Effects of climate on fatty acid profile in Camelina sativa.

Due to the importance of Camelina for low expectation (water and other inputs) and as an oil crop, Soheil cultivar was cultivated in Ardebil, Hamedan, Rasht, Ilam, Kermanshah, Karaj, Mashhad, Ahvaz and Bushehr Provinces. Fatty acids were measured with MG-Mass. Results showed that morphological traits were not very dependent on the climate, but the profile of the fatty acids was dependent. ANOVA of the effects of climate on the saturated fatty acid showed that there were significant differences between climates for all studied SFAs (P<0.01) with the exception of Lauric acid. Mean squares of the effects of climate on the Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) in showing that there were significant differences between climates for all studied MUFAs (P<0.01). Mean squares of the effects of climate on the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), oil percentage and protein content of seeds indicated that there were significant differences between climates for all these studied traits. Mean squares of the effects of climate on the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), oil percentage and protein content of seeds indicated that there were significant differences between climates for all these studied traits. The statistical analysis for the effects of Climate on the ratio of the Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA) in Camelina sativa showed that there were significant differences (P<0.01) for SFA, MUSFA, PUFA, MP, P:S and MP:S. Briefly, in the cold climates, the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids was higher. So it is possible to the cultivation of this plant in cold provinces for nutritional purposes and in tropical provinces for industrial and sanitary purposes.

Contrasting patterns of prehistoric human diet and subsistence in northernmost Europe.

Current archaeological evidence indicates the transition from hunting-fishing-gathering to agriculture in Northern Europe was a gradual process. This transition was especially complex in the prehistoric North Fennoscandian landscape where the high latitude posed a challenge to both domestic animal breeding and cereal cultivation. The conditions varied, the coastal dwellers had access to rich marine resources and enjoyed a milder climate due to the Gulf Stream, while those living in the inland Boreal forest zone faced longer and colder winters and less diversity in animal and plant resources. Thus, the coastal area provided more favourable conditions for early agriculture compared to those found inland. Interestingly, a cultural differentiation between these areas is archaeologically visible from the late 2nd millennium BC onwards. This is most clearly seen in regionally distinct pottery styles, offering unique opportunities to probe diet and subsistence through the organic residues preserved in ceramic vessels. Herein, we integrate the lipid biomarker, compound-specific stable carbon isotopes (δ13C), and zooarchaeological evidence to reveal culturally distinct human diets and subsistence patterns. In northern Norway, some of the coastal people adopted dairying as part of their subsistence strategy, while the inhabitants of the interior, in common with northern Finland, continued their hunter-gatherer-fisher lifestyles.

Fat-Modified Breast Milk Resolves Chylous Pleural Effusion in Infants With Postsurgical Chylothorax but Is Associated With Slow Growth.

BACKGROUND: Chylothorax occurs in ~3%-5% of infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Standard treatment requires discontinuation of breast milk feeding, due to the abundance of long-chain triglycerides and transition to a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)-based formula. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of fat-modified breast milk (MBM) for the treatment of chylothorax compared with MCT formula. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Infants diagnosed with chylothorax following surgery for congenital heart disease between January 2008 and December 2009 at The Hospital for Sick Children were eligible for this nonrandomized open-label study. Treatment infants (n = 8) received mother's own milk that had been modified by removing the fat layer via centrifugation and adding MCT, nutrients, and essential fatty acids to provide an estimated 74 kcal/100 mL and 1.4 g/100 mL protein (MBM group). Control infants (n = 8) received an MCT formula (MCT group). The feeding intervention was a minimum of 6 weeks after chest tube removal per The Hospital for Sick Children standard chylothorax treatment protocol. RESULTS: Daily volume and duration of chest tube drainage were not different between the MBM and MCT groups. While there was no statistically significant difference in rates of weight gain (g/d) between feeding groups, infants in the MBM group, who tended to be younger, experienced a decline in mean weight (P = .04) and length (P = .01) for age z scores. CONCLUSION: Fat-modified breast milk resolved chylothorax; however, strategies to address poor growth need to be developed and evaluated in larger trials prior to widespread clinical adoption of this novel treatment.

Potential of the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) as an Unconventional Source of Dietary and Therapeutic Sterols.

