Lipids Of Animal Origin Research Articles

Poor Food Consumption in Middle Aged and Elderly Indigenous People in Southern Brazil

Introduction: Considering the food as one of the basics for healthy aging, we identified important gaps in the knowledge of food habits and nutrition of southern Brazilian indigenous people. Objective: This study evaluated the dietary intake of Kaingang and Guarani ethnic indigenous living in Porto Alegre and Planalto, Brazil. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study, with the participation of 150 indigenous people, aged between 40 and 104 years. Dietary intake was estimated by a 24-hour recall, conducted between July and August 2009. Results: There was excessive consumption of foods rich in simple carbohydrates (candy and soda), and high intake of lipids of animal origin (lard as a base for some preparations), which is related to the increase risk of heart diseases. There was a low consumption of fruits and vegetables (sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber and bioactive compounds), foods that can reduce the risk of diseases. Conclusions: The lack of one or more nutrients, called hidden hunger, is considered an important nutritional problem, as the stage prior to the appearance of detectable clinical diseases. Thus, the poor food choices or lack of access to good quality of food may be influencing the health status of these indigenous. It is noteworthy that food as a source of pleasure and cultural identity and family also may be necessary to approach health promotion respecting the food culture of this population.

Sterol Oxidation in Meat- and Fish-Based Homogenized Baby Foods Containing Vegetable Oils

Sterol oxidation was evaluated in commercial meat- and fish-based homogenized baby foods containing vegetable oil. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used for the analytical determination of 7-ketocholesterol and 7-ketositosterol, which were chosen as markers of sterol oxidation in lipids of animal origin and vegetable origin, respectively. Cholestanetriol was also quantified, because its negative effects on atherogenesis and other biological processes are well known. In meat-based samples, the levels of 7-ketocholesterol and 7-ketositosterol were 22-89 and 11-40 microg/serving, respectively, whereas the cholestanetriol levels were 7-38 microg/serving. The 7-ketocholesterol/cholesterol percent ratio was characteristic of each kind of meat and related to the levels of unsaturated fatty acids of animal lipids. In fish-based samples, the cholestanetriol and 7-ketocholesterol levels per serving were significantly lower than in meat samples, but in fish fillets they were about 20-25%, instead of 40%, of the ingredients. The values of the 7-ketocholesterol/cholesterol percent ratio in fish-based products were close to the values computed for chicken or turkey-based products. The detected values of cholestanetriol showed that the addition of vegetable oil enhances the development of the indirect bimolecular pathway of cholesterol oxidation, which was even more favorable in fish-based products.

Effect of flavonoids of various structures on peroxidation of neutral lipids of animal origin

The effect of flavonoids of various structures (baikalein, baikalin, quercetin, dihydroquercetin, genistein, and daidzein) on the process of formation of lipid hydroperoxides during thermoinduced autooxidation of neutral lipids of animal origin is studied. The minimum inhibitory concentration of isoflavones was found to be equal to 10-3 M. The effective inhibitory concentration of other flavonoids (except baikalin) was equal to 10-4 M. Baikalin was an effective promoter of lipid peroxidation. The antioxidant activity of the flavonoids tested was calculated, taking ionol as a reference.

Analytical investigation of calcium oxalate films on marble monuments

This paper describes an analytical approach to investigate the origin of oxalate films on marble. Calcium oxalate films were collected on buildings of historical importance in Lucca and Pisa (Italy) and characterised by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy (equipped with diamond cell), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The morphology of the films was investigated by optical and electronic microscopy. FTIR analyses highlighted the presence of calcium oxalate (both as whewellite and weddellite), gypsum, calcite, nitrates, silicates and apatite, while EDX maps showed the distribution of elements. Several samples showed traces of organic compounds, identified by GC–MS as paraffin wax, lipids of animal origin and egg. The correlation between organic material and oxalate contents suggests the origin of the films from degradation processes of past surface treatment.

Analytical investigation of calcium oxalate films on marble monuments

This paper describes an analytical approach to investigate the origin of oxalate films on marble. Calcium oxalate films were collected on buildings of historical importance in Lucca and Pisa (Italy) and characterised by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy (equipped with diamond cell), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The morphology of the films was investigated by optical and electronic microscopy. FTIR analyses highlighted the presence of calcium oxalate (both as whewellite and weddellite), gypsum, calcite, nitrates, silicates and apatite, while EDX maps showed the distribution of elements. Several samples showed traces of organic compounds, identified by GC–MS as paraffin wax, lipids of animal origin and egg. The correlation between organic material and oxalate contents suggests the origin of the films from degradation processes of past surface treatment.