Lauric Acid Content Research Articles

Acrocomia aculeata fruits from three regions in Costa Rica: an assessment of biometric parameters, oil content and oil fatty acid composition to evaluate industrial potential

Due to increased global demand for vegetable oils, diversification of the supply chain with sustainable sources is necessary. Acrocomia aculeata has recently gained attention as a multi-purpose, sustainable crop for oil production. However, the information necessary for effective selection of promising varieties for agricultural production is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess variability in fruit morphology and oil composition of individual Acrocomia aculeata plants growing wild in different climatic regions of Costa Rica. Fruits at the same ripening stage were collected at three locations, and biometric features, oil content, fatty acid composition of oils from kernels and pulp, as well as fiber composition of husks were determined. Biometric parameters showed high variability among the regions assessed. Moreover, oil content and relative proportions of unsaturated fatty acids were higher at the most tropical location, whereas lauric acid content was lowest under these conditions, indicating a potential environmental effect on oil composition. Pulp oil content correlated positively with annual precipitation and relative humidity, but no clear relation to temperature was observed. The oil chemical composition was similar to that reported for Elaeis guineensis, suggesting that Acrocomia aculeata from Costa Rica may be a suitable alternative for industrial applications currently based on African palm oil. Analysis of husks as a coproduct revealed the possibility of obtaining materials with high lignin and low water and ash contents that could be used as a solid bioenergy source. In conclusion, Acrocomia aculeata oil is a promising alternative for industrial applications currently based on African palm oil and byproducts of its oil production could find additional use as a renewable energy source.

Characterization of Thermal Behaviour and Fatty Acid Profile of Coconut Based Chocolate Novelties

A study was carried out to produce chocolates from coconut variants viz, coconut oil, coconut cream and coconut milk as a substitute for cocoa butter. The chocolate prepared with 40% cocoa butter was taken as control. Cocoa butter substituted at the levels of 10%, 20% and 30 % by coconut oil, coconut cream and coconut milk respectively were optimized based on the consumer acceptance. The fatty acid profile of the developed chocolate novelties were analysed using GC-MS and the lauric acid content was elevated to 1.92 %, 1.04 % and 1.17% in coconut oil, coconut cream and coconut milk chocolates respectively from 0.02 % in control. The thermal behavior of the developed chocolate novelties were analyzed by using Differential Scanning Calorimetry which exhibited harmonious distinct endothermic transitions between 28oC and 53oC. The developed chocolate novelties exhibited stable melting ranges in comparison with control.

A Comparative Study of Virgin Coconut Oil, Coconut Oil and Palm Oil in Terms of Their Active Ingredients

This research aims to study the unique factors of virgin coconut oil (VCO) compared with coconut oil (i.e., coconut oil processed through heating the coconut milk and palm oil sold on the market). Its novelty is that it (VCO) contains lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocin. Lauric acid content was analyzed by the Chromatographic Gas method. Isolation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was conducted by the dilution method using MRSA + 0.5% CaCO3 media. Iodium number, peroxide, and %FFA were analyzed using a general method, and isolation bacteriocin by the deposition method using ammonium sulfate. In addition, macromolecular identification was conducted by 16S rRNA. VCO was distinguished by a higher content of lauric acid (C12:0) 41%–54.5% as compared with 0% coconut and 0, 1% palm oil, respectively. The VCO also contains LAB, namely Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei, and can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Proteus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhosa and bacteriocin. Comparison with VCO is based on having a high content of lauric acid, 54%, and LAB content. The difference between VCO and coconut oil and palm oil is fatty acids. In VCO there are lauric acid and stearic acid, namely lauric acid VCO (A) 54.06%, VCO (B) 53.9% and VCO (C) 53.7%. The content of stearic acid VCO (A) is 12.03%, VCO (B) 12.01% and VCO (C) 11.9%. Coconut oil contains a little lauric acid, which is 2.81%, stearic acid 2.65% and palmitic acid 2.31%. Palm oil can be said to have very little lauric acid, namely in palm oil 1, 0.45%, and even in palm oil 2, 0%; in turn, palmitic acid palm oil 1 has 2.88% and palm oil 2 palmitic acid has 24.42%.