Insects are increasingly being recognized not only as a source of food to feed the ever growing world population but also as potential sources of new products and therapeutic agents, among which are sterols. In this study, we sought to profile sterols and their derivatives present in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, focusing on those with potential importance as dietary and therapeutic components for humans. Using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we analyzed and compared the quantities of sterols in the different sections of the gut and tissues of the locust. In the gut, we identified 34 sterols which showed a patchy distribution, but with the highest composition in the foregut (55%) followed by midgut (31%) and hindgut (14%). Fed ad libitum on wheat seedlings, five sterols unique to the insect were detected. These sterols were identified as 7-dehydrocholesterol, desmosterol, fucosterol, (3ß, 5α) cholesta-8, 14, 24-trien-3-ol, 4, 4-dimethyl, and (3ß, 20R) cholesta-5, 24-dien-3, 20-diol with the first three having known health benefits in humans. Incubation of the fore-, mid- and hindgut with cholesterol-[4-13C] yielded eight derivatives, three of these were detected in the gut of the desert locust after it had consumed the vegetative diet but were not detected in the diet. Our study shows that the desert locust ingests phytosterols from a vegetative diet and, amplifies and metabolizes them into derivatives with potential salutary benefits and we discuss our findings in this context.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a tool to study farmed and wild sea bass lipid composition.

BACKGROUND: The lipids of 16 farmed and wild European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) samples were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The spectroscopic parameters which would be useful when distinguishing between both fish origins were analysed. RESULTS: It was shown, for the first time, that the frequency and the ratio between the absorbance of certain bands are efficient and reliable authentication tools for the origin of sea bass. Furthermore, relationships between infrared data and fish lipids composition referring to the molar percentage or concentration of certain acyl groups were also studied. It was proved that some infrared spectroscopic data (the frequency of certain bands or the ratio of the absorbance of others), are very closely related to the composition of sea bass lipids. It was shown for the first time that certain infrared spectroscopic data could predict, with a certain degree of approximation, the molar percentage, or concentration, of omega-3, docosahexaenoic (DHA) and di-unsaturated omega-6 (linoleic) in sea bass lipids. CONCLUSION: The consistency of the results confirms the usefulness of FTIR spectroscopy to detect frauds regarding sea bass origin, and to provide important compositional data about sea bass lipids from the nutritional and technological point of view.

Temperature effects on the ultrasonic separation of fat from natural whole milk.

This study showed that temperature influences the rate of separation of fat from natural whole milk during application of ultrasonic standing waves. In this study, natural whole milk was sonicated at 600kHz (583W/L) or 1MHz (311W/L) with a starting bulk temperature of 5, 25, or 40°C. Comparisons on separation efficiency were performed with and without sonication. Sonication using 1MHz for 5min at 25°C was shown to be more effective for fat separation than the other conditions tested with and without ultrasound, resulting in a relative change from 3.5±0.06% (w/v) fat initially, of -52.3±2.3% (reduction to 1.6±0.07% (w/v) fat) in the skimmed milk layer and 184.8±33.2% (increase to 9.9±1.0% (w/v) fat) in the top layer, at an average skimming rate of ∼5g fat/min. A shift in the volume weighted mean diameter (D[4,3]) of the milk samples obtained from the top and bottom of between 8% and 10% relative to an initial sample D[4,3] value of 4.5±0.06µm was also achieved under these conditions. In general, faster fat separation was seen in natural milk when natural creaming occurred at room temperature and this separation trend was enhanced after the application of high frequency ultrasound.

The effect of immunoglobulins and somatic cells on the gravity separation of fat, bacteria, and spores in pasteurized whole milk.

Our objective was to determine the role that immunoglobulins and somatic cells (SC) play in the gravity separation of milk. The experiment comprised 9 treatments: (1) low-temperature pasteurized (LTP; 72°C for 17.31s) whole milk; (2) LTP (72°C for 17.31s) whole milk with added bacteria and spores; (3) recombined LTP (72°C for 17.31s) whole milk with added bacteria and spores; (4) high-temperature pasteurized (HTP; 76°C for 7min) whole milk with added bacteria and spores; (5) HTP (76°C for 7min) whole milk with added bacteria and spores and added colostrum; (6) HTP (76°C for 7min) centrifugally separated, gravity-separated (CS GS) skim milk with HTP (76°C for 7min) low-SC cream with added bacteria and spores; (7) HTP (76°C for 7min) CS GS skim milk with HTP (76°C for 7min) high-SC cream with added bacteria and spores; (8) HTP (76°C for 7min) CS GS skim milk with HTP (76°C for 7min) low-SC cream with added bacteria and spores and added colostrum; and (9) HTP (76°C for 7min) CS GS skim milk with HTP (76°C for 7min) high-SC cream with added bacteria and spores and added colostrum. The milks in the 9 treatments were gravity separated at 4°C for 23h in glass columns. Five fractions were collected by weight from each of the column treatments, starting from the bottom of the glass column: 0 to 5%, 5 to 90%, 90 to 96%, 96 to 98%, and 98 to 100%. The SC, fat, bacteria, and spores were measured in each of the fractions. The experiment was replicated 3 times in different weeks using a different batch of milk and different colostrum. Portions of the same batch of the frozen bacteria and spore solutions were used for all 3 replicates. The presence of both SC and immunoglobulins were necessary for normal gravity separation (i.e., rising to the top) of fat, bacteria, and spores in whole milk. The presence of immunoglobulins alone without SC was not sufficient to cause bacteria, fat, and spores to rise to the top. The interaction between SC and immunoglobulins was necessary to cause aggregates of fat, SC, bacteria, and spores to rise during gravity separation. The SC may provide the buoyancy required for the aggregates to rise to the top due to gas within the SC. More research is needed to understand the mechanism of the gravity-separation process.

