Α-tocopherol Content Research Articles

Characterization of carotenoid profile and α-tocopherol content in Andean bee pollen influenced by harvest time and particle size

Bee pollen (BP) is a natural product with remarkable nutritional and bioactive composition. Some of the compounds of interest are carotenoids with provitamin A activity, possessing an excellent antioxidant capacity and positive health effects. For that, the objective of this work was to characterize the botanical origin and carotenoid profile in two particle sizes of Colombian BP by Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography (RRLC). The carotenoid profile and α-tocopherol content were obtained, and ANOVA analysis was employed to explore data. The main carotenoids found were 9Z-zeaxanthin (65.15 ± 7.41–1104.98 ± 113.41 μg/g pollen), zeaxanthin (35.29 ± 2.08–354.30 ± 29.91 μg/g pollen), two zeaxanthin isomers (18.23 ± 3.73–227.69 ± 19.00 μg/g pollen) and β-cryptoxanthin (8.67 ± 1.27–34.25 ± 2.25 μg/g pollen). The statistical analysis showed significant differences between harvest time and particle size, proving the influence of climatic and botanic factors. The high content of macular and provitamin carotenoids was highlighted, which proposes BP as a significant source of important bioactive compounds. The carotenoids found allows characterizing BP in a complete seasonal cycle (January–December), research conducted for the first time in this product. Also, the information reported can be used to select harvest time of BP in order to include it as an ingredient, supplement, or raw material in the food industry, according to the carotenoid composition needed.

Effects of foliar zinc applications on some yield parameters and essential oil constituents of the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus var. chia Duham.)

Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus var. chia Duham.) is an important medicinal aromatic plant which is being cultivated without any regular fertilization generally. Foliar Zn applications have great importance for many commercial plant species because of their important role in metabolic activities. In this study, the effects of foliar ZnSO4 sprayings (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8%) applied at 50% and 100% leafing stages, on some yield parameters and essential oil composition of mastic tree were assessed. A field experiment was carried out for two consecutive years at Ege University, Turkey. Mastic resin yield was more than doubled with 0.8% Zn particularly in the second year. The highest leaf Zn content was measured as 187.8 mg l−1 with 0.8% zinc spraying while it was 35.4 mg l−1 in unsprayed trees at 100% leafing in the first year. Leaf essential oil and α-tocopherol contents were not significantly influenced by different Zn levels and leafing stages in both years. As for the major essential oil constituents, β-myrcene (62.4%), germacrene-D (14.3%), α-terpinenyl acetate (5.52%), t-caryophyllene (2.1%) and α-pinene (1.4%) were determined. Zinc sprayings increased the β-myrcene, germacrene-D and α-pinene contents particularly at 100% leafing in the first year. In mastic tree two consecutive applications of Zn seems to be necessary for reaching to desirable leaf Zn contents. Application of 0.8% Zn or more would be proper to increase the contents of most parameters assessed.

Deconstructing extra virgin olive oil through fractionation processes

Arbequina monovarietal extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was fractionated through a multi-step dry fractionation method. Three of the isolated fractions were selected and analyzed: one being liquid at 4 °C, and two being solid at 4 °C, and at 12 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) combined with synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) techniques were employed to monitor the polymorphic crystallization and transformation processes when samples were cooled from the melt to complete crystallization and reheated at a rate of 2 °C/min. Fatty acid profiles and α-tocopherol contents were also determined for EVOO and associated fractions. Each sample exhibited a different and unique crystallization and polymorphic behavior, and the number of crystallizing forms and complexity of transitions increased for solid fractions. In more detail, just two polymorphs (β’3-2L and β’2-2L) were detected in the liquid fraction, whereas the fraction which remained in the solid state at 12 °C exhibited six different phases (α-2L; β’3-2L; β’2-2L; β’1-2L; β’2-3L; β’1-3L). These dissimilarities were strongly correlated with meaningful variations in the fatty acid moieties forming TAG structures and caused large deviations in the crystallization and melting temperatures. As an example, melting temperatures of the liquid and the solid fraction at 12 °C were about −3 °C and 17 °C, respectively. It may be worth exploring the potential of EVOO fractions to be used for improving properties of food stuff, among others. The liquid fraction may be of interest due to its high nutritional value owing to elevated contents in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, whereas the solid fraction at 12 °C may become a good choice to be used as a high-oleic soft fat.

