mucin

オクラが美味しい季節になりました。

Timing essential for harvesting okra

IBUSUKI, Kagoshima — The best season to enjoy okra, a summer vegetable known for its sticky inside and distinctive texture, has arrived. It can be enjoyed not only as an ingredient but also as a feast for the eyes due to its star shape when sliced.

I recently visited Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, the nation’s biggest production area for the vegetable.

According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, Kagoshima Prefecture shipped 4,383 tons of okra in 2012, more than any other prefecture. Of that, more than 80 percent was produced in Ibusuki.

The harvesting season for greenhouse-grown okra began around April, with its peak approaching now. On the day of my visit, the 1,700-square-meter greenhouse run by Kotaro Minami was filled with pale cream flowers and many okra pods growing skyward. The 59-year-old farmer serves as head of the okra division for the Yamagawa district at the JA Ibusuki agricultural cooperative.

Okra develops pods measuring nine to 12 centimeters long that are ready to eat just four to five days after blooming. This means timing is vital when harvesting the vegetable.

中略

The vegetable’s stickiness comes from mucin, which helps digest and absorb protein, and pectin, which helps control intestinal functions. Coupled with vitamins, calcium and other nutrients in the vegetable, okra is great in summer as it can encourage better recovery from fatigue.

以下省略

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003025663

今回取り上げるのはmucin /mjuːsɪn/ です。記事内では、消化やタンパク質の吸収を助けると説明されていますが、何かの成分を表しているようです。

英英のサイト（Dictionary.com）には"any of a class of glycoproteins found in saliva, gastric juice, etc., that form viscous solutions and act as lubricants or protectants on external and internal surfaces of the body"とありますが（http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mucin）、生化学／医学用語が多く、「ジーニアス英和辞典MX増補版for iOS」で調べてみますと、「（生化学）ムチン（唾液、皮膚、腱などに含まれる粘膜タンパク質）」とありました。

胃が疲れていて消化する力が弱まっているときなどにはオクラを食べると良いかもしれません。(aqua)