Design parameters for the separation of fat from natural whole milk in an ultrasonic litre-scale vessel.

The separation of milk fat from natural whole milk has been achieved by applying ultrasonic standing waves (1 MHz and/or 2 MHz) in a litre-scale (5L capacity) batch system. Various design parameters were tested such as power input level, process time, specific energy, transducer-reflector distance and the use of single and dual transducer set-ups. It was found that the efficacy of the treatment depended on the specific energy density input into the system. In this case, a plateau in fat concentration of ∼20% w/v was achieved in the creamed top layer after applying a minimum specific energy of 200 kJ/kg. In addition, the fat separation was enhanced by reducing the transducer reflector distance in the vessel, operating two transducers in a parallel set-up, or by increasing the duration of insonation, resulting in skimmed milk with a fat concentration as low as 1.7% (w/v) using raw milk after 20 min insonation. Dual mode operation with both transducers in parallel as close as 30 mm apart resulted in the fastest creaming and skimming in this study at ∼1.6 g fat/min.

A laboratory efficient method for intramuscular fat analysis.

A new procedure to extract intramuscular fat (IMF) was developed to minimize sample amount, solvent use and time of analysis. Lyophilised samples (200mg) were accurately weighed in a safe-lock micro test tube, homogenized in 1.5 mL dichloromethane-methanol (8:2) and mixed in a mixer mill (MM400, Retsch technology). The final biphasic system was separated by centrifugation (8 min, 10,000 rpm). The extraction was repeated three times. Solvent was evaporated under nitrogen stream and lipid content was gravimetrically determined. Results from 64 determinations were compared to those obtained with other referred method and showed a linear response over the whole range of IMF content (1.6-6.9 g/100 g sample). Moreover, the analysis with different methodology of six replica from the same sample showed lowest variability (standard deviation intra-method) for the new methodology proposed over a wide range of IMF content. A cost and time efficient lipid extraction procedure was developed without loss of precision and accuracy and with a fatty acid profile comparable to other protocols.

Properties and oxidative stabilities of enzymatically interesterified chicken fat and sunflower oil blend.

Chicken fat and sunflower oil 2:3 m/m blend was enzymatically interesterified at 60°C with and without microwaves assistance. As the catalyst a commercial preparation of the immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme RM IM) containing 2% of water was used, and the catalyst load was 8% in each case. The starting mixture and the interesterified products were separated by column chromatography into pure triacylglycerols fraction (TAG) and a non-triacylglycerol fraction, which contained free fatty acids (FFA), mono- and diacylglycerols (MAG and DAG). The oxidative stabilities (OS) of fats studied and TAG derived from them were assessed by Rancimat at 100°C and by Pressure Differential Scanning Calorimetry (PDSC) under oxygen at 110-140°C. Interesterification reduced the OS of chicken fat and sunflower oil blend. The main factors influenced on the OS of fats studied were concentrations of tocopherols and presence of FFA, MAG- and DAG. The structures of TAGs were of minor importance. From the resulting PDSC exotherms their times to reach the onset (τon) and peak maximum (τmax) were measured and used for calculations of parameters of the Arrhenius type kinetics for thermaloxidative decomposition of fats studied.

Imaging cytoplasmic lipid droplets in enterocytes and assessing dietary fat absorption.

The primary function of the small intestine is digesting and absorbing nutrients from consumed food. Because of this, the small intestine is often thought of as a nutrient thoroughfare-enterocytes taking up nutrients on the apical side and then secreting nutrients from the basolateral side. The small intestine is not commonly thought of as a lipid storage organ; however, when meals and diets containing high amounts of fat are consumed, some dietary fat is stored in cytoplasmic lipid droplets (CLDs). The balance between storage and secretion of dietary fat by enterocytes is important in determining the physiological fate of dietary fat, including regulating blood lipid concentrations and energy balance. The existence of CLDs within enterocytes has likely evolved for three important physiological functions: (i) to allow the small intestine to efficiently absorb large amounts of energy dense fat, (ii) to control the rate of dietary fat entering circulation, and (iii) to alleviate lipotoxicity to enterocytes induced by high concentrations of free fatty acids, especially when a high fat meal is consumed. The purpose of this chapter is to provide methods for imaging CLDs in enterocytes and assessing different aspects of dietary fat absorption.

