated compound enhances tumor surveillance through regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses.  Yunfei Gao, Dongqing Zhang, Buxiang Sun, Hajime Fujii, Ken-Ichi Kosuna, Zhinan Yin, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy 55(10): 1258-1266 (2005). [PubMed]

Differential effects of buckwheat and kudingcha extract on neuronal damage in cultured hippocampal neurons and spatial memory impairment induced by scopolamine.  Fengling Pu, Ken-ichi Mishima, Nobuaki Egashira, Katsunori Iwasaki, Tomohiro Kaneko, Tomoko Uchida, Keiichi Irie, Daisuke Ishibashi, Hajime Fujii, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Michihiro Fujiwara, Journal of Health Science, 51(6): 636-644 (2005).

Protective effect of buckwheat polyphenols against long-lasting impairment of spatial memory associated with hippocampal neuronal damage in rats subjected to repeated cereberal ischemia.  Fengling Pu, Kenichi Mishima, Nobuaki Egashira, Katsunori Iwasaki, Tomohiro Kaneko, Tomoko Uchida, Keiichi Irie, Daisuke Ishibashi, Hajime Fujii, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Michihiro Fujiwara, Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 94: 393-402 (2004).

Protection by buckwheat polyphenols of cell death induced by glutamate and kainate in cultured hippocampal neurons.  Fengling Pu, Ken-ichi Mishima, Keiichi Irie, Nobuaki Egashira, Katsunori Iwasaki, Tomoaki Ikeda, Hajime Fujii, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Michihiro Fujiwara, Journal of Traditional Medicine, 21(3): 143-146 (2004).

Prophylactic efficacy of a basidiomycetes preparation AHCC against lethal candida albicans infection in experimental granulocytopenic mice.  Tatsuo Ikeda, Hiroko Ishibashi, Ryuichi Fujisaki, Masatoshi Yamazaki, Koji Wakame, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Hideyo Yamaguchi, Yasuo Ono, Shigeru Abe, Japanese Journal of Medical Mycology, 44(2): 127-131 (2003).

Isoflavone aglycone produced by culture of soybean extracts with basidiomycetes and its anti-angiogenic activity.  Takehito Miura, Lan Yuan, Buxiang Sun, Hajime Fujii, Mayumi Yoshida, Koji Wakame, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 66(12): 2626-2631 (2002).

Buckwheat extract inhibits progression of renal failure.  Takako Yokozawa, Hyun Young Kim, Gen-ichiro Nonaka, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Journal of Agricultural and Food chemistry, 50(11): 3341-3345 (2002). [PubMed]

Utilization of buckwheat polyphenol.  Takako Yokozawa, Gen-ichiro Nonaka, Hajime Fujii, Ken-ichi Kosuna, New Food Industry, 44(11): 49-56 (2002).

Beneficial effects of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) on immobilization stress in the rat.  Shuyi Wang, Koji Wakame, Yoshihiko Igarashi, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Shigeru Matsuzaki, Dokkyo Journal of Medical Sciences, 28(1): 559-565 (2001).

Development of a natural anti-cancer substance, GCP.  Takehito Miura, Lan Yuan, Buxiang Sun, Mayumi Yoshida, Hajime Fujii, Koji Wakame, Ken-ichi Kosuna, New Food Industry, 43(3): 17-22 (2001)

Effects of buckwheat in a renal ischemia-reperfusion model.  Takako Yokozawa, Hajime Fujii, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Gen-ichiro Nonaka, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 65(2): 396-400 (2001). [PubMed]

What have been some clinical experiences with AHCC and cancer?  Yasuo Kamiyama, Yoichi Matsui, Yusai Kawaguchi, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Koji Wakame, Biotherapy, 14(10): 959-964 (2000).

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) improves immunological parameters and performance status of patients with solid tumors.  Katsuaki Uno, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Buxiang Sun, Hajime Fujii, Koji Wakame, Shizuko Chikumaru, George Hosokawa, Yuji Ueda, Biotherapy, 14(3): 303-309 (2000).

Effects of perilla extracts on Compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior in mice and histamine release from peritoneal cells.  Koji Wakame, Takehito Miura, Hajime Fujii, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Dokkyo Journal of Medical Sciences, 27(2): 373-378 (2000).

The development and the use of the polyphenols from buckwheat.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, Koji Wakame, Up-to-date Food Processing, 33(11): 43-45 (1998).

Effects of polyphenolic mixture of plants (PMP) on serum superoxide dismutase activity and lipid metabolism in man.  Koji Wakame, Sousi Fujita, Masato Ohe, Yoshihiko Igarashi, Kaoru Ichimura, Shigeru Matsuzaki, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Tsutomu Kanazawa, Buxiang Sun, Masatoshi Mikami, Etsuko Ogawa, Dokkyo Journal of Medical Sciences, 13(2): 291-300 (1998).

Protective effects of AHCC on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in mice.  Buxiang Sun, Koji Wakame, Timomi Mukoda, Atsushi Toyoshima, Tsutomu Kanazawa, Ken-ichi Kosuna, Natural Medicine, 51(4): 310-315 (1997).

Anti-allergic action of a perilla extract and application to foods.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, Koji Wakame, Up-to-date Food Processing, 32(2): 16-18 (1997).

Utilization of AHCC as an immunostimulatory food.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, New Food Industry, 37: 22-26 (1995).

Anti-inflammatory effects of a perilla extract.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, Jun Shirai, Hiroaki Kosaka, Fragrance Journal 7: 90-94 (1995).

Modulation of a biological defense mechanism with food.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, New Food Industry, 36(2): 41-44 (1994).

Anti-allergy activity of perilla.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan, 27(4): 604-607 (1994).

The development and application of Active Hemicellulose Compound (AHCC).  Ken-ichi Kosuna
Bio-Industry 10(9): 21-24 (1993).

Development of an immunostimulatory food.  Ken-ichi Kosuna, New Food Industry, 35(2): 46-48 (1993).