  Within the semibosonized SU(3)-NJL model the mass splittings of baryons and
the axial vector coupling constants of the nucleon are evaluated. The mass
splittings of the hyperons are reproduced with great accuracy if second order
corrections in $m_s$ are taken into account. New corrections to the axial
vector currents coming from the subleading terms in the $1/N_c$ expansion are
shown to be non-vanishing and substantially improving the phenomenological
predictions for axial quantities. Finally the numerical values for the $g_{\rm
A}$'s are $g_A^{(0)}=0.37$, $g_A^{(3)}=1.38$ and $g_A^{(8)}=0.31$ reproducing
reasonably well the recent data from lepton scattering.
