High Contents Of Phytosterols Research Articles

Structure–Function Relationships and Health-Promoting Properties of the Main Nutraceuticals of the Cactus Pear (Opuntia spp.) Cladodes: A Review

Over the past decade, several studies have established a direct link between functional foods, nutraceuticals, and a reduced risk of oxidative-stress-related diseases. Nutraceuticals, which encompass a variety of bioactive molecules, exhibit both nutritional and therapeutic properties. The cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) is a plant genus with many species recognized as functional foods, largely attributed to their high content of nutraceuticals, including polyphenols, fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids, pigments, and phytosterols. These compounds of different structures and functions possess different biological activities, contributing to the health-promoting properties of cactus pear. This makes cactus pears a valuable plant for the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. While extensive research has focused on the nutritional profile of cactus pear fruits, the cladodes have received comparatively limited attention. Notably, the nutritional composition of cladodes can exhibit considerable variability, influenced by species and growing conditions. Furthermore, although various bioactive compounds have been identified in cladodes, studies elucidating their mechanisms of action, health benefits, and potential therapeutic applications remain insufficient. Addressing these gaps is crucial for enhancing the understanding and utilization of cactus pear cladodes. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the structure–function relationships of the main nutraceuticals found in cactus pear cladodes. It synthesizes data from recent and relevant literature to elucidate the content of these compounds in relation to species and geographical origin, while also detailing the main biological activities and health-promoting benefits associated with cactus pear cladodes.

MOF-derived nanozyme CuOx@C and its application for cascade colorimetric detection of phytosterols.

Phytosterols (PSs), a class of naturally occurring bioactive lipid compounds, have been found to possess a significant cholesterol-lowering effect. In developing countries, the consumption of rapeseed oil is the primary pathway of PS intake for the general population. However, developing low-cost, real-time, and high-throughput screening techniques for PSs remains a challenge. Here, a Cu-based nanocomposite CuOx@C was synthesized via a simple method of the calcination of HKUST-1 and systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CuOx@C demonstrated excellent peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity, functioning as a peroxidase mimic to facilitate the catalysis of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into its oxidized form (oxTMB), thereby initiating a discernible color response. On the basis of this discovery, a CuOx@C-based colorimetric method for detecting total sterols in rapeseed was successfully constructed via cascade reactions. After optimizing the conditions, the high-throughput screening of total sterols in rapeseed could be completed in only 21min, which significantly facilitated the sensing of PSs. A linear range of 0.6-6mg/g was achieved for the detection of total sterols in rapeseed samples, thereby satisfying the requirements for detection. In addition, due to the high stability of CuOx@C and the specificity of cholesterol oxidase, the developed method had excellent stability and selectivity toward PSs, indicating that this work has huge prospects for commercial application. This innovative work overcomes the limitation of the instrumental method and provides a portable and reliable tool for total sterols detection. It can also facilitate the development of oilseeds with a high content of PSs.

Oil from crambe seeds treated with different resistance inducers: Oil yield and chemical characterization

This study aimed to carry out the extraction and chemical characterization of oil from crambe treated with resistance inducers during its cultivation to promote greater efficiency in the defense system of plants. For this purpose, Agromos® and Ecolife® inducers were applied at rates of 0.5 and 1.0 L hectare−1 during crambe cultivation. Crambe seed oil was obtained in a Soxhlet extractor using n-hexane as a solvent and the oils were characterized in terms of fatty acid composition and minority compound contents (phytosterol and tocopherol). The oil obtained from seeds without the application of inducers (control) was also characterized. We determine the oxidative stability of oils with inducer application that presented higher minority compound contents. Crambe seeds that received the treatment with the Agromos® resistance inducer had higher oil content. However, in general, the fatty acid profile of the obtained oils was similar and showed a predominance of erucic and oleic acids (which represent ~82% of the composition). The application of the Agromos® inducer allowed obtaining seeds that provided oil with higher contents of phytosterols and tocopherols and higher oxidative stability.

Phytochemical Profile and Composition of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): Varietal Differences and Effect of Germination under Elicited Conditions.

