Noodles have been a part of our diet for a long time. In Asia, white-salted, Cantonese and instant fried types of noodles are widely consumed. White-salted noodles, also called Udon noodles, are consumed as wet or dried form. White-salted noodles are deeply favored in Korea and Japan and more consumption of Cantonese noodles are observed in other Asian countries. The quality attributes of white-salted noodles are predominantly dependant by wheat flour components, such as starch, protein and pigments, as wheat flour, water and salt are main raw materials of white-salted noodles. In several studies, the ratio between amylose and amylopectin is a key determinant of textural properties of white-salted noodles; hardness of white-salted noodles did have a significant (p<0.05) increase when amylose content in wheat flour was increased. The textural properties of white-salted noodles was not affected much by the protein content, especially protein content of flour was in the range of 10% ~ 13%. It seems that starch plays more important role than protein in the textural properties of white-salted noodles. Carotenoids and flavonoids pigment are major contributors of color of white-salted noodles.

Ski protein is a nuclear transcription factor that does not bind DNA directly. Due to its unique binding properties with multiple factors, Ski could perform various roles in the regulation of both cellular proliferation and differentiation. We had previously reported that Ski protein is present in granulosa cells of atretic follicles, but not in preovulatory follicles, suggesting that Ski has a role in apoptosis of granulosa cells. The alternative fate of granulosa cells other than apoptosis is to differentiate to luteal cells; however, it is unknown whether Ski is expressed and has a role in granulosa cells undergoing luteinization. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine whether the initiation of luteinization with luteinizing hormone (LH) directly regulates expression of Ski in the luteinized granulosa and luteal cells after ovulation by in vitro models. RT-PCR and real time PCR analysis respectively revealed that LH had no effect on c-Ski mRNA expression in the cultured granulosa cells regardless of LH treatment. Though Ski protein isabsent in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicle, its mRNA(c-Ski) was expressed and the level was unchanged even after LH surge. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Ski protein expression is induced in granulosa cells upon luteinization, and suggested that its expression is regulated post-transcriptionally. Moreover, expression of mRNA of Arkadia, an E3 ubiquitin ligases, in luteinizing granulosa cells in vivo was assessed by real time-PCR. The levels of Arkadia mRNA expression were unchanged during follicular growth and post ovulatory luteinization. These findings suggest that Ski protein level may be regulated during luteinization at translational and/or post-translational level but not by Arkadia.