Lignin-fatty acid hybrid nanocapsules for scalable thermal energy storage in phase-change materials

Abstract Development of affordable thermal energy storage (TES) has been hampered by the lack of environmentally benign and scalable phase-change materials (PCM). Here we show size-controlled colloidal synthesis of fatty acid-lignin hybrid nanocapsules and demonstrate their applicability as PCM in dry and wet states. The one-pot fabrication allowed for facile preparation of hybrid capsules with a predictable concentration of tall oil fatty acid, oleic acid, or lauric acid in core-shell particles stabilized by softwood kraft lignin. Phase-change peaks of capsules containing 40 wt% of lauric acid were observed in aqueous dispersion, indicating a possibility to develop colloidal TES systems. In dry form, the hybrid capsules prevented fragmentation of the phase-change peaks during 290 heating-cooling cycles, while in wet state the capsules appeared stable for 25 cycles. The nanoscaled morphology of the capsules was characterized using thermoporometry-differential scanning calorimetry (tp-DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Extraction of lauric acid from the capsules allowed for investigation of the intraparticle space previously occupied by the fatty acid. The fatty acid-deficient nanocapsules were found to contain an internal volume that was 19 times as high as that of lignin nanoparticles. Approximately 20 nm thick lignin shells of the capsules were found to be readily accessible to water, permitting heat transfer across the capsules. The possibility to tailor the hybrid capsules by altering the chain length and saturation degree of the fatty acids opens applications that extend beyond the TES systems.

Vancomycin HCl-loaded lauric acid in situ-forming gel with phase inversion for periodontitis treatment

An antimicrobial agent-loaded in situ-forming gel (ISG) was recently used for periodontitis treatment. This study aimed to use lauric acid, a biocompatible hydrophobic material, as a matrix former. Non-drug and vancomycin HCl-loaded lauric acid-based ISGs were prepared by using various solvents, including N-methyl pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). Increased concentrations of lauric acid resulted in faster gel self-transformation behaviour. The ISG using DMSO as the solvent showed the fastest transformation with the least water tolerance. Higher concentrations of lauric acid promoted the immediate formation of a dense lauric acid network on the gel surface and obstructed water/solvent diffusion. Through the solvent-exchange mechanism, the hydrophobic property of lauric acid and its rapid surface network formation retarded the diffusion of vancomycin HCl, resulting in prolonged drug release over 6 days. Vancomycin HCl-loaded ISG revealed effective antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Porphyromonas gingivalis for periodontitis treatment. All of the preparations exhibited low viscosity and high injectability, thereby indicating their ease of use. The developed system was found to be effective for periodontal pocket drug delivery for periodontitis treatment.

Antifungal activity of LDPE/lauric acid films against Colletotrichum tamarilloi

Abstract A new antifungal packaging based on low-density polyethylene and lauric acid as an antifungal agent was developed and characterized. Three LDPE/lauric acid films (varying the amount of lauric acid) and an LDPE blank without additive were produced by extrusion. Analysis of the data for antifungal activity assays, thermal characterization, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and FT-IR spectra were done in order to evaluate the functionality of the antifungal packaging developed with these films. The results showed that the water vapor permeability and tensile strength were reduced, while the thermal properties of the polymer did not show significant changes in response to the presence of lauric acid. The in vitro study indicates that the LDPE film with the intermediate concentration of lauric acid exhibited a strong antifungal activity against Colletotrichum tamarilloi. Moreover, the in vivo test shows that the packaging LDPE3.5 presented the best results by inhibiting the growth of the fungus for three weeks. The results reveal that lauric acid has effect as an antifungal additive in vitro and in vivo, and does not generate substantial changes in the mechanical properties of the polymer used, which make this material an excellent candidate for the development of active antimicrobial packaging for tree tomato.