Germination is a simple process that improves the nutritional and medicinal values of seeds such as chickpeas. However, the detailed analysis of the phytochemical profile after chemical elicitation during chickpea germination is indispensable when making inferences about its biological properties. Therefore, an evaluation was made of the effect of the chemical inducers salicylic acid (SA, 1 and 2 mM), chitosan (CH, 3.3 and 7 μM), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 20 and 30 mM) during germination at 25 °C with 70% RH for 4 days on the content of antinutritional and bioactive compounds, including phenolics, sterols, and saponins, in three Mexican chickpea varieties (Blanoro, Patron, and San Antonio) using UPLC-ELSD-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS, UPLC-DAD-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS, and HPLC-DAD-sQ-MS. The highest increase in phenolics and saponins was found in the Blanoro sprouts induced with SA 2 mM, whereas the highest phytosterol content was detected in San Antonio sprouts induced with CH 7 μM. In addition, significant increases in mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides and decreases in antinutritional contents were achieved after germination with most of the elicitation conditions. More importantly, we identified new compounds in chickpea sprouts, such as the lignans matairesinol and secoisolariciresinol, the phenolic compounds epicatechin gallate and methyl gallate, some phytosterols, and the saponin phaseoside 1, which further increased after chemical elicitation.

Chemical composition of walnuts from three regions in China

To reveal the characteristic chemicals of walnuts from different origins, we analyzed fatty acid composition, tocopherols, phytosterols and total phenolic content (TPC) of walnuts from three main producing regions in China. The results showed that walnuts were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio of ω-6 to ω-3 fatty acids was close to the recommendation of Chinese Nutrition Society. Moreover, walnuts contain high contents of tocopherols (331.20–414.71 ​mg/kg), phytosterols (97.17–110.35 ​mg/100 ​g) and phenols (38.51–48.08 ​mg GAE/kg). Significant chemical differences exist among walnuts from three production regions. The highest content of polyunsaturated fatty acids was found in walnuts from the northern China, the highest content of tocopherols in walnuts from southwest China, and the highest contents of phytosterol and TPC in walnuts from northwest China. However, there was no significant difference in the tocopherol, phytosterol and TPC content of walnuts between the Northern China and Northwest China. The above results provide important references for manufacturers and consumers to select suitable walnut scientifically and reasonably.

Здравословни растителни масла и съставки за намалено съдържание на свинска гръбна мазнина и оценка на въздействието им върху хранителните аспекти на смлените варени колбаси

This study compares three healthy vegetable oils, from chia, milk thistle and pumpkin seeds, added as emulsions for partial substitution of animal fat and evaluation of the effect of quinoa flour as a potato starch substitute in the meat matrix of cooked sausages. For the purpose of evaluating the nutritional properties of the samples, the fatty acid composition, the cholesterol content and the oxidative changes in the lipid fraction were determined, and testing was performed for examination of sensory perception of the reformulated cooked sausages. Lower malondialdehyde (MDA) quantities were found in the sausages made with the addition of quinoa flour compared to the respective potato starch samples. In the reformulated meat products, the highest polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SFA) ratio of 0.67 was recorded in the sample made with chia oil and quinoa flour. The same sample was given the highest overall sensory score, whereas the respective sample made with potato starch received a lower overall score, statistically indiscernible in relation to the milk thistle samples (P>0.05). The lowest sensory acceptance was reported for the samples made with pumpkin seed oil. The milk thistle oil, characterised by negligible cholesterol content and high phytosterol content, proved most interesting and capable of enrichment with unsaturated fatty acids.

The first stage of refining of post-fermentation corn oil with a high content of free fatty acids and phytosterols – Comparison of neutralisation by an ion-exchange resin without solvent and base neutralisation

Post-fermentation crude corn oil obtained as a by-product in the production of bioethanol from maize grains is characterized by a very high content of free fatty acids. Refining of post-fermentation corn oil will give a product that will be different from the refined oil obtained by extracting oil from corn germs. From the point of view of refining vegetable oils, the neutralisation of this oil is the most important process. Anionic ion-exchange resin was used in the research in a way to avoid the use of harmful organic solvents and a comparatively standard method of neutralising free fatty acids based on the use of a sodium hydroxide solution. Ion-exchange resin can be used in the processes of neutralising vegetable oil with an average content of free fatty acids, then the oil is neutralised in miscela. In the research, no organic solvent was used, but to reduce the flow resistance, a system based on an adjustable reduced pressure in the range of 300–50 mbar was used, to maintain a constant contact time of the oil with the resin in each cycle. The aim of the research was to obtain neutral oil with a high content of biologically active substances such as phytosterols and carotenoids. Both methods showed a reduction of free fatty acids up to 93–96 % and a similar refining loss of 18–19 %. The use of an ion-exchange resin allowed to obtain an oil in which the phytosterol content increased by 5 % for β-sitosterol, by 6.3 % for ϭ5-avenasterol, and the carotenoid content was reduced by 35 %. An increase in the number of fatty acids, such as 18:1 cis-oleic acid and 18:2 cis-linoleic, was observed.