Lipid droplets and viral infections.

The lifecycle of several viruses is intimately tied to the lipid metabolism of their host cells, and lipid droplets (LDs) have emerged as crucial organelles in the propagation of these viral infections. Investigating the roles of LDs in viral infection requires expertise in both virology and cell metabolism pertaining to LDs. In this review, we offer an updated list and review of the multiples methods we have used in our laboratory to study both the role of LDs in viral infection and the effect of viral infection on cellular LDs, with a special emphasis on hepatitis C virus and other RNA viruses.

Quantification aspects of constant pressure (ultra) high pressure liquid chromatography using mass-sensitive detectors with a nebulizing interface.

The present contribution investigates the quantitation aspects of mass-sensitive detectors with nebulizing interface (ESI-MSD, ELSD, CAD) in the constant pressure gradient elution mode. In this operation mode, the pressure is controlled and maintained at a set value and the liquid flow rate will vary according to the inverse mobile phase viscosity. As the pressure is continuously kept at the allowable maximum during the entire gradient run, the average liquid flow rate is higher compared to that in the conventional constant flow rate operation mode, thus shortening the analysis time. The following three mass-sensitive detectors were investigated: mass spectrometry detector (MS), evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) and charged aerosol detector (CAD) and a wide variety of samples (phenones, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, wine, cocoa butter) has been considered. It was found that the nebulizing efficiency of the LC-interfaces of the three detectors under consideration changes with the increasing liquid flow rate. For the MS, the increasing flow rate leads to a lower peak area whereas for the ELSD the peak area increases compared to the constant flow rate mode. The peak area obtained with a CAD is rather insensitive to the liquid flow rate. The reproducibility of the peak area remains similar in both modes, although variation in system permeability compromises the 'long-term' reproducibility. This problem can however be overcome by running a flow rate program with an optimized flow rate and composition profile obtained from the constant pressure mode. In this case, the quantification remains reproducibile, despite any occuring variations of the system permeability. Furthermore, the same fragmentation pattern (MS) has been found in the constant pressure mode compared to the customary constant flow rate mode.

Extraction, processing, and stabilization of health-promoting fish oils.

Fish oil is known to be an important source of highly unsaturated n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which play an important role in the prevention of different human diseases. Fortification of foods with such fatty acids is, thus, increasingly recommended. A growing public awareness about the benefits and the limited dietary sources of PUFA has created a substantial interest in the production of PUFA concentrate. Thus, ecofriendly extraction and purification techniques, exhibiting higher yield and minimum degradation of the nutrient, are of prime focus among the researchers. Due to the presence of these highly unsaturated PUFA, fish oil is highly prone to oxidation, leading to the production of off-odors and off-flavors. Presently, synthetic antioxidants have been replaced by natural ones for stabilizing the fish oil against oxidation. This article reviews major research and patents that have been published on fish oil extraction, purification and its stability.

Bioactive compounds in lipid fractions of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp) seeds for use in food.

UNLABELLED: Seeds are considered to be agro-industrial residues, which can be used as source of macronutrients and/or raw material for extraction of vegetable oils, since they present great quantities of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to characterize the lipid fractions and the seeds of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp) varieties Nova Caravela, Mini Paulista, Menina Brasileira, and Moranga de Mesa aiming at using them in food. The chemical composition of the seeds was performed according to the official methods of American Oil Chemists' Society and Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Total carotenoids and phenolic compounds were determined by spectrophotometry, while the levels of tocopherols were analyzed by high efficiency liquid chromatography. It was noted that the seeds contain high amounts of macronutrients that are essential for the functioning of the human organism. As to total carotenoids, Mini Paulista and Menina Brasileira pumpkin varieties presented significant amounts, 26.80 and 26.03 µg/g, respectively. Mini Paulista and Nova Caravela pumpkin varieties showed high amounts of total phenolic compounds in the lipid fractions and in the seeds. It was also found that γ-tocopherol is the isomer that stood out in the lipid fractions and in the seeds, mainly in Menina Brasileira. Finally, the consumption of these seeds and use of lipid fractions provide the supply of large quantities of compounds that are beneficial for health and that may be potentially used in food, besides representing an alternative to better use of agro-industrial residues. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Bioactive compounds, besides presenting basic nutritional functions, provide metabolic and physiological health benefits when consumed as part of the usual diet. Therefore, there is a growing interest in vegetable oils of special composition, such as the ones extracted from fruit seeds. The seeds of Cucurbita sp are shown to be promising sources of oils, and especially the Cucurbita moschata and maxima species have not yet been fully elucidated. For this reason, it becomes important to investigate the chemical composition and lipid fractions of these seeds, aiming to use them in food.