Influence of the maturation process on the sheep's milk of Camembert cheese fatty acid profile change

The aim of this research was to study the fatty acid composition of Camembert cheese fat phase. The object of the research was the sheep’s milk Camembert soft cheese. The Camembert soft cheese was made from sheep’s milk pasteurized at 63∘C for 30 minutes before production, using cultures Penicillium camemberti, Geotrichum candidum, as well as Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Lactococcus diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. cremoris. The study of the cheese fatty acid composition during maturation was carried out using the gas chromatography method in accordance with the state industry standard of the Russian Federation 32915-2014 ”Milk and dairy products. The determination of fatty acid composition of the fat phase by gas chromatography”. The fatty acids profile in the process of cheese maturation changed significantly. There was an increase in the short chain fatty acids concentration: oil (C4:0) kapron (C6:0), capryl (C8:0). A change in the lauric acid content (C12: 0) and myristic acid (C14: 0) showed a similar trend but with less dynamics. On the 14th day of maturation, the concentration of lauric acid (C12:0) increased by 30%, myristic acid (C14:0) – by 13%. At the beginning of the maturation period, the C18:1n9t isomer consisted about 70% of the total fatty acid trans-isomers. During maturation, the concentration of C18:1n9t decreased by 98%. It was found that, regardless of the maturation period, fatty acids C10: 0, C14: 0, C16: 0, C18: 0, C18: 1 t11 and C18: 1c9 consisted about 73% of the total fatty acids. There was a decrease in the concentration of w-6-polyunsaturated fatty acids with a simultaneous increase in the concentration of w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results can serve as a basis for comparative analysis development tools and strategies aimed at improving the nutritional characteristics of sheep’s milk cheese.

Fat deposition of broiler chickens fed a high-fat diet contained Sauropus androgynus leaf extract plus turmeric powder

A factorial design was used to analyzethe influenceofSauropus androgynusleaf extract (SALE) and turmeric powder (TP) on fat deposition in broilers fed high-fat diet. The first factor was the source of fat (6% beef fat and 6% palm oil), and the second factor was SALE plus TP [0 g SALE plus 0 g TP (G1), 9 g SALE plus 0.5 g TP (G2), 18 g SALE plus 0.5 g TP (G3), 9 g SALE plus 1 g TP (G4), 18 g SALE plus 1 g TP (G5)]. SALE plus TP affected cholesterol,lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid contents (p<0.01).Fat sources affected fat, cholesterol, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (p<0.01). There was a significant interaction between the two factorson fat, cholesterol, lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid contents. In conclusion, 18 g SALE plus 1 g TP supplementation to high-fat diet resulted in lower stearic acid, but it resulted in higher eicosapentaenoic acid. Supplementation of SALEplus TPto a high-fat diet lowered cholesterol content and changed fatty acidscomposition.

Effects of pullulanase debranching on the properties of potato starch-lauric acid complex and potato starch-based film

The effects of different debranching time on the properties of potato starch and its films were evaluated. Potato starch granules were debranched with pullulanase for 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 h. The effects of pullulanase debranching treatment on the chain-length distributions of amylopectin were analysed by high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), which proved that the shorter debranching treatment generated more linear chains with favourable lengths to facilitate the formation of potato starch-lauric acid complexes. The debranched starch-lipid complexes showed higher lauric acid content than that of the untreated sample. X-ray diffraction showed that the diffraction intensity of the debranched sample was stronger than that of the undebranched sample, and when the debranching time was >1.5 h, the diffraction intensity and relative crystallinity of the complexes decreased. The sample exhibited a high melting enthalpy (ΔH) under the pullulanase debranching treatment for 1.5 h. Scanning electron microscope data indicated that the surface of the composite film was flatter after the debranching treatment and that the films exhibited the lowest water vapour permeability and highest tensile strength after the treatment time for 1.5 h.

