In vitro spf determination of embilica officinalis and nelumbu nucifera seed oils

Medicinal plants are natural gift to human lives to promote disease free healthy life. The phytochemicals present in leaf, fruits and vegetables could reduce various risks of diseases owing to prevent the oxidative damage produced by free radicals. The plant seed also contain many active molecules responsible for various medicinal properties. N.nucifera, E,officinalis, M. oleifera, T.chebula, T.bellerica and flax seed oils are tested for SPF determination by in vitro method. The seed oils had shown very good SPF values. E.officinalis seed showed 25.77 as Sun Protection Factor (SPF) value and N.nucifera seed Cotyledon had 21.45 SPF values which was quite high when comparing other seed oils. This study supports the usage of seed oil as a UVB sun screen protector, an alternative source of nutrition and as well as renewable resources.

Functional and Histomorphological Assessments of Liver and Kidney in Matured Female Albino Wistar Rats Following Ingestion of Citrullus lanatus Seed Extracts

Oil from different seeds in fruits has been exploited for nutritional and health benefits ranging from provision of essential nutrients for cellular metabolic processes to being an alternative route to the orthodox drugs in the quest for a better living. However, adverse consequences following consumption of this seed oils on both the liver and kidney are not well known. The present study was carried out to assess the integrity of the liver and kidney following the administration of different doses of Citrullus lanatus seed extracts (oil) to mature female albino Wistar rats. Twenty - four female albino Wistar rats weighing between 179 g – 257 g were randomly divided into four groups of six animals per group. Animals in group 1(control group) received normal rat chow placebo. The experimental groups 2, 3, and 4 received 932.0 mg, 1864.0 mg and 2796.0 mg seed oil extract / kg body weight in 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 ml respectively for twenty-one (21) days by oral gavaging. The effects of treatment on the integrity of the liver and kidney were assessed by measuring the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) for liver and Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3 and Creatinine for kidney as well as the histomorphology of the liver and kidney for possible distortions. The results showed a dose-dependent decrease that was only significant (p<0.05) in group 4 relative to the control group for ALT, while both AST and ALP showed non-significant (p>0.05) changes. Furthermore, non-significant changes were recorded for Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3 and Creatinine. Histomorphologically, the liver and kidney integrity were not altered except for fatty infiltration of group 4 hepatocytes relative to control group and hyperchromasia of group 4 kidney relative to control. Generally, this study showed that Citrullus lanatus seed oil consumption results are of great advantage to liver and kidney tissues when consumed.

Chemical composition of cold pressed Brazilian grape seed oil

Abstract Grape seed oil (GSO) is an important by-product of the wine-making industry which has received attention as an alternative source of vegetable oils; its chemical compounds can be influenced by agricultural practices and industrial processing. Knowledge of the composition of Brazilian GSO is scarce; thus, this study aimed to analyze the chemical characteristics, as well as the antioxidant activity of these oils. GSO samples were obtained from Brazilian markets and showed significantly high amounts of phenolic, γ-tocotrienol and phytosterols as well as, the presence of several volatile compounds. Based on these results, is possible to show that oils exhibited good antioxidant activity. Therefore, it can be inferred that Brazilian GSO had a considerable content of phytochemical compounds with biological activity, which allows its association with other vegetable oils.

An Off-line Solid Phase Extraction Combined with Large Volume Injection-Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection Method for Determination of Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons in Camellia Seed Oils / 分析化学

An alternative method based on an off-line solid phase extraction ( SPE ) combined with programmable temperature vaporizer-based ( PTV) large volume injection-gas chromatography-flame ionization detection ( LVI-GC-FID ) was developed. The goal of this study was to determine mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons ( MOSH ) in camellia seed oils. The purification condition of SPE columns with silver impregnated the activated silica gel and activated aluminum oxide was optimized. The optimal SPE cartridge was loaded with 10 g of Ag-activated silica gel per 10 g of activated aluminum oxide. The PTV initial temperature was set at 75℃ for 1 min (split 200:1), and heated from 75℃ to 370℃ at 250℃/min. Then the diverter valve was closed for 1 min and opened again with the split flow ratio changing to 50:1 . The injection volume was 40μL. The calibration curve of paraffin oil was liner in the range of 5-500 mg/kg with correlation coefficient of 0. 998. The detection limit (LOD) and the quantification limit (LOQ) of paraffin oils in hexane were 0. 26 mg/kg and 0. 80 mg/kg, respectively. The recoveries from spiked oil samples were between 93 . 3% and 112 . 7%, with relative standard deviation ( RSD ) of 1 . 8%-5 . 2%, the RSD of intra-day and inter-day were less than 2 . 6% . This procedure was applied to analyze the MOSH in 11 commercial camellia seed oils and the contamination was found to range from 6. 8 mg/kg to 76. 7 mg/kg. The method is simple in operation with high sensitivity, good reproducibility and low cost, and suitable for determination of MOSH in vegetable oils.

