Oil Blends Research Articles

Raman spectroscopy combined with multiple one-dimensional deep learning models for simultaneous quantification of multiple components in blended olive oil

Blended vegetable oils are highly prized by consumers for their comprehensive nutritional profile. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a rapid and accurate method to identify the true content of blended oils. This study combined Raman spectroscopy with three deep learning models (CNN-LSTM, improved AlexNet, and ResNet) to simultaneously quantify extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), soybean oil, and sunflower oil in olive blended oil. The results demonstrate that all three deep learning models exhibited superior predictive ability compared to traditional chemometric methods. Specifically, the CNN-LSTM model achieved a coefficient of determination (R2p) of over 0.995 for each oil in the quantitative analysis of three-component blended oils, with a mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of less than 2%. This study presents a novel approach for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of multi-component blended oils, providing a rapid and accurate method for the identification of falsely labeled blended oils.

Digestibility and Palatability of the Diet and Intestinal Functionality of Dogs Fed a Blend of Yeast Cell Wall and Oregano Essential Oil.

Feed additives, such as prebiotics and essential oils, are used in pet foods and can affect digestibility, palatability, and intestinal functionality of dogs. The combined effects of yeast cell wall and oregano essential oil on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and palatability of diet, intestinal fermentation products, and fecal microbiota in dogs were analyzed. Eighteen adult dogs were fed for 20 days with three dry extruded diets for adult dogs: control (without the additive), a diet containing 1.5 kg/ton of yeast cell wall and oregano essential oil (1.5YCO), and a diet containing 3.0 kg/ton of yeast cell wall and oregano essential oil (3.0YCO). The inclusion of both levels of YCO reduced the intake ratio. The addition of 3.0YCO reduced the ATTD of dry matter, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There were greater putrescine and cadaverine concentrations and lower histamine and ammonia (p < 0.05) in the feces of dogs fed 3.0YCO. In addition, fecal odor of dogs fed YCO was less fetid than the control group (p < 0.05). There was greater fecal bacterial diversity in dogs fed with both dietary concentrations of YCO evaluated (p < 0.05). Dogs fed 1.5YCO and 3.0YCO showed higher relative abundance of Blautia and Faecalibacterium and lower abundance of Streptococcus (p < 0.05) in the feces, in comparison to the control group. Given the modulation of microorganisms considered beneficial and the lower fecal concentrations of histamine, phenols, and ammonia, the YCO blend resulted in indicators of improvement of intestinal functionality in dogs.

The assessment of trans fatty acid composition in edible oil of different brands and regions in China in 2021

In order to comprehensively evaluate the trans fatty acids (TFA) composition and intake of different oils in China, 500 samples of 13 kinds of oils from 18 provinces and six brands were assessed. The results revealed that the rapeseed oil of brand-4 had the highest TFA (1.9102 ± 0.6974 g/100 g), while the olive oil of brand-4 contained the lowest TFA (0.0333 ± 0.0228 g/100 g). The soybean oil in Anhui showed the highest TFA (2.1126 ± 0.4059 g/100 g), while the olive oil in Guangdong displayed the lowest level (0.0377 ± 0.0275 g/100 g). In addition, the blend oil and rapeseed oil of Chongqing were far from other oils because of the high TFA content of C18:2, Δ9t, 12 t, C16:1, Δ9t, C22:1, Δ13t, C18:3, Δ9t, 12 t, 15 t and C22:1, Δ13t. All people in different provinces showed an intake level of TFAs that did not exceed 0.6 g (0.0001–0.5360 g/d/person). The people in Sichuan had the highest TFA intake (0.5360 g/d/person), while Shaanxi displayed the lowest level (0.0001 g/d/person). It is hoped that these data will help control TFA in cooking oils and choose healthy oils for the Chinese population.

Impact of oral Phytozen® EQ supplementation on plasma cortisol and behavior responses of young horses exposed to stressful stimuli.