Investigation on the Effects of a Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Continuous System Implemented in an Industrial Olive Oil Plant.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the treatment of olive paste of the Picholine variety with pulsed electric fields (PEF) under real operating conditions in a large-scale olive oil extraction plant affects the extractability, chemical composition and sensory profile of the oils. The application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) as a non-thermal food processing technology is interesting for many food extraction processes. The results of this study show that pulsed electric fields can be used as a pretreatment before oil separation to increase the extractability of the process and improve the content of functional components. The application of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment (2.4 kV/cm, 4 kJ/kg, 6 µs pulse width) to olive paste through a continuous system significantly increased the extractability and total concentration of phenols (especially oleuropein derivatives) compared to the control. In addition, the volatile compounds, α-tocopherol, the fatty acid profile and the main legal quality parameters of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), including free acidity, peroxide values, extinction indices and sensory analysis, were evaluated. The pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatment did not modify these EVOO quality parameters, neither the α-tocopherol content nor the volatile profile. The sensory properties of EVOO were not affected as well as the PEF treatment showed a similar intensity of fruity and pungent attributes without any off-flavor according to the European Union legal standards. An increase in the bitter taste attribute was observed in the PEF oils. Consequently, this study demonstrates that pulsed electric fields (PEF) processing could be implemented in olive oil processing as pretreatment for improving the efficiency of the process.

Investigation on the changes in concentrations of vitamin D3 and E in Honamli and hair goat breed' colostrum in early postpartum.

Colostrum contains higher amounts of vitamins D3 and E than mature milk. Due to the structural feature of the goat placenta, goat kids are born with very low reserves of fat-soluble vitamins and must rely on colostrum to acquire adequate plasma levels of vitamin D3 and vitamin E. In the present study, vitamin E was measured in the form of α-tocopherolwhich is the most dominant isoform present in milk samples. The main aim of the present study is to determine the colostrum vitamin D3 and E content in Honamli and hair goats in the early postpartum stage by high-performance liquid chromatography. Five Honamli and five hair goat colostrum samples were collected on the day of kidding and on the third and fifth days postpartum. On the sampled days, the colostrum of both goat breeds contains higher concentrations of vitamin D3 and α-tocopherol than that in mature milk (p< 0,05) and there was the existence of a breed difference in colostrum vitamin D3 and α-tocopherol concentrations (p< 0,05) was determined. Also, the effect of sampling day on colostrum vitamin D3 concentration in samples that were obtained between the first and third days was also significant (p< 0,05). Hair goat colostrum α-tocopherol concentrations were found to be higher than Honamli goats (p< 0,05). Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between the sampling day and α-tocopherol content on days one and five (p < 0,05).

Effect of the addition of chokeberry leaf extract on the physicochemical and sensory properties of burgers from dark cutting veal

The occurrence of the DFD defect shortens microbiological stability and reduces consumer acceptance of meat. The effect of a chokeberry leaf extract (ChLE) addition at concentrations of 0.01 %, 0.05 % and 0.1 % on the sensory and physicochemical properties of burgers prepared from DFD meat during refrigerated storage under vacuum for 10 days was assessed. The pH, water activity, texture, colour, degree of lipid oxidation, and content of α-tocopherol were measured. The extract at concentrations of 0.05 % and 0.1 % significantly influenced lower levels of lipid oxidation and higher content of α-tocopherol on each tested period. Moreover, these concentrations had a beneficial effect on the instrumental and sensory evaluation of texture parameters and on overall quality. It was concluded that the addition of 0.1 % extract was the most beneficial over the entire 10-day storage period. In summary, use of ChLE may reduce the loss of raw meat caused by DFD defect.