Nutritional reserves of Vochysiaceae seeds: chemical diversity and potential economic uses

Contents of proteins, carbohydrates and oil of seeds of 57 individuals of Vochysiaceae, involving one species of Callisthene, six of Qualea, one of Salvertia and eight of Vochysia were determined. The main nutritional reserves of Vochysiaceae seeds are proteins (20 percent in average) and oils (21. 6 percent). Mean of carbohydrate contents was 5. 8 percent. Callisthene showed the lowest protein content (16. 9 percent), while Q. cordata was the species with the highest content (30 percent in average). The contents of ethanol soluble carbohydrates were much higher than those of water soluble carbohydrates. Oil contents lay above 20 percent for most species (30. 4 percent in V. pygmaea and V. pyramidalis seeds). The predominant fatty acids are lauric (Q. grandiflora), oleic (Qualea and Salvertia) or acids with longer carbon chains (Salvertia and a group of Vochysia species). The distribution of Vochysiaceae fatty acids suggests for seeds of some species an exploitation as food sources (predominance of oleic acid), for other species an alternative to cocoa butter (high contents or predominance of stearic acid) or the production of lubricants, surfactants, detergents, cosmetics and plastic (predominance of acids with C20 or C22 chains) or biodiesel (predominance of monounsaturated acids). The possibility of exploitation of Vochysiaceae products in a cultivation regimen and in extractive reserves is discussed.

Teores de proteínas, carboidratos solúveis e óleos de sementes de 57 indivíduos de Vochysiaceae, compreendendo uma espécie de Callisthene, seis de Qualea, uma de Salvertia e oito de Vochysia foram determinados. As principais reservas de sementes de Vochysiaceae são proteínas (20 por cento em média) e óleos (21, 6 por cento). A média dos teores de carboidratos foi de 5, 8 por cento. Callisthene apresentou o mais baixo teor de proteínas (16, 9 por cento), enquanto Q. cordata foi a espécie com o mais elevado teor (30 por cento em média). Teores de carboidratos solúveis em etanol foram muito superiores aos solúveis em água. Os teores de óleo foram superiores a 20 por cento na maioria das espécies (30, 4 por cento em V. pygmaea e V. pyramidalis). Ácidos graxos predominantes foram láurico (Q. grandiflora), oleico (Qualea e Salvertia) ou ácidos com cadeias mais longas (Salvertia e um grupo de espécies de Vochysia). A distribuição de ácidos graxos de Vochysiaceae sugere para as sementes de algumas espécies o uso em alimentação (predominância de ácido oléico), para outras, uma alternativa à manteiga de cacau (teores elevadosde ácido esteárico) ou produção de lubrificantes, tensoativos, detergentes, cosméticos e plásticos (predominância de ácidoscom cadeias C20 ou C22) ou biodiesel (predominância de ácidos monoinsaturados). Discute-se a possibilidade de aproveitamento de produtos de Vochysiaceae em regime de cultivo eem reservas extrativas.

Cancer Chemoprevention by Food Components: Colon Cancer Chemoprevention by Seed Oils Rich in Conjugated Linolenic Acid / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

Cancer chemoprevention utilizing food components is attracted because of its easily availability in humans. Bitter melon (<i>Momordica charantia</i>) (BMO) and pomegranate (<i>Punica granatum</i> L.) (PGO) seed oils contain a large amount of conjugated linolenic acid (CLN). In the first we demonstrated that BMO inhibits the development of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced putative precursor lesions for colonic adenocarcinoma in rats. Subsequently, we investigated the modifying effects of dietary administration of BMO or PGO on the development of colonic neoplasms using an animal colon carcinogenesis model initiated with a colon carcinogen AOM. Male F344 rats were given two weekly subcutaneous injections of AOM (20 mg/kg body weight) to induce colonic neoplasms. They were fed with the diets containing 0.01%, 0.1% and 1% BMO or PGO during the entire experimental period (for 32 weeks), starting one week before the first dosing of AOM. At the end of the study, the incidence and multiplicity of colonic adenocarcinoma were reduced in the "AOM+BMO" and "AOM+PGO" groups, when compared with the "gAOM alone" group. The contents of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA: 9<i>c</i>,11<i>t</i>-18:2) in the liver and colonic mucosa of rats fed BMO or PGO were elevated in a dose-dependent manner. Also, dietary BMO or PGO enhanced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ protein in the colonic mucosa. These findings may suggest that BMO or PGO rich in CLN can suppress AOM-induced colon carcinogenesis through the modification of lipid composition in the colon and liver and/or increased expression of PPARγ protein level in the colon mucosa. Our results might provide scientific evidence of an effective dietary chemopreventive approach using BMO and PGO seed oils rich in CLN to cancer chemoprevention, especially colon cancer development.<br>