Calming supplements are common in the equine industry. This study tested the hypothesis that Phytozen® EQ, a blend of citrus botanical oils, magnesium, and yeast would reduce startle response as well as reduce behavioral and physiological signs of stress in young (1.5-6 years of age) horses (n = 14) when tied in isolation and when trailered in isolation. During the 59-day (d) trial, horses were assigned to either the control (CON; n=7) or treatment (PZEN; n=7) group that received 56 g of Phytozen® EQ daily. Horses underwent a 10 min isolation test on d 30 and a 15 min individual trailering test on day 52 or 55. For both tests, blood samples were obtained pre, immediately after, and 1-hour (h) post for analysis of plasma cortisol concentrations, which were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. On d 59, horses underwent a startle test, for which time to travel 3 m and total distance traveled were recorded. These data were analyzed using a T-test. During trailering, PZEN horses tended to have lower overall geometric mean (lower, upper 95% confidence interval) cortisol concentrations than CON (81 [67, 98] vs. 61 [48, 78] ng/mL; P = 0.071). For the startle test, PZEN horses tended to have longer geometric mean times to travel 3 m than CON horses (1.35 [0.39, 4.70] vs. 0.26 [0.07, 0.91 seconds [s], P = 0.064). Other data points were not different between treatments (P > 0.1). It is possible that this dietary supplement could have beneficial calming effects on horses undergoing trailering or in novel situations.

Investigating Emission Control Techniques in Glow Plug Direct Injection CI Engines using Preheated Coconut Oil Blends

Investigating Emission Control Techniques in Glow Plug Direct Injection CI Engines using Preheated Coconut Oil Blends

An Immobilized Form of a Blend of Essential Oils Improves the Density of Beneficial Bacteria, in Addition to Suppressing Pathogens in the Gut and Also Improves the Performance of Chicken Breeding.

Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) are used in chicken production to suppress pathogens in the gut and improve performance, but such products tend to suppress beneficial bacteria while favoring the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. A green alternative to AGP with the ability to suppress pathogens, but with an additional ability to spare beneficial gut bacteria and improve breeding performance is urgently required. We investigated the effect of supplementation of a blend of select essential oils (cinnamon oil, carvacrol, and thyme oil, henceforth referred to as EO; at two doses: 200 g/t and 400 g/t feed) exhibiting an ability to spare Lactobacillus while exhibiting strong E. coli inhibition ability under in vitro tests and immobilized in a sunflower oil and calcium alginate matrix, to broiler chickens and compared the effects with those of a probiotic yeast (Y), an AGP virginiamycin (V), and a negative control (C). qPCR analysis of metagenomic DNA from the gut content of experimental chickens indicated a significantly (p < 0.05) lower density of E. coli in the EO groups as compared to other groups. Amplicon sequence data of the gut microbiome indicated that all the additives had specific significant effects (DESeq2) on the gut microbiome, such as enrichment of uncultured Clostridia in the V and Y groups and uncultured Ruminococcaceae in the EO groups, as compared to the control. LEfSe analysis of the sequence data indicated a high abundance of beneficial bacteria Ruminococcaceae in the EO groups, Faecalibacterium in the Y group, and Blautia in the V group. Supplementation of the immobilized EO at the dose rate of 400 g/ton feed improved body weight gain (by 64 g/bird), feed efficiency (by 5 points), and cellular immunity (skin thickness response to phytoheamagglutinin lectin from Phaseolus vulgaris by 58%) significantly (p < 0.05), whereas neither yeast nor virginiamycin showed a significant effect on performance parameters. Expression of genes associated with gut barrier and immunity function such as CLAUDIN1, IL6, IFNG, TLR2A, and NOD1 were significantly higher in the EO groups. This study showed that the encapsulated EO mixture can improve the density of beneficial microbes in the gut significantly, with concomitant suppression of potential pathogens such as E.coli and improved performance and immunity, and hence, has a high potential to be used as an effective alternative to AGP in poultry.