Efficacy of medium-chain fatty acid salts distilled from coconut oil against two enteric pathogen challenges in weanling piglets

BackgroundThe search for alternatives to antibiotics in pig production has increased the interest in natural resources with antimicrobial properties, such as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) as in-feed additives. This study evaluated the potential of a novel blend of MCFA salts (DIC) from distilled coconut oil with a lauric acid content to reduce enteropathogens and control intestinal diseases around weaning. Two experimental disease models were implemented in early-weaned piglets, consisting of two oral challenges: Salmonella Typhimurium (1.2 × 108 CFU) or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F4 (1.5 × 109 CFU). The parameters assessed were: animal performance, clinical signs, pathogen excretion, intestinal fermentation, immune-inflammatory response, and intestinal morphology.ResultsThe Salmonella challenge promoted an acute course of diarrhea, with most of the parameters responding to the challenge, whereas the ETEC F4 challenge promoted a mild clinical course. A consistent antipathogenic effect of DIC was observed in both trials in the hindgut, with reductions in Salmonella spp. plate counts in the cecum (P = 0.03) on d 8 post-inoculation (PI) (Salmonella trial), and of enterobacteria and total coliform counts in the ileum and colon (P < 0.10) on d 8 PI (ETEC F4 trial). When analyzing the entire colonic microbiota (16S rRNA gene sequencing), this additive tended (P = 0.13) to reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and enriched Fibrobacteres after the Salmonella challenge. In the ETEC F4 challenge, DIC prompted structural changes in the ecosystem with increases in Dialister, and a trend (P = 0.14) to increase the Veillonellaceae family. Other parameters such as the intestinal fermentation products or serum pro-inflammatory mediators were not modified by DIC supplementation, nor were the histological parameters. Only the intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) counts were lowered by DIC in animals challenged with Salmonella (P = 0.07). With ETEC F4, the IEL counts were higher with DIC on d 8 PI (P = 0.08).ConclusionsThis study confirms the potential activity of this MCFA salts mixture to reduce intestinal colonization by opportunistic pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli and its ability to modulate colonic microbiota. These changes could explain to some extent the local immune cell response at the ileal level.

Metabolomics signatures of acutely ill and short-term weight recovered women with anorexia nervosa.

Although metabolomics studies are recently spreading and have allowed the characterization of putative biomarkers in many diseases, they are relatively scanty in anorexia nervosa (AN). In this explorative study we analyzed the fecal metabolomics profiles of women with AN in the underweight phase (n = 24) and after short-term weight restoration (n = 16) and compared them with 20 healthy women. An untargeted metabolomic procedure allowed the characterization of 224 metabolites involved in energy, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. A partial least square discriminant analysis identified 14 metabolites with a variable importance in projection score >1.5 that clearly differentiated underweight from weight-restored patients from healthy women. Compared with healthy women, fecal concentrations of valeric acid and 3-methyl,2-ketobutyric acid were increased in both underweight and weight-restored patients; fecal concentrations of propionic acid, stearic acid, linolenic acid, methyl-galactoside, coprosterol, cycloserine, and lauric acid were increased while fecal levels of xylose, fucose, and rhamnose were decreased in underweight patients and normalized after weight-restoration; fecal concentrations of piperine, phenylalanine, butyric acid, and meso-erythritol-1 were decreased while fecal levels of hydroxystearic acid were increased in weight-restored but normal in underweight AN patients. All these changes point to peculiar fecal metabolomics profiles of acute and short-term weight restored AN patients. The value of these changes to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of AN and to characterize potential biomarker targets for developing new treatment strategies needs further studies to be clarified.

Variability of coconut phenotype based on morphology and content of fatty acids in Asahan District, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract. Siregar LAM, Damayanti R, Hanafiah DS. 2019. Variability of coconut phenotype based on morphology and content of fatty acids in Asahan District, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 3413-3421. A study that aims to determine the diversity, relationship and fatty acid content in several coconut genotypes (Cocos nucifera L.) grown and cultivated in Asahan District of North Sumatra Province, Indonesia was investigated. The coconut was obtained from the Air Joman and Silau Laut subdistricts of Asahan District, between April and September 2017. This study used morphological observation method based on IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) coconut descriptor with purposive sampling technique. A total of 36 coconut genotypes have been collected and identified based on morphological characters and fatty acid content. Based on the morphological character, the genotype of G28 and G32 show the closest relationship with the dissimilarity value of 3.00 and the farthest relationship on the genotype of G40 and G43 with the dissimilarity value of 12.04. Based on the 10 main type fatty acids found in coconut oil, all genotypes have between 8 and 10 types of fatty acids, i.e. caprylic, capric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidic acid in the oil. The average amount of fatty acid contained in coconut oil obtained generally in other coconut oil. Genotype of G5 has the highest content of lauric acid and has 12.1 mm thick flesh, but only 8 types of fatty acid composition are present in the oil.