Vitamin C Deficiency in Blood Samples of COVID-19 Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most notable pandemic of the modern era. A relationship between ascorbate (vitamin C) and COVID-19 severity is well known, whereas the role of other vitamins is less understood. The present study compared the blood levels of four vitamins in a cohort of COVID-19 patients with different severities and uninfected individuals. Serum concentrations of ascorbate, calcidiol, retinol, and α-tocopherol were measured in a cohort of 74 COVID-19 patients and 8 uninfected volunteers. The blood levels were statistically compared and additional co-morbidity factors were considered. COVID-19 patients had significantly lower plasma ascorbate levels than the controls (p-value < 0.001), and further stratification revealed that the controls had higher levels than fatal, critical, and severe COVID-19 cases (p-values < 0.001). However, no such trend was observed for calcidiol, retinol, or α-tocopherol (p-value ≥ 0.093). Survival analysis showed that plasma ascorbate below 11.4 µM was associated with a lengthy hospitalization and a high risk of death. The results indicated that COVID-19 cases had depleted blood ascorbate associated with poor medical conditions, confirming the role of this vitamin in the outcome of COVID-19 infection.

Nuts as functional foods: Variation of nutritional and phytochemical profiles and their in vitro bioactive properties.

The aim of the present study was to examine the nutritional (fat, fatty acids, minerals, sugars) and bioactive compounds (polyphenols, tocochromanols, triterpene) and their influence on in vitro anti-diabetic (pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase), anti-obesity (pancreatic lipase) and anti-cholinergic (AChE and BuChE) inhibitory activity of 8 different popular nuts-pecan, pine, hazelnuts, pistachio, almonds, cashew, walnuts, and macadamia. The total content of phenolic compounds in nuts ranged from 432.9 (walnuts) to 5.9 (pistachio) mg/100g. The dominant polyphenols are polymeric procyanidins (walnuts - 415.1mg/100g). Nuts are rich in tocochromanols (832.9-4377.5μg/100g), especially α- and γ-tocopherols. The highest content of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) was detected in hazelnuts and almonds (2551.0 and 2489.7μg/100g, respectively) while the lowest amounts were detected in macadamia, cashew and walnuts. The most abundant in nuts are oleanic and pomolic acids (35 and 22% of total, respectively), while betulin, uvaol and erythrodiol are less characteristic triterpenes for nuts (<1%). Pine nuts are the nuts with the highest content of triterpene (690.3mg/100g). Pistachio and almonds are the richest in total fat (>45%), but monounsaturated (17.5-79.3%; hazelnuts, almonds, cashew, macadamia, pistachio and pecan) and polyunsaturated (7.5-69.3%; pine, walnuts) are the dominant fatty acids. Moreover, nuts are low in Cu, Zn, Mn and Na content, but rich in K (464.5-1772.3mg/100g) and Mg (197.0-502.5mg/100g). Macadamia, walnuts and cashew are good sources of Se. Pistachio, almonds and cashew were characterized by the highest content of sugars, but the dominant sugar was saccharose (58.2-2399.3mg/100g). All nuts showed high activity in inhibiting intestinal α-glucosidase (>90%), but lower ability to inhibit pancreatic α-amylase and pancreatic lipase activity. The activity in inhibiting acetyl- and butylcholinesterase was up to 30%. As described above, all nuts contain various compounds that improve the nutritional value. Therefore they should be one of the important components of the daily human diet rich in functional foods.

Vitamin E deficiency in childhood: a narrative review.

Vitamin E is an important nutrient from the earliest stages of life. It plays key roles as an antioxidant and in the maintenance of the immune system, among others. Vitamin E deficiency (VED), which occurs more frequently in children, is rarely addressed in the literature. This narrative review aims to summarise the chemistry, biology, serum indicators and clinical trials that have evaluated the impact of fortification and other relevant aspects of vitamin E, in addition to the prevalence of its deficiency, in children worldwide. Vitamin E intake in recommended amounts is essential for this nutrient to perform its functions in the body. Serum α-tocopherol is the most widely used biochemical indicator to assess the prevalence of VED. VED has been associated with symptoms secondary to fat malabsorption and may lead to peripheral neuropathy and increased erythrocyte haemolysis. Reduced concentrations of α-tocopherol may be caused by the combination of diets with low amounts of vitamin E and inadequate consumption of fats, proteins and calories. The lowest prevalence of VED was found in Asia and the highest in North America and Brazil. High proportions of VED provide evidence that this nutritional deficiency is a public health problem in children and still little addressed in the international scientific literature. The planning, evaluation and implementation of health policies aimed at combatting VED in the paediatric population are extremely important.