Performance of a Diesel Engine Run with Kerosene–Rapeseed Oil Blends Doped with Ignition Promoters

&lt;div&gt;The use of straight vegetable oil in diesel engines leads to undesirable consequences due to the peculiar physicochemical properties of vegetable oils. In this regard, the use of pure and unmodified vegetable oils requires their obligatory dilution with petroleum fuels, usually diesel fuel. However, blends of diesel fuel with vegetable oil have a significantly higher density and viscosity than pure diesel fuels. Therefore, in this article, it was proposed to use blends of vegetable oil with aviation kerosene since kerosene has lower density and viscosity compared to diesel fuel. In addition, kerosene is less prone to coking of injectors, has a higher calorific value, and has a lighter hydrocarbon composition, which makes starting the engine easier. Within the framework of the study, engine tests of a full-size four-cylinder diesel engine, MMZ D-245.12.C, were carried out at maximum load in the range of crankshaft speeds from minimum (1000 min&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;) to nominal (2400 min&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;). Various blends of kerosene with rapeseed oil with an oil content of 10 to 50% by volume have been tested. Ignition promoters were introduced into the fuel blends to improve their combustion. Commercial ethylhexyl nitrate was used as an ignition promoter. In addition, experimental additives were investigated, which are the FAMEs of vegetable oils oxidized to various concentrations of peroxide compounds. It has been shown that blends of kerosene and rapeseed oil doped with ignition promoters can be successfully used in diesel engines. The engine showed the maximum power and the lowest level of smoke emissions when running on a blend of kerosene and rapeseed oil with the addition of oxidized FAME of olive oil with a peroxide content of 1.1 g OOH/100 g.&lt;/div&gt;

Enzymatic interesterification improves the lipid composition, physicochemical properties and rheological behavior of Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil, Pangasius bocourti stearin and perilla seed oil blends

The study aimed to investigate the effect of enzymatic interesterification on the lipid composition, physicochemical properties and rheological behavior of Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil (CCSKO), Pangasius bocourti stearin (PBST) and perilla seed oil (PSO) blends. The results showed that the interesterification process significantly changed the TAG profile of the blends. Lipid products from the enzymatic interesterification (EIE) had significantly lower slide melting point and solid fat content than the non-interesterification (NIE) lipid products. Interesterification process changed the crystal polymorphic forms from β > β′ of NIE to β < β′ of EIE. The crystal morphology of EIE was smaller and more diffuse compared to the NIE. Moreover, EIE showed improved rheological behavior, which was more suitable for food margarine preparation. The findings have provided a theoretical basis for the potential application of Lipozyme TL IM modified lipid products in the food industry.

Fatty Acid Profile and Oxidative Stability of Layers’ Egg Yolk as Affected by Dietary Supplementation with Fresh Purslane and Addition of Aromatic Plant Essential Oils to Drinking Water

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of producing eggs enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) while also increasing the oxidative stability of egg yolk. Here, 432 68-week-old Isa Brown layers were split into two groups of 216, consisting of three subgroups of 72 each. Group C was fed a standard corn–soybean meal diet, while Group P received the same basic diet with an additional 24 g of fresh purslane. In the drinking water of hens of the three subgroups of group C and the three subgroups of group P, either no essential oil (C-0, P-0) or 100 ppm of oregano essential oil (C-ORE, P-ORE) or 100 ppm of a blend of oregano, sage, and fennel essential oils (C-BLEND, P-BLEND) was administered. The purslane supplementation resulted in increased egg weight, improved yolk color, higher levels of α-linolenic and linoleic acids, and an improved omega-6/omega-3 nutritional index. The addition of essential oils resulted in a significant increase in the oxidative stability of the egg yolk, with the BLEND being the most effective. In conclusion, the combined administration of fresh purslane and essential oils of aromatic plants could be suggested for the production of eggs enriched in omega-3 PUFA, protected with natural antioxidants of plant origin.