Stabilization of Ethyl‐Cellulose Oleogel Network Using Lauric Acid

AbstractThe use of oleogels in a wide range of applications requires a broad diversity of gel properties tailored for each purpose. The current research explores the combination of ethyl‐cellulose (EC) with lauric acid (LA), at different ratios with an emphasis to explore each component contribution and function in the gel structure and properties. The results suggest that oleogel physical properties strongly depend on the EC concentration. A transition from antagonistic to synergistic behavior between EC and LA with respect to the mechanical properties is observed above 4 wt% polymer. This behavior is seen in all LA concentrations, suggesting that the main effect arises from the EC while the LA acts as a stabilizer. In addition, LA reduces EC gelation temperature from approximately 140 °C to 79–101 °C, depending on the EC concentration, suggesting a ‘plasticizing’ effect. The recovery ability of EC oleogel after large amplitude deformation is improved from 16% to 34% due to the LA crystalline nature. LA crystal structure is not affected by EC concentration; however its crystallization temperature shifts to a lower temperature.Practical Applications: These results provide a broad overview of the composition‐function relation obtained while combining EC with LA.

First insights on Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae meal dietary administration in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii Brandt) juveniles

The Hermetia illucens (L.) larvae meal (HIM) has been tested on different fish species but its use on Siberian sturgeon has not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fish meal (FM) substitution with a highly defatted HIM on growth performance, biometric and morphometric indices, apparent digestibility of diets, whole body proximate and fatty acid compositions of Acipenser baerii (Brandt) juveniles. Five experimental groups were fed with a FM-based diet without HIM (HIM0), three diets with 25% (HIM25), 50% (HIM50) and 100% (HIM100) of FM substitution with HIM, or a vegetable protein based diet (VEG) without HIM. The feeding trial lasted 118 days and 4 replicates per diet were used. The HIM100 diet was refused by the fish and therefore this experimental group was excluded from statistical evaluation. Moreover, a decrease in feed consumption was recorded with the increase of HIM inclusion. The HIM50 diet negatively affected the growth performance of the fish. The somatic indices were not affected by treatment. Increasing levels of HIM showed increases of dry matter and ether extract contents in the whole body. Compared to HIM0, HIM diets caused modification in lauric acid (up to 65-fold increase) and total saturated fatty acids (up to 1.4-fold increase) contents in the fish whole body. The apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, crude protein and gross energy were the highest for the VEG diet (77.0%, 90.4% and 85.8%, respectively). HIM25 and HIM50 showed lower apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein (86.5% and 86.6%, respectively) when compared to HIM0 (88.5%). Overall, this study showed that it is possible to replace up to 25% of FM with HIM in the diet of Siberian sturgeons (equal to 18.5% HIM inclusion level) without affecting the growth performance, condition factor, biometric and morphometric indices, and whole body proximate composition of the fish. The fatty acid composition of the sturgeons’ whole body was significantly modified already at 18.5% dietary HIM inclusion level.