Changes in the physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of Sichuan hotpot oil.

This study aimed to develop nutritious and healthy Sichuan hotpot oil. Four blended oil formulas were formulated using MATLAB based on the fatty acid composition of four base constituents (beef tallow, mutton tallow, peanut oil, and palm oil). The sensory characteristics, physicochemical properties, nutritional composition, harmful substances, and antioxidant capacity of the oils were analyzed during the boiling process. A blend of 60% beef tallow + 10% mutton tallow + 10% peanut oil + 20% palm oil exhibited a low level of peroxide (0.03g/100g) and malondialdehyde (0.04mg/kg), and high phytosterol content (1028.33mg/kg), which was the suitable hotpot blending oil. Furthermore, the changes in the physicochemical properties during boring were low, with a high retention rate of phytosterol (94.85%), and the levels of 3,4-benzopyrene (1.12μg/kg) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol ester (0.67mg/kg) were both lower than the recommended limits. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the advancement of the hotpot oil industry.

Antioxidant activity of edible sprouts and phytosterol contents by HPLC/UV analysis

This study evaluated the in vitro radical scavenging activities of edible tree sprouts, particularly those of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), hydroxyl radical, and singlet oxide radical, to assess their antioxidant activities. Additionally, stigmasterol (ST) and β-sitosterol (BS) were analyzed using HPLC/UV. The edible sprouts of Eleutherococcus senticosus (ESC) and Morus alba (MAB) exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity among other edible sprouts. A reverse-phase column was used in an isocratic elution system, after which UV detection was performed at 210 nm. ST and BS analyses indicated that ESC sprouts contained the highest amounts of ST (9.99 mg·g− 1 extract), whereas MAB sprouts contained the highest concentrations of BS (14.69 mg·g− 1 extract). In conclusion, the highest antioxidant activity was observed in the edible sprouts with the highest phytosterol content. Therefore, our findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of plant-based functional foods or supplements with antioxidant properties.

Sequential process to obtain fatty acid esters from crambe oil using a mixture of acyl acceptors under pressurized conditions

In this study, the use of a mixture of acyl acceptors (dimethyl carbonate, methanol and ethanol) under pressurized conditions to obtain fatty acid esters (FAEs) was investigated. The influence of varying the proportions of acyl acceptors and the temperature applied in the reaction was evaluated using commercial oil. For the proportions that resulted in the maximum FAE yield (YFAE), the crambe oil was extracted using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and characterized. The extraction product (oil + acyl acceptors) was then subjected to the reaction step. The addition of alcohols to dimethyl carbonate favored the YFAE, a higher proportion of ethanol made the reaction product less susceptible to thermal decomposition and it was possible to obtain ~86 % of YFAE at 275 ºC. The oil obtained in the PLE had higher contents of phytosterols and γ-tocopherol. Thus, the extraction product had greater stability and YFAE of ~94 % was obtained without thermal decomposition.

Genome-Wide Association Study Uncovers Loci and Candidate Genes Underlying Phytosterol Variation in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesame is one of the most important oilseed crops grown worldwide. It provides diverse nutraceuticals—including lignans, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), phytosterols, etc.—to humans. Among sesame’s nutraceuticals, phytosterols have received less attention from sesame breeders, although their biological and pharmacological functions have been recorded. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the variation of phytosterol contents in 402 sesame accessions grown in two environments and revealed their associated loci and candidate genes. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis unveiled that sesame mainly contains four phytosterols: campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and Δ5-avenasterol. β-sitosterol (1.6–4.656 mg/g) was the major phytosterol, followed by campesterol (0–2.847 mg/g), stigmasterol (0.356–1.826 mg/g), and Δ5-avenasterol (0–1.307 mg/g). The total phytosterol content varied from 2.694 to 8.388 mg/g. Genome-wide association study identified 33 significant associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for the four traits, of which Ch6-39270 and Ch11-142842 were environmentally stable and simultaneously linked with campesterol and stigmasterol content variation. Candidate genes screening indicated that SINPZ1100015 encoding a NAC domain-containing protein 43 is likely the major candidate effect gene of phytosterol variation in sesame. The results of this study extend knowledge of phytosterol variation in sesame and provide important resources for markers-assisted breeding of high-phytosterol content varieties.