Composition and α-tocopherol content of Njeguski-type cheese made from cow, ewe and goat milk

The determination of basic composition and α-tocopherol content during ripening of Njeguski-type cheeses produced from cow, ewe and goat milk was studied. The α-tocopherol content was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique with fluorescent detection. The results showed that although with the same farm practice and production technology applied, cheese composition of three types of milk differed significantly. Therefore, to standardise Njeguski cheese composition, production technology should be modified for each milk type. Additionally, the content of α-tocopherol in goat cheeses was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the α-tocopherol content in cow and ewe cheeses: 1573 μg 100 g−1, 1039 μg 100 g−1, and 1152 μg 100 g−1, respectively, at the end of ripening.

Association between vitamins and risk of brain tumors: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies

BackgroundBrain tumor is one of the important causes of cancer mortality, and the prognosis is poor. Therefore, early prevention of brain tumors is the key to reducing mortality due to brain tumors.ObjectiveThis review aims to quantitatively evaluate the association between vitamins and brain tumors by meta-analysis.MethodsWe searched articles on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases from inception to 19 December 2021. According to heterogeneity, the fixed-effects model or random-effects model was selected to obtain the relative risk of the merger. Based on the methods described by Greenland and Longnecker, we explored the dose-response relationship between vitamins and the risk of brain tumors. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were also used for the analysis.ResultsThe study reviewed 23 articles, including 1,347,426 controls and 6,449 brain tumor patients. This study included vitamin intake and circulating concentration. For intake, it mainly included vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene, and folate. For circulating concentrations, it mainly included vitamin E and vitamin D in the serum (25-hydroxyvitamin D and α-tocopherol). For vitamin intake, compared with the lowest intakes, the highest intakes of vitamin C (RR = 0.81, 95%CI:0.66–0.99, I2 = 54.7%, Pfor heterogeneity = 0.007), β-carotene (RR = 0.78, 95%CI:0.66–0.93, I2 = 0, Pfor heterogeneity = 0.460), and folate (RR = 0.66, 95%CI:0.55–0.80, I2 = 0, Pfor heterogeneity = 0.661) significantly reduced the risk of brain tumors. For serum vitamins, compared with the lowest concentrations, the highest concentrations of serum α-tocopherol (RR = 0.61, 95%CI:0.44–0.86, I2 = 0, Pfor heterogeneity = 0.656) significantly reduced the risk of brain tumors. The results of the dose-response relationship showed that increasing the intake of 100 μg folate per day reduced the risk of brain tumors by 7% (P−nonlinearity = 0.534, RR = 0.93, 95%CI:0.90–0.96).ConclusionOur analysis suggests that the intake of vitamin C, β-carotene, and folate can reduce the risk of brain tumors, while high serum α-tocopherol concentration also has a protective effect on brain tumors. Therefore, vitamins may provide new ideas for the prevention of brain tumors.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO, identifier CRD42022300683.

Effects of Dietary Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Selenium and Their Combination on Carcass Characteristics, Oxidative Stability and Breast Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens Exposed to Cyclic Heat Stress.

Simple SummaryHigh ambient temperatures present challenging environmental factors in the poultry meat industry, causing heat stress. Heat stress impairs animal health and welfare, growth performance, and productivity, and deteriorates meat quality and its oxidative stability, resulting in economic losses. To mitigate the negative effects of heat stress, several nutritional strategies have been proposed, with vitamin and mineral supplementation being one of the most promising. Several studies reported that the addition of vitamins E and C, as well as selenium, to broiler diets improved the production performance and meat quality of broilers reared under heat stress. Due to the synergistic effects of these antioxidants against the oxidative damage to lipids, combined supplementation could be even more effective in alleviating the symptoms of heat stress on meat quality than supplementation alone, but this has not yet been studied. The results of the present study indicate positive effects of the supplementation with vitamin E on the oxidative stability of breast meat. However, no synergistic effects of the added antioxidants on the measured parameters were observed.The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin E, vitamin C, and Se, alone or in combination, on carcass characteristics, oxidative stability and meat quality parameters of breast meat from broilers exposed to cyclic heat stress (HS), and stored under different conditions. A total of 120 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments: NRC (minimal nutrition requirements), AVI (commercial nutritional recommendations for Ross 308 broilers), AVI + vitE (as AVI + 200 IU vitamin E/kg feed), AVI + vitC (as AVI + 250 mg vitamin C/kg feed), AVI + Se (as AVI + 0.2 mg Se/kg feed), and AVI + ECSe (as AVI + vitE + vitC + Se). From day 26 onwards, all birds were exposed to a high ambient temperature (31 °C) for 8 h per day. The results showed that dietary vitamin E alone or in combination with vitamin C and Se significantly increased the α-tocopherol content and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in breast meat. Although no obvious synergistic effects of the added antioxidants were observed, the addition of higher levels of vitamin E, vitamin C and Se to broiler diets had no adverse effects on carcass traits, oxidative stability and meat quality parameters when supplemented either alone or in combination.