Efficient liquid chromatographic analysis of mono-, di-, and triglycerols using silver thiolate stationary phase.

We show that the characterization of mono-, di- and triglycerols can be readily accomplished by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with silver(I)-mercaptopropyl modified silica gel, or silver thiolate chromatographic material (AgTCM), which can be used with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectroscopy (APCI-MS). Separation of triglycerols varying by degrees of unsaturation and cis/trans configuration in common oil samples can be achieved using a simple linear gradient of hexane and acetone. In addition to double bonds, AgTCM also displays major selectivity for compounds with different levels of polarity, allowing for efficient separation between mono-, di- and triglycerols. In comparison to conventional reversed phase columns, AgTCM produces simple chromatograms for rapid assessment of degrees of unsaturation and the amount of trans fats in triglycerides, which are central issues to food quality determination. In comparison to previous silver-ion based HPLC separations, AgTCM-HPLC based column offers greatly enhanced stability, inertness, durability, and reproducibility allowing routine coupling of the HPLC with a mass spectrometer for detection.

Variation in oil content and fatty acid composition of the seed oil of Acacia species collected from the northwest zone of India.

BACKGROUND: The oil content and fatty acid composition of the mature seeds of Acacia species collected from natural habitat of the northwest zone of the Indian subcontinent (Rajasthan) were analyzed in order to determine their potential for human or animal consumption. RESULTS: Oil content varied between 40 and 102 g kg⁻¹. The highest oil content was obtained in Acacia bivenosa DC. (102 g kg⁻¹) among the nine Acacia species. The fatty acid composition showed higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid (~757.7 g kg⁻¹ in A. bivenosa), oleic acid (~525.0 g kg⁻¹ in A. nubica) and dominant saturated fatty acids were found to be 192.5 g kg⁻¹ palmitic acid and 275.6 g kg⁻¹ stearic acid in A. leucophloea and A. nubica respectively. Seed oils of Acacia species can thus be classified in the linoleic-oleic acid group. Significant variations were observed in oil content and fatty acid composition of Acacia species. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that the seed oil of Acacia species could be a new source of high linoleic-oleic acid-rich edible oil and its full potential should be exploited. The use of oil from Acacia seed is of potential economic benefit to the poor native population of the areas where it is cultivated. The fatty acid composition of Acacia seed oils is very similar to that reported for commercially available edible vegetable oils like soybean, mustard, sunflower, groundnut and olive. Hence the seed oil of Acacia species could be a new source of edible vegetable oil after toxicological studies.

Assessment of internal and external grease interceptor performance for removal of food-based fats, oil, and grease from food service establishments.

A research study was performed to determine the fats, oil, and grease (FOG) removal efficiency of internal flow-based grease interceptors (FGI). A passive-flow and a mechanical-flow FGI unit were tested and their performance was compared to an external retention-based grease interceptor (RGI). Experiments involved multiple parameters including three oil/water emulsion strengths, two influent liquid temperatures, and two flow rates. Overall, the RGI achieved approximately 80% FOG removal and the FGIs removed less than 50% under the tested conditions. One exception occurred during the passive FGI testing during which removal reached approximately 80%. This increased efficiency was likely due to the relatively weak emulsion exhibiting significantly large FOG globules. The FOG removal efficiency decreased with increased temperature because of increased breakage of FOG globules at the elevated temperature. These results suggest that emulsion strength significantly affects FOG removal efficiency of FGIs and should be considered in future manufacturer testing protocol.

LC-PUFA from photosynthetic microalgae: occurrence, biosynthesis, and prospects in biotechnology.

Microalgae offer potential for numerous commercial applications, among them the production of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs). These valuable fatty acids are important for a variety of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical purposes, and the market for these products is continually growing. An appropriate ratio of LC-PUFA of the ω-3 and ω-6 groups is vital for "healthy" nutrition, and adequate dietary intake has strong health benefits in humans. Microalgae of diverse classes are primary natural producers of LC-PUFA. This mini-review presents an introductory overview of LC-PUFA-related health benefits in humans, describes LC-PUFA occurrence in diverse microalgal classes, depicts the major pathways of their biosynthesis in microalgae, and discusses the prospects for microalgal LC-PUFA production.