Nutlets of Tilia cordata Mill. and Tilia platyphyllos Scop. – Source of bioactive compounds

The aim of this study was to analyse contents of phytosterols, carotenoids, tocochromanols and fatty acid composition in oil from nutlets of linden. Standard determination methods for these compounds were applied using liquid and gas chromatography. In the analysed oils from small and large-leaved lime the dominant acids included linoleic (53.1 and 54.1%), oleic (18.5 and 22.2%), palmitic (15.3 and 11.8%). Linden seed oil was characterised by very high contents of phytosterols (2–2.5 g/100 g). β-Sitosterol was the dominant phytosterol (80–83%). Additionally squalene was detected at 806 and 607 mg/100 g, respectively, for Tilia cordata and T.platyphyllos. It was found that linden seed oil contains tocopherols (93%) and tocotrienols (7%). In terms of tocochromanol contents this oil is surpassed only by wheat germ oil. In terms of the α-T equivalent these oils contain 95 (Tilia cordata) and 50.6 mg/100 g vitamin E (Tilia platyphyllos)

Subcritical dimethyl ether extraction as a simple method to extract nutraceuticals from byproducts from rice bran oil manufacture

The byproducts of rice bran oil processes are a good source of fat-soluble nutraceuticals, including γ-oryzanol, phytosterol, and policosanols. This study aimed to investigate the effects of green technology with low pressure as the subcritical fluid extraction with dimethyl ether (SUBFDME) on the amount of γ-oryzanol, phytosterol, and policosanol extracted from the byproducts and to increase the purity of policosanols. The SUBFDME extraction apparatus was operated under pressures below 1 MPa. Compared to the chemical extraction method, SUBFDME gave the highest content of γ-oryzanol at 924.51 mg/100 g from defatted rice bran, followed by 829.88 mg/100 g from the filter cake, while the highest phytosterol content was 367.54 mg/100 g. Transesterification gave the highest extraction yield of 43.71% with the highest policosanol content (30,787 mg/100 g), and the SUBFDME method increased the policosanol level from transesterified rice bran wax to 84,913.14 mg/100 g. The results indicate that the SUBFDME method is a promising tool to extract γ-oryzanol and phytosterol and a simple and effective technique to increase the purity of policosanol. The study presented a novel technique for the potential use of SUBSFDME as an alternative low-pressure and low-temperature technique to extract γ-oryzanol and phytosterol. The combination of transesterification and the SUBFDME technique is a potential simple two-step method to extract and purify policosanol, which is beneficial for the manufacture of dietary supplements, functional foods and pharmaceutical products.

Characteristics and Antioxidant Potential of Cold-Pressed Oils-Possible Strategies to Improve Oil Stability.

The relations of the antiradical capacity to oxidative stability parameters and the contents of fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols, phenols, flavonoids, chlorophyll, Cu, and Fe were assessed in 33 cold-pressed seed oils: Walnut (7 brands of oils), rosehip (3), camelina (6), milk thistle (5), flax (6), and pumpkin (6). The antiradical capacity of oils depended strongly on tocopherol contents with a synergistic effect with polyphenols. The efficacy of tocopherols in cold-pressed oils was accompanied by a negative correlation of their antioxidant capacity with the peroxide value increase after 3 months of shelf life. This study also showed a positive correlation between the content of phytosterols and the antiradical capacity in the lipophilic fraction of cold-pressed oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Multiple regression analysis identified groups of antioxidants naturally occurring in cold-pressed oils in relation to their fatty acid composition, which added to the cold-pressed oils could provide possible strategies to improve their stability. Achieving high stability is primarily a result of high phytosterol content exceeding the molar ratio of 1:100 for total phytosterols to α-linolenic acid. However, the molar ratios of tocopherols to linoleic acid below 1:2000 and polyphenols to linoleic acid below 1:3000 does not prevent oxidation in oils with the predominance of linoleic acid.