Next-generation ecofriendly MR fluid: Hybrid GO/ Fe2O3 encapsulated carbonyl iron microparticles with improved magnetorheological, tribological, and corrosion resistance properties

In this study, magnetorheological fluid (MRF) was developed using hybrid core-shell particles. The core of these particles consists of carbonyl iron (CI), while the shell is composed of graphene oxide (GO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanocomposite particles. The hybrid nanocomposite and core-shell particles were synthesized through a simple wet stirring process. A blended biocompatible oil comprising 90% rice bran oil and 10% silicone oil was employed as the continuous phase to ensure environmental and economic feasibility. Various characterization techniques were employed to examine the surface, structural, and magnetic properties of the hybrid core-shell particles. Magnetorheological (MR) measurements demonstrated that the incorporation of GO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite particles onto the CI particles (CIPs) significantly enhanced the shear stress and yield stress properties of the resulting MRF. This improvement can be ascribed to an increase in the magnetic saturation resulting from the encapsulation of GO-decorated Fe2O3 nanocomposite particles. The corrosion resistance and sedimentation properties were evaluated in this study, and the hybrid core-shell particles exhibited superior results compared to the bare CIPs. In terms of tribological performance, the hybrid core-shell particles exhibited significant improvement in friction and wear properties in comparison to the bare CIPs-based MRF and dry sliding condition. The significant reduction in coefficient of friction (COF) and wear might be attributed to the development of a lubricating protective layer consisting of bare CIPs and hybrid core-shell particles-based MR fluids (MRFs) at the contact interface. Consequently, this study offers an economical and effective approach for formulating MRFs with desirable rheological and tribological characteristics and corrosion inhibition properties, making them suitable for various environmental and industrial applications.

Tyre pyrolytic oil blends in a state-of-the-art compression ignition engine: Towards fuel-optimised combustion

The end-to-end efficiency and environmental impact of tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO) are currently high on the agenda of worldwide research. However, most knowledge regarding combustion and emissions of TPO fuels comes from legacy (pre-Euro standard) engine platforms, operating in non-optimal combustion conditions. The few tests on modern automotive engines have used factory, diesel-optimised calibration maps and focus on only small TPO admixtures to diesel fuel (DF). The present work aspires to tackle these knowledge gaps by testing higher TPO admixture diesel blends in a state-of-the-art research engine realising low nitrogen oxides (NOX), partially premixed compression ignition. Measurement campaigns focus on accuracy in establishing fuel-to-fuel differences in emissions, also with consideration of unlegislated species. A combination of thorough combustion analysis and accurate fuel property characterisation allows evaluation of a calibration strategy that harnesses multi-pulse injection and a fully controlled air-path to mitigate emissions. This strategy enables an engine fuelled with a 40% TPO blend to realise low-temperature combustion in a wider area of the calibration map than is possible with DF. The most favourable NOX/particulate matter (PM) mode is extended towards high exhaust gas recirculation and early injection regimes. Adopting this dedicated engine control for TPO allows best-point NOX/PM emissions of 1.22 g/kWh and 0.18 g/kWh respectively, while maintaining the baseline indicated thermal efficiency target of 42%. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons emissions are elevated, but in terms of current EU Non-road Mobile Machinery Stage V limits, differences between TPO and DF are insignificant. However, regardless of calibration, TPO's chemical make-up causes increased emissions of sulphur oxides and aromatic hydrocarbons.

Antifungal activity of essential oil and emulsifiable concentrates of citronella and lemon grass against Phomopsis vexans

The present study aims to develop eco-friendly Emulsifiable Concentrates (EC) using citronella and lemon grass essential oil (EO) and evaluate its antifungal activity against Phomopsis vexans in Solanum melongena. Among nine prepared formulations, F1 formulation with EO (40%) + vegetable oil (50%) and emulsifier blends (10%) with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value (12.86) were found suitable for both EO formulations. These formulations (CF1 and LF1) performed well in terms of emulsion stability, cold test, accelerated storage and foam test indicating feasibility for their commercial production. In laboratory studies, at 0.1% concentration, citronella essential oil, lemon grass essential oil and their EC formulations CF1 and LF1 inhibited the growth of P. vexans with EC50 values 0.0087, 0.0098, 0.009 and 0.0126, respectively. Further, under field conditions, CF1 performed better than LF1 formulation in terms of minimum disease severity (32.22%). Hence, EC formulations can be used as natural and eco-friendly fungicide for P. vexans control.

