Low Fatty Acid Content Research Articles

Fatty Acid Profile, Mineral Composition, and Health Implications of Consuming Dried Sago Grubs (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus)

A comprehensive evaluation of the fatty acid and mineral composition of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (sago grub powder, SGP), pre-treated to meet New Zealand import biosecurity requirements, was investigated. Palmitic acid (42.5% FA), oleic acid (39.0% FA), and linoleic acid (1.02% FA) were the most abundant saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid, respectively. Lipid nutritional indices of SGP fats were ω6/ω3 (2.17), hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic acid ratio (0.88), atherogenicity index (1.01), thrombogenicity index (1.65), and health-promoting index (0.99). Although there are no established recommended values for these dietary indicators, including them in a balanced diet may be advised to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. The mineral analysis profile of the SGP found 11 essential and 29 non-essential minerals, and 4 heavy metals. SGP was rich in important minerals such as potassium (1657 mg/kg DW), magnesium (805.3 mg/kg DW), iron (23 mg/kg DW), manganese (8.8 mg/kg DW), calcium (477 mg/kg DW), and phosphorus (2950 mg/kg DW). However, the Ca:P ratio (0.16:1) of SGP samples was lower than the recommended Ca:P ratio (1.3:1) needed for optimum bone health. Heavy metals such as arsenic (0.17 mg/kg DW), cadmium (0.04 mg/kg DW), lead (0.56 mg/kg DW), and vanadium (0.01 mg/kg DW) were detectable in SGP but were below acceptable toxicity limits. These findings indicate that SGP pre-treated for export is safe for consumption and contains appreciable nutrients, especially minerals. However, the nutritional and health implications of the elevated saturated fatty acid levels, low polyunsaturated fatty acid contents, and low Ca:P ratio of SGP should be considered when choosing sago grubs as a food source.

РОЛЬ ЖИРНЫХ КИСЛОТ В МЕХАНИЗМАХ НАРУШЕНИЙ ЛИПИДНОГО ОБМЕНА У ЛИЦ С СИНДРОМОМ ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ АЛКОГОЛЯ

Abstract. Introduction. The determination of blood serum fatty acid composition is promising in lipid metabolism disorders study in narcological patients. Aim. The study aim was to establish the fatty acids role in lipid metabolism disorders mechanisms in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Material and methods. 208 people were examined, including 96 patients with the second stage alcohol dependence syndrome; 112 people were practically healthy persons during professional examinations. Saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fatty acids were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The total polyunsaturated content, omega-3 and omega-6 acids was calculated. Statistical processing was carried out using the SPSS 15.0 application software package. Results and discussion. In narcological patients, a low saturated fatty acids content was revealed, which, against the liver dysfunction background, leads to their insufficient inclusion in the triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins structure. The low content of ω-3 α-linolenic, docosahexaenoic and ω-6-linoleic, arachidonic acids helps to reduce the biologically active substances synthesis with pro- and anti-inflammatory activity. The necessity of blood serum fatty acid composition purposeful study to clarify the comorbid alcohol-attributive morbidity development is substantiated. Conclusion. To identify the lipid metabolism disorders mechanisms in narcological patients, it is more important to determine not the lipid metabolism «traditional» parameters, but the blood serum fatty acid composition. The low ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids content affects the biologically active substances synthesis with pro- and anti-inflammatory activity, which may explain the decrease in reactivity in patients with somatic pathology. The identified alcohol-associated violation the fatty acid composition signs can be considered as chronic alcohol intoxication screening markers when conducting lipid metabolism study in drug-related risk groups, for example, when they are in somatic hospitals.

Distinct dynamics of lipid accumulation by porcine cumulus cells during in vitro maturation with follicular fluid of low and high fatty acid contents

Follicular fluid (FF) is a complex biological medium providing a fully balanced microenvironment for the oocyte. The standard medium for in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes contains 10% of FF which due to its unknown and inconstant composition is a source of a significant variation. This study aimed to investigate whether follicular fluids of significantly different fatty acid contents (standardized follicular fluid) supplemented to porcine IVM media affects lipid metabolism of porcine oocytes and cumulus cells. Two categories of FF from cyclic gilts containing high (H) and low (L) FA content was added to IVM medium for oocytes from prepubertal gilts. Altogether, 521 cumulus oocyte-complexes (oocytes and corresponding cumulus cells) were analyzed for mRNA expression of 7 genes regulating lipid metabolism and selected traits of the lipid droplets (LD). The applied FFs of different FA levels exerted distinct effects on oocytes and cumulus cells (CCs). During IVM oocytes tended to utilize the lipids as demonstrated by the reduced LD number and lipid fluorescence, whereas cumulus cells accumulated lipids as indicated by the increase in LD number, the occupied area and fluorescence level. Changes in cumulus cells were independent of the FA content in the follicular fluid which means an efficient lipid accumulation during IVM. Final analysis including the effect of FA level on LD traits in oocytes and corresponding CCs revealed two distinct patterns. COCs matured in FF of high FA content were characterized by elevated dynamics