Oleochemistry potential from Brazil northeastern exotic plants

Caatinga is a Brazilian semi-arid ecosystem that stands out for presenting unique environmental characteristics with a dry, spiny and deciduous shrub/forest vegetation with several species that can be renewable oil sources with potential applicability in oleochemical and nutrition. Caatinga oilseeds have a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols and sterols, and this composition is related to its nutritional potential. The present review summarizes the knowledge on the oil contents and fatty acid profiles of seeds from six representatives caatinga species. It was observed that plants species like Caju (Anacardium occidentale L.), Favela (Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl), Licuri (Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Becc.), Pinhão-bravo (Jatropha mollissima Pohl Baill), Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb) and Oiticica (Licania rígida Benth) contains approximately 33.1, 33.5, 49.2, 18.3, 70.16 and 57.0% w/w of oil, respectively, on a dry weight basis. Their fatty acid profiles are mostly saturated for Licuri oil, with a high content of lauric acid (up to 40%) and unsaturated for Favela, Pinhão-bravo, Cashew nut, Pequi and Oiticica oils. Oiticica oil shows a high concentration of unusual conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acids, like α-Eleostearic and Licanic acid with 16.90 and 43.20% w/w, respectively.

Nutritional quality and phytochemical contents of cold pressed oil obtained from chia, milk thistle, nigella, and white and black poppy seeds

Cold pressed oils obtained from chia (Salvia hispanica L.), milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.), nigella (Nigella sativa L.), and white and black varieties of poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) seeds were character­ized. The nutritional quality was determined based on the analysis of fatty acids, tocochromanol and phytos­terol contents, as well as antioxidant activity and general physico-chemical properties. Among the oils analyzed the fatty acid composition most beneficial for health was found in chia seed oil, with 65.62% of α-linolenic acid and the n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio of 1:3.5. Other oils studied were rich sources of linoleic acid (18.35-74.70%). Chia seed oil was also distinguished by high contents of phytosterols, mainly β-sitosterol (2160.17 mg/kg oil). The highest content of tocochromanols was found in milk thistle oil with dominant α-tocopherol (530.2 mg/kg oil). In contrast, the highest antioxidant activity was recorded for nigella oil (10.23 μM Trolox/g), which indi­cated that, in addition to tocopherols, other antioxidants influenced its antioxidant potential.

First Report of Colletotrichum siamense Causing Stem Tip Dieback of Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) in China

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), which belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, was introduced into China in 2006. It is considered one of the most promising economic oilseed crops in China. A high content of polyunsaturated fatty acid, phytosterols, tocopherols, total carotenoids, and hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacities was found in the seeds of this plant with disease prevention potential (Chirinos et al. 2013). In 2018 to 2019, dieback characterized by progressive death of branches from tip was observed on the sacha inchi at the Danzhou campus of Hainan University. The disease incidence was nearly 100% in adult plants. In July 2018, six infected branches covered with Parafilm at both ends to reduce desiccation were collected, and 5-mm-long branch fragments were cut from the diseased and healthy borders. The branch fragments were surface disinfected in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, rinsed with sterile double distilled water for five to seven times, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium amended with 100 μg/ml of streptomycin, and incubated at 28°C for 5 days. Three pure isolates were obtained by transferring mycelial fragments from the margin of fungal colonies onto fresh PDA, and a representative isolate was DZJ-10. Colonies produced by isolates were dense, white to greyish aerial mycelium on PDA at 28°C for 7 days. The morphology of conidia was cylindrical, aseptate, with the average size 8.3 ± 1.1 × 2.7 ± 0.4 μm (50 conidia). To do molecular identification, three genes/genetic regions were amplified: the rDNA regions of the inner internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (primers ITS1/ITS4) (White et al. 1990), the actin gene (ACT; primers ACT-512F/ACT-783R) (Carbone and Kohn 1999), and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH; primers GDF/GDR) (Weir et al. 2012). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. MT020423, MT029317, and MT029318). The sequences were blasted in GenBank. The sequence of ITS revealed 100% identity with Colletotrichum siamense ITS of KP703372 and KP703373 in GenBank, respectively. The ACT showed 100% similarity with C. siamense LC412418 and MK568557 accessions. And the GAPDH showed 99.59% identity with MK457189 and MH681394. The phylogenetic analysis of combined GAPDH, ITS, and ACT sequences performed in MEGA 6.0 using neighbor joining revealed that the isolates were C. siamense. The isolates are C. siamense based on morphological characters and multigene phylogeny (Ling et al. 2019; Prihastuti et al. 2009). For the pathogenicity test, the cut-stem inoculation technique was performed (Wang et al. 2020). The stem apex of each 2-month-old sacha inchi plant was cut above the node with a sharp scalpel. The open end of a 10- to 200-μl pipette tip was pushed into the margin of the 7-day-old C. siamense culture growing on PDA, and a mycelium plug was removed. The pipette tip containing the mycelium plug was immediately transferred onto the cut stem and pushed down to embed the stem into the medium and to secure the tip onto the stem. Nine plants were used for each isolate and the control, and the plants inoculated by PDA plugs were used as a control. All plants were placed in the greenhouse at 28°C and 80% relative humidity. Typical symptoms of plants infected by isolates were photographed after 18 days. C. siamense was reisolated from inoculated plants but not from the control plants. The experiment was repeated with similar results. To the authors’ knowledge, this report is the first to identify the pathogen of sacha inchi stem tip dieback as C. siamense in China. Our findings enriched the pathogen library of sacha inchi and paved the way for developing effective strategies to control the disease.