Трансформация жирнокислотного профиля при созревании сыра камамбер из овечьего молока

Sheep’s milk contains fatty acids that have a positive effect on human health. Besides, its production is economically profitable. Thus, fatty-acid profile of cheese and its transformation during maturing remain relevant for scientific research. The present research featured the quality of lipids during the fatty phase of soft-ripened Camembert-type cheese. Its fatty-acid profile was studied using a method of gas chromatography. A set of experiments established significant changes in the concentration of fatty acids during maturing. The concentration of short chain fatty acids increased, namely that of butyric acid (C4:0), butylacetic acid (C6:0), and hexylacetic acid (C8:0). The trend can be associated with the specific lipases produced by microorganisms during ripening. On day 14, the concentration of lauric acid (C12:0) increased by 30% and that of myristic acid (C14:0) – by 13%, as compared with day 1. The initial concentration of 18:1n9t isomer was about 70% of the total amount of trans-isomers of fatty acids. After maturing, its concentration decreased by 98%. The concentration of C10:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1t11, and C18:1c9 fatty acids equaled 73% of the total amount of fatty acids during all periods of ripening. The concentration of hypercholesterolemic fatty acids increased and that of hypocholesteremic fatty acids decreased during ripening, which raised the Atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. Fatty acids with ≤ 12 carbon atoms were found characteristic of fatty acid profile of sheep’s milk Camembert. They can be used to detect other milk in sheep’s milk cheese.

Response of Shewanella putrefaciens to low temperature regulated by membrane fluidity and fatty acid metabolism

Shewanella putrefaciens is an important spoilage microorganism in chilled Pacific white shrimp. In order to study the cold adaptation behavior of S. putrefaciens, the growth pattern, fatty acid composition, protein content, cell membrane microstructure and membrane fluidity of the isolated strain QY38 cultured at different temperatures (30 °C, 10 °C, and 4 °C) were studied comparatively. The lag phases of S. putrefaciens QY38 cultured at 30 °C, 10 °C, and 4 °C were 2.95 h, 15.42 h and 62.79 h, respectively. The saturated fatty acid content in the bacterial cell decreased with the decrease in incubation temperature, while the content of palmitoleic acid (C16:1), lauric acid (C12:0), and myristic acid (C14:0) increased. Then the cold adaptation process was studied, and membrane fluidity decreased after moving from 30 °C to 4 °C and increased after a period of adaptation. The differential proteins expressed during cold adaptation process showed that the fatty acid metabolism regulon (FadR) and 3-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratases (FabA) were up-regulated during cold acclimation, while 3-oxoacyl-ACP synthase (FabB) and desaturase (Des) were down-regulated. It was hypothesized that in S. putrefaciens QY38, the unsaturated fatty acid was biosynthesized through anaerobic metabolic pathway to recover the membrane fluidity to some extent.

THE EFFECT OF VIRGIN COCONUT OIL AGAINST SKIN TREATMENT OF LEPROSY PATIENTS

Objective: Leprosy is a major cause of permanent disability among infectious diseases. The important parts of the human body that is disturbed in leprosy patients are the skin and peripheral nerves. Multidrug therapy treatment can kill leprosy germs, but previous existing defects cannot be eliminated. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil (VCO) in improving the skin of lepers.&#x0D; Methods: The methods of this research used a pre- and post-test of the control group of 50 people respondents which consisted of the treatment group of VCO and control group of original coconut oil. All treatment and control groups of respondents were given once per day for 1 month based on non-probability sampling.&#x0D; Results: The results showed that there was a significant effect of VCO on the skin of leprosy patients with a statistical value p=0.000 (α=0.001). This was also supported by the observation of the patient’s skin which all of patients experience changed in the results of the assessment of the skin after VCO administration intervention. This relates to lauric acid content in coconut oil which can reduce skin moisture levels.&#x0D; Conclusion: Based on the results of this study can be concluded that VCO is effective in improving the skin of lepers. VCO can be used as an alternative intervention in skin care for leprosy patients and to prevent further disability. Therefore, it is important for leprosy patients to obtain information about the use of VCO in the care and moisture of the skin.