Synthesis of Mono- and Diacylglycerol Using High Shear Reactor

This study aimed to obtain the best characteristics of a product containing a mixture of high mono- and diacylglycerol (MDAG) from a palm olein and coconut oil blend through glycerolysis- interesterification using a high shear reactor. The most optimum reaction was performed at a relatively low temperature (120 °C), 3% NaOH as a catalyst, a 12% molecular sieve, and an agitating speed of 2000 rpm. The evaluated factors were palm olein: coconut oil ratios (70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, and 30:70) and oil: glycerol ratios (1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, and 1:7). The results showed that palm olein: coconut oil ratio had a significant effect on melting point (MP), slip melting point (SMP), hardness, and emulsion capacity and stability, but it did not have a significant effect on MDAG concentration (P &gt; 0.05). Besides, modifying a high-shear reactor with a vacuum pump and molecular sieve caused a decrease in water content in the system, subsequently reducing free fatty acid (FFA) significantly (P &lt; 0.05). The reaction condition at palm olein: coconut oil ratio of 50:50 and oil: glycerol ratio of 1:5 produced the highest MDAG concentration (58.28%) with FFA, water content, hardness, SMP, MP, emulsion capacity, and emulsion stability about 6.75%, 7.00%, 3.93 N, 33.23 °C, 35.57 °C, 62.66%, and 61.59%, respectively. Thus, glycerolysis-interesterification of palm olein and coconut oil blend in a high shear reactor is a promising alternative to produce a product containing high MDAG with better characteristics at a relatively low temperature. The product can be used for chocolate spread based on its emulsion capacity, stability, and semi-solid hardness.

Direct Comparison of 18 Carbon n–3 and n–6 Fatty Acids at Equal Levels in an Oil Blend on Tissue Enrichment of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid in Broiler Chickens

BackgroundOmega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are of interest because of their health effects. However, most experiments use natural oils and are confounded by PUFA concentrations and other fatty acids (FAs) that impact biosynthesis of the very long-chain derivatives (VLC). ObjectivesTo directly compare the effect of 18 C n-3 or n-6 FA fed at similar rates on their elongation and desaturation to VLC PUFA and their incorporation into tissues. MethodsOil blends that substituted ∼23% points of stearidonic acid (SDA) with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), or linoleic acid (LA) while minimizing differences in other FA were prepared. COBB500 broilers were fed the oil blends at 1.25% of the diet from day 14–35 age. ResultsThere was greater enrichment of VLC PUFA in breast, thigh, liver, and plasma when diets were supplemented with high-SDA and high-GLA oil blends than high-ALA and high-LA oil blends. The efficiency of VLCn-3 PUFA synthesis from SDA and ALA was lower than the efficiency of VLCn-6 PUFA synthesis from GLA and LA, suggesting that the elongation and desaturation enzymes more efficiently utilized n-6 substrates. The efficiency of biotransformation of SDA to VLCn-3 PUFA was greater than that of high-ALA, and synthesis of VLCn-6 PUFA from GLA was higher than that of high-LA in breast, thigh, liver, and plasma. There were minimal effects on tissue-saturated and monounsaturated FA. ConclusionsThe high-SDA and high-GLA oil blends efficiently enriched tissues with their VLC-PUFA more than high-ALA and high-LA treatments.