Dietary Supplementation with Chestnut (Castanea sativa) Reduces Abdominal Adiposity in FVB/n Mice: A Preliminary Study.

The production of chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller) is mostly concentrated in Europe. Chestnut is recognized by its high content of antioxidants and phytosterols. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary chestnut consumption over physiological variables of FVB/n mice. Eighteen FVB/n male 7-month-old mice were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 6): 1 (control group) fed a standard diet; 2 fed a diet supplemented with 0.55% (w/w) chestnut; and 3 supplemented with 1.1% (w/w) chestnut. Body weight, water, and food intake were recorded weekly. Following 35 days of supplementation, the mice were sacrificed for the collection of biological samples. Chestnut supplementation at 1.1% reduced abdominal adipose tissue. Lower serum cholesterol was also observed in animals supplemented with chestnut. There were no significant differences concerning the incidence of histological lesions nor in biochemical markers of hepatic damage and oxidative stress. These results suggest that chestnut supplementation may contribute to regulate adipose tissue deposition.

Analysis of bioaccessibility of campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol in maize by in vitro digestion method

The content of campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol in raw and cooked Big Flint Maize (BFM), Pop Corn Maize (PCM) and Red Maize (RM) were analyzed by using a chemical method and using in vitro digestion of cooked samples. RM contained 15.14, 8.36, and 72.19 mg/100 g campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol, respectively, which were higher compared to in BFM and PCM. Samples cooking resulted in 6–48% increase in phytosterol content, while cooked RM had the highest phytosterol content. Using the in vitro digestion method, 44–61% reduction in phytosterol content was observed in contrast to the chemical method. The difference bioaccessible campesterol and β-sitosterol contents among varieties was insignificant, except for stigmasterol in RM. The bioaccessibility of campesterol was 44–56% higher than those of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, and it was higher in BFM and PCM. In conclusion, phytosterol contents estimated in different maize samples using in vitro digestion can be another determinative for the ultimate content and reveals the necessity to consider with chemical method of determination.

Extraction and Characterization of Flaxseed Oil Obtained with Subcritical <i>n</i>-Butane

In this study, subcritical n-butane was adopted to extract oil from flaxseed. The extraction conditions i.e. extraction temperature, extraction time, and liquid-solid ratio were investigated and optimized by response surface methodology. The flaxseed oil obtained by subcritical n-butane were characterized and compared with those prepared by n-hexane and cold pressing. Results indicated that the optimal combination of parameters was 53.93℃, 56.82 min, and 19.98:1 mL/g. Subcritical n-butane had higher yield (28.75%) than n-hexane and cold pressing. GC analysis indicated that subcritical n-butane extraction had no obvious influence on the fatty acid composition. Nevertheless, the oil obtained by subcritical n-butane with higher contents of phytosterols (2.93 mg/g) and carotenoids (46.56 mg/kg), and presented a higher oxidation stability (9.27 h). Thus, it was suggested that subcritical n-butane extraction is a promising alternative to extract high quality flaxseed oil.