Factors associated with the content of mammary-synthesized fatty acids in milk fat: A meta-analysis

Consumption of specific fatty acids (FA) that are synthesized in the mammary gland, namely de novo FA, has implications for human health. The objective of the present meta-analysis was to study the associations between milk fat content of de novo FA, with (1) diet composition, and (2) milk production and composition. Milk FA data from 96 peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2016 that included 324 treatment means from 83 bovine experiments, 36 treatment means from 12 caprine experiments, and 40 treatment means from 12 ovine experiments were used in this analysis. Individual species models including the fixed effect of experiment were fitted using multiple regression to explain milk content of de novo FA as a function of diet composition and milk production and composition variables. We also evaluated replacing the effect of the experiment by the effect of the experiment nested in the laboratory at which the research had been conducted, and the effect of the laboratory. Butyric acid content in milk fat was positively but weakly related to dietary ether extract in does and ewes. Lauric, myristic, and palmitic acid contents in milk fat were negatively related to dietary ether extract in does and to a somewhat lesser extent in cows and ewes. The results confirm that the inclusion of lipids in the diet may not only affect the availability of preformed FA but also the profile of FA synthesized de novo in the mammary gland. Most of the variation in all prediction models was explained by the experiment or by the laboratory if the latter was included in the model. The ample variation in analytical methods reported by the different research groups suggests that differences in analytical protocols might explain a substantial proportion of the variation in de novo FA profile. A main conclusion of this study is the potential influence of differences in analytical procedures to explain the variation in de novo FA profile. Standardization of methods of FA analysis to improve reproducibility seems to be an aspect of importance to this area of research.

Goat yoghurt drinks with elevated α-linolenic acid content and enriched with yacon fiber

Goat milk and goat milk products are very valuable in human nutrition because of their favorable nutrient composition which can be further boosted by the addition of prebiotic fiber and probiotic bacteria. It has also been possible to change the fatty acid profile of goat milk through feed composition. The aim of this study was to increase the nutritional value of goat milk by producing a probiotic yoghurt drink made from milk with elevated omega-3 fatty acids and enriched with natural yacon prebiotics. Goat nutrition is one of the key factors how we can naturally increase omega-3 fatty acid content in goat milk. In our study, twenty four White Shorthair goats were divided into the control and experimental group which was supplemented with 55 mL of linseed oil per day for eight weeks to increase the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the milk. The yoghurt milk drinks were formulated from individual goat milk samples with added bifidobacteria and yacon prebiotics. Our results showed that goat feed supplementation with linseed oil indeed positively changed fatty acid profile of goat milk in which α-linolenic acid content increased while, at the same time, lauric, myristic and palmitic acid contents decreased. Also, yoghurt drinks enriched with yacon prebiotics have shown higher bifidobacteria counts compared to the control.

Methods For Detecting Butter Adulteration

Twelve samples of butter were purchased from the local markets and compared with control butter sample made in the lab.. The samples were kept under cooling till analysis. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography for the fatty acids content, and also chemically analyzed for cholesterol levels and fat content. The chromatographic analysis revealed that only three samples were identical to the control sample, while the other samples varied from the control regarding fatty acid composition. The results revealed that five samples showed a marked decrease in the total short chain acids when compared to the control sample. It could also observed that four samples had higher content of lauric acid (C12), while three samples possessed high content of palmetic acid (C16:0). On the other hand,, two samples were characterized with higher levels of oleic acid (C18:1 ), and stearic acid (C18:0 ). These findings show that an adulteration with palm kerenal oil, palim oil and tallow, was done, respectively. The results obtained from chromatographic analysis enabled to detect the adulteration by using the fatty acids ratios between certain fatty acids. The ratio between C12/C10, C14/C12, C18:1/C14, C18:0/C18:2, C18:1/C18 and the total saturated fatty acids/total unsaturated fatty acids, were used to detect the adulteration. The ratios between C12/C10, C18:0/C18:2, C18:1/C18:0, and total saturated fatty acids /total unsaturated fatty acids were useful in detecting the adulteration of butter fat with vegetable oils or tallow. Cholesterol content of the samples was carried out. The results obtained revealed that the addition of adulterants to the butter decreased the cholesterol level of the adulterated samples when compared to the control sample. The decrease of the cholesterol level seems to be proportional to the adulteration ratios. Also, calculating the cholesterol level of the suspected samples regarding the cholesterol level of the control samples helped to detect the ratios of adulterants in butter samples. Fat content of all samples did not differ.