Deciphering the Genetic Inheritance of Tocopherols in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss).

Tocopherol is vital for the nutritional value and stability of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss) oil; nonetheless, the lack of information on genetic control is hampering its improvement. In this study, six populations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1P1, and BC1P2) of RLC3 × NPJ203 were evaluated in a family block design to evaluate the inheritance pattern, gene effects, and various other genetic parameters of tocopherol content (α, γ, and total), using generation mean analysis. The comparison of direct and reciprocal crosses indicated that the tocopherol content was not influenced by maternal inheritance. Negative directional heterosis showed that ATC, GTC, and TTC are governed by recessive genes. Potence ratio and degree of dominance highlighted an over-dominance type of gene interaction for GTC and TTC, whereas ATC was governed by epistatic interactions. Furthermore, the six-parameter model revealed a duplicate gene action for α-tocopherol content. Broad and narrow sense heritability coupled with genetic advances were high.

Functional and chemical qualities of Vitis labrusca grape seed oil extracted by supercritical CO2

Grape seed oil, which is extracted with highly toxic organic solvents that are harmful to human health, is produced from tons of grape pomace waste, generated during winemaking. Sometimes, this waste is used to make compost or is burnt, which causes environmental contamination. The functional qualities, antioxidant capacity (AC), α-tocopherol and total phenolic compounds content (TPC) of Black Borgoña (Vitis labrusca) grape seed oil, extracted by supercritical CO2, were evaluated. The high content of linoleic acid (w-6) and monounsaturated fatty acids contributed to the beneficial effect on ​​the functional quality indices, which were 0.20, 0.23, 11.80 for IA, IT and H:H, respectively. In addition, a POV of 6.23 ± 0.08 milliequivalents of peroxide/kg oil and an anisidine index of 2.70 ± 0.05 indicated a good quality oil. Also, a high concentration of α-tocopherol (9.82 ± 0.02 mg/100 g oil) and a high TPC (114.14 ± 3.24 mg GAE/kg oil) were obtained. This study demonstrated that supercritical CO2 extraction is a suitable method for the delivery of a high-quality grape seed oil.

The natural occurring RRR-α-Tocopherol and Synthetic α-Tocopherol stereoisomers in maternal plasma, cord plasma and breast milk among six regions of China.

The study aimed to investigate RRR-α-Tocopherol and synthetic α-Tocopherol stereoisomers in maternal plasma, cord plasma and breast milk from different regions of China, providing a reference for further guidance on maternal diet and the potential need to supplement mothers with vitamin E. Two hundred and twenty-one sample sets from maternal plasma, cord plasma and three stages of milk (colostrum: 1-5 days after delivery; transitional milk：10-15 days; mature milk: 40-45 days) were collected longitudinally in six regions of Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu, Lanzhou and Changchun. α-Tocopherol and the stereoisomers were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. In six regions of China, α-Tocopherol concentrations in maternal plasma and cord plasma were 15.38 mg/L, 2.12 mg/L and those of RRR were 13.17 mg/L and 1.82 mg/L respectively while those of synthetic α-Tocopherol were 2.21 mg/L and 0.30 mg/L respectively. As for the breast milk, they were 9.59 mg/L, 8.60 mg/L in colostrum; 3.68 mg/L, 3.23 mg/L in transitional milk; 3.01 mg/L, 2.47 mg/L in mature milk respectively. The RRR configuration accounted for more than 80% of α-Tocopherol in maternal plasma, cord plasma and breast milk. Overall, there were regional differences both in α-Tocopherol and RRR. There were significant correlations between α-Tocopherol and RRR in maternal plasma, cord plasma and milk (P=0.000). As well as negative correlations among α-Tocopherol, RRR and weight-related indicators, which refer to pre-gestation weight and BMI, pre-delivery weight and BMI and pregnancy weight gain, in almost all of samples. Although there were regional differences in RRR-α-Tocopherol concentrations, it was highly enriched both in maternal plasma and cord plasma. This study suggested that RRR-α-Tocopherol was the dominant configuration of α-Tocopherol and the main active form of vitamin E in the early life, guiding the rational supplement of pregnant women and the addition of α-Tocopherol in infant formula milk powder.