Retracted: Emission Measurement Analysis of Sapodilla Seed Oil Blending Fueled IC Engine

Retracted: Emission Measurement Analysis of Sapodilla Seed Oil Blending Fueled IC Engine

Investigation on Flame and Spray Characteristics of Butanol and Lemon Peel Oil Blends With Gasoline Using Optical Engine

Abstract The current research investigates the spray behavior of lemon peel oil (LPO) and butanol in a controlled environment under various engine-like conditions. The liquid spray morphology of both fuel blends is captured using a standard Mie scattering technique, and the liquid spray penetration length is compared to a baseline fuel isooctane. In order to simulate and create engine-like conditions, these experiments are carried out in a constant volume chamber under various pressure and temperature conditions. Furthermore, the combustion quality of binary and ternary blends is studied using an optical gasoline direct injection engine at three different injection timings. According to the constant volume spray study, isooctane has the shortest penetration. Because of its higher boiling point, LPO has a longer liquid spray penetration length. Despite its lower boiling point, butanol penetrates better than isooctane. The temperature was also discovered to influence liquid spray tip penetration length more than pressure significantly. In-cylinder combustion imaging results also revealed that injection timing significantly impacts combustion. Although butanol improves combustion, LPO-dominant blends demonstrated more diffusion burning due to poor evaporation characteristics. The blends prepared for the study were similar to gasoline in combustion conditions. It was discovered that these blends ran optimally without requiring any modifications to existing engines, even though late injection is recommended to improve combustion quality and peak performance.

Functional Additives in a Selected European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Genotype: Effects on the Stress Response and Gill Antioxidant Response to Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Treatment.

Functional ingredients have profiled as suitable candidates for reinforcing the fish antioxidant response and stress tolerance. In addition, selective breeding strategies have also demonstrated a correlation between fish growth performance and susceptibility to stressful culture conditions as a key component in species domestication processes. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the ability of a selected high-growth genotype of 300 days post-hatch European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles to use different functional additives as endogenous antioxidant capacity and stress resistance boosters when supplemented in low fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) diets. Three isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets (10% FM/6% FO) were supplemented with 200 ppm of a blend of garlic and Labiatae plant oils (PHYTO0.02), 1000 ppm of a mixture of citrus flavonoids and Asteraceae and Labiatae plant essential oils (PHYTO0.1) or 5000 ppm of galactomannan-oligosaccharides (GMOS0.5). A reference diet was void of supplementation. The fish were fed the experimental diets for 72 days and subjected to a H2O2 exposure oxidative stress challenge. The fish stress response was evaluated through measuring the circulating plasma cortisol levels and the fish gill antioxidant response by the relative gene expression analysis of nfΚβ2, il-1b, hif-1a, nd5, cyb, cox, sod, cat, gpx, tnf-1α and caspase 9. After the oxidative stress challenge, the genotype origin determined the capacity of the recovery of basal cortisol levels after an acute stress response, presenting GS fish with a better pattern of recovery. All functional diets induced a significant upregulation of cat gill gene expression levels compared to fish fed the control diet, regardless of the fish genotype. Altogether, suggesting an increased capacity of the growth selected European sea bass genotype to cope with the potential negative side-effects associated to an H2O2 bath exposure.

Chemical Characteristics and Thermal Oxidative Stability of Novel Cold-Pressed Oil Blends: GC, LF NMR, and DSC Studies.

Plant oils contain a high content of unsaturated fatty acids. Studies of food products have revealed a considerable disproportion in the ratio of ω6 to ω3. This article presents information on the healthful qualities of eight new oil blends that contain a beneficial proportion of ω6 to ω3 fatty acids (5:1), as well as their degradation during heating at 170 and 200 °C. The fatty acid profile was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC), content of polar compounds and polymers of triacylglycerols by liquid chromatography (LC), water content was measured by the Karl Fischer method, and oxidative stability was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR) methods. The results showed that during heating, the polar fraction content increased in samples heated at both analyzed temperatures compared to unheated oils. This was mainly due to the polymerization of triacylglycerols forming dimers. In some samples that were heated, particularly those heated to 200 °C, trimers were detected, however, even with the changes that were observed, the polar fraction content of the blends did not go beyond the limit. Despite the high content of unsaturated fatty acids, the analyzed blends of oils are characterized by high oxidative stability, confirmed by thermoanalytical and nuclear magnetic resonance methods. The high nutritional value as well as the oxidative stability of the developed oil blends allow them to be used in the production of food, in particular products that ensure an adequate supply of ω3 fatty acids.

Effect of blending on physicochemical properties of groundnut, palm, and sunflower oil blends

The composition of the diet plays an important role in the management of lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in the blood. Vegetable oil plays a vital role in determining the human health due to its fatty acid composition. High intakes of saturated fatty acids (SFA) increase blood levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and accelerate the process of atherosclerosis. On the other hand, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have the opposite effects. According to WHO and other health agencies, nutritionally superior oil must fall in the ratio of 1:1-3:1; SFA, MUFA and PUFA, respectively, however evidences suggest that no single oil can provide the recommended dietary fat ratio. To combat this fatty acid ratio problem, blending of vegetable oils is gaining popularity in the oil industry to satisfy consumer needs. Present investigation was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect of blending on physicochemical properties of groundnut, palm and sunflower oil blends. The physicochemical properties like specific gravity, refractive index,smoke point, moisture, and free fatty acid value, peroxide value, saponification value and iodine value of vegetable oils and its blend in ratio of 50:25:25 of groundnut oil, palm oil and sunflower oil respectively were evaluated using standard analysis methods. It was observed that blending of groundnut oil with palm oil and sunflower oil affected and improved the physicochemical properties of the oil blend.

Replacement of fish oil with a high-DHA algal oil in a fishmeal-free diet fed to Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus)

A 12-week growth trial was conducted to evaluate the complete co-replacement of fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) in juvenile Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) diets. Five open-formula experimental diets were formulated as iso-nitrogenous (approximately 46% crude protein) and iso-lipidic (approximately 15% crude lipid). It is assumed that Florida pompano lack the mechanisms for synthesizing sufficient LC-PUFA. In the FM/FO-free diets, to meet the necessary dietary intake of LC-PUFA, a commercially available Schizochytrium algal oil was used. Four diets were prepared from a basal mix, with spirulina and poultry by-product meal as the principal protein sources. They differed only in their oil source, containing fish oil (FO), algal oil (AO), soy oil (SO), or a 50/50 blend of algal oil and soy oil (A/S). The fifth experimental diet (control) was a standard open-formula FM diet. In addition to the experimental diets, two commercial closed-formula diets served as references. The seven diets, each with four replicates, were stocked with 20 Florida pompano (approximately 4 g) in each. The experimental open-formula diets were tested against the control using Dunnett’s t-test, and different oil sources were tested against each other using orthogonal contrasts. The four experimental diets were each tested against the two reference diets with equivalency tests. Feed intake and survival were not different between the experimental diets and control. However, all production metrics were lower in the SO diet than the control. No other differences were observed between the FO, AO, and A/S diets and the control, or between the three diets. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was higher in fish fed the SO diet than in fish fed the control diet, and no other differences were found. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) was higher in fish fed the control diet than in fish fed the experimental diets. Protein productive values (PPV) were similar to PER, except that the PPV in fish fed the AO diet was not different from the control. The contrasts revealed that the FO, AO, and A/S diets resulted in a lower FCR than the SO diet. The PER was higher in fish fed the AO diet, and lower in fish fed the SO diet. The PPV was higher in fish fed the AO diet than in fish fed the A/S and SO diets, but similar to that of fish fed the FO diet. There were striking differences in performance between the two commercial reference feeds, underscoring the importance of using well-defined open-formula diets as a reference or control. To our knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate that co-replacement of FM and FO can be achieved in Florida pompano by supplying an FM- and FO-free diet. The development of successful open-formula diets without FO will help spur innovation and sustainability in aquaculture production.