Effect of irrigation and fertilisation on the biologically active components of tomato

Abstract A three-year (2016–2018) open field experiment was conducted to study the effect of irrigation, fertilisation, and seasonal variation on the main bioactive components, such as carotenoids (lycopene and β-carotene), total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, and tocopherols of processed Uno Rosso F1 tomato. The statistical evaluation of measurements proved that the multi-year data set cannot be evaluated as combined data set; the values obtained in different years must be evaluated separately. The impact of irrigation on the content of bioactive components varied from year to year. The correlation was negative between irrigation and α-tocopherol content in 2016 and 2018 (r = –0.567 and –0.605, respectively), polyphenol content in 2016 (r = –0.668), γ-tocopherol content in 2017 (r = –0.662), while positive correlation was observed between concentration of vitamin C (r = 0.533) in 2017, lycopene content (r = 0.473) in 2018 and irrigation intensity. A weak correlation was proved between K levels and concentrations of lycopene and polyphenols in 2016 (r = 0.301 and r = 0.392, respectively).

Development of Olive Oil and α-Tocopherol Containing Emulsions Stabilized by FucoPol: Rheological and Textural Analyses.

Biobased raw materials like natural polysaccharides are increasingly sought by the cosmetic industry for their valuable properties. Such biodegradable and usually non-cytotoxic biopolymers are commonly used in skin-care products as rheological modifiers, bioemulsifiers and/or bioactive ingredients. FucoPol is a natural polysaccharide with reported biocompatibility, emulsion-forming and stabilizing capacity, shear-thinning behavior and bioactivity (e.g., antioxidant capacity, wound healing ability) that potentiate its utilization in skin-care products. In this study, olive oil and α-tocopherol containing emulsions were stabilized with FucoPol. Although the presence of α-tocopherol negatively impacted the emulsions’ stability, it increased their emulsification index (EI). Moreover, FucoPol outperformed the commercial emulsifier Sepigel® 305, under the tested conditions, with higher EI and higher stability under storage for 30 days. The formulation of FucoPol-based emulsions with olive oil and α-tocopherol was studied by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) that allowed the definition of the ingredients’ content to attain high emulsification. The RSM model established that α-tocopherol concentration had no significant impact on the EI within the tested ranges, with optimal emulsification for FucoPol concentration in the range 0.7–1.2 wt.% and olive oil contents of 20–30 wt.%. Formulations with 25 wt.% olive oil and either 0.5 or 2.0 wt.% α-tocopherol were emulsified with 1.0 wt.% or 0.7 wt.% FucoPol, respectively, resulting in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The emulsions had similar shear-thinning behavior, but the formulation with higher FucoPol content displayed higher apparent viscosity, higher consistency, as well as higher firmness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness, but lower spreadability. These findings show FucoPol’s high performance as an emulsifier for olive oil/α-tocopherol, which are supported by an effective impact on the physicochemical and structural characteristics of the emulsions. Hence, this natural polysaccharide is a potential alternative to other emulsifiers.

Increased Breastfeeding Proportion Is Associated with Improved Gross Motor Skills at 3-5 Years of Age: A Pilot Study.

Breastmilk provides key nutrients and bio-active factors that contribute to infant neurodevelopment. Optimizing maternal nutrition could provide further benefit to psychomotor outcomes. Our observational cohort pilot study aims to determine if breastfeeding extent and breastmilk nutrients correlate with psychomotor outcomes at school age. The breastfeeding proportion at 3 months of age and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3–5 years of age were recorded for 33 typically developing newborns born after uncomplicated pregnancies. The association between categorical breastfeeding proportion and neurodevelopmental outcome scores was determined for the cohort using a Spearman correlation with and without the inclusion of parental factors. Vitamin E and carotenoid levels were determined in breastmilk samples from 14 of the mothers. After the inclusion of parental education and income as covariates, motor skill scores positively correlated with breastmilk contents of α-tocopherol (Spearman coefficient 0.88, p-value = 0.02), translutein (0.98, p-value = 0.0007), total lutein (0.92, p-value = 0.01), and zeaxanthin (0.93, p-value = 0.0068). Problem solving skills negatively correlated with the levels of the RSR enantiomer of α-tocopherol (−0.86, p-value = 0.03). Overall, higher exposure to breastfeeding was associated with improved gross motor and problem-solving skills at 3–5 years of age. The potential of α-tocopherol, lutein, and zeaxanthin intake to provide neurodevelopmental benefit is worthy of further investigation.

QTL and Candidate Genes for Seed Tocopherol Content in 'Forrest' by 'Williams 82' Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) Population of Soybean.

Soybean seeds are rich in secondary metabolites which are beneficial for human health, including tocopherols. Tocopherols play an important role in human and animal nutrition thanks to their antioxidant activity. In this study, the ‘Forrest’ by ‘Williams 82’ (F×W82) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (n = 306) was used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seed α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, δ -tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and total tocopherol contents in Carbondale, IL over two years. Also, the identification of the candidate genes involved in soybean tocopherols biosynthetic pathway was performed. A total of 32 QTL controlling various seed tocopherol contents have been identified and mapped on Chrs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, and 20. One major and novel QTL was identified on Chr. 6 with an R2 of 27.8, 9.9, and 6.9 for δ-tocopherol, α-tocopherol, and total tocopherol content, respectively. Reverse BLAST analysis of the genes that were identified in Arabidopsis allowed the identification of 37 genes involved in soybean tocopherol pathway, among which 11 were located close to the identified QTLs. The tocopherol cyclase gene (TC) Glyma.06G084100 is located close to the QTLs controlling δ-tocopherol (R2 = 27.8), α-tocopherol (R2 = 9.96), and total-tocopherol (R2 = 6.95). The geranylgeranyl diphosphate reductase (GGDR) Glyma.05G026200 gene is located close to a QTL controlling total tocopherol content in soybean (R2 = 4.42). The two methylphytylbenzoquinol methyltransferase (MPBQ-MT) candidate genes Glyma.02G002000 and Glyma.02G143700 are located close to a QTL controlling δ-tocopherol content (R2 = 3.57). The two γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT) genes, Glyma.12G014200 and Glyma.12G014300, are located close to QTLs controlling (γ+ß) tocopherol content (R2 = 8.86) and total tocopherol (R2 = 5.94). The identified tocopherol seed QTLs and candidate genes will be beneficial in breeding programs to develop soybean cultivars with high tocopherol contents.

Functional Differentiation of BnVTE4 Gene Homologous Copies in α-Tocopherol Biosynthesis Revealed by CRISPR/Cas9 Editing.

Tocopherols are essential nutrients for human health known as vitamin E. Vitamin E deficiency can have a profound effect on human health, including the central nervous system and cardiovascular and immune protection. Multiple enzymatic steps are involved in the conversion between different forms of tocopherols. Among them, γ-tocopherol methyltransferase encoded by gene VTE4 catalyzes the conversion of γ- to α-tocopherol or δ- to β-tocopherol isoforms. However, the gene copies and their functional contribution of VTE4 homologs in Brassica napus were not elucidated. To this end, different mutation combinations of four putative BnVTE4 homologous copies were generated by using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. Editing of those BnVTE4 homologs led to a significant change of the α-tocopherol content and the ratio between α- and γ-tocopherol compared with wide-type control. Analysis of the different combinations of BnVTE4-edited homologs revealed that the contribution of the BnVTE4 individual gene displayed obvious functional differentiation in α-tocopherol biosynthesis. Their contribution could be in order of VTE4.C02-2 (BnaC02G0331100ZS) > VTE4.A02-1 (BnaA02G0247300ZS) > VTE4.A02-2 (BnaA02G0154300ZS). Moreover, the VTE4.A02-1 and VTE4.A02-2 copies might have severe functional redundancies in α-tocopherol biosynthesis. Overall, this study systemically studied the different effects of BnVTE4 homologs, which provided a theoretical basis for breeding high α-tocopherol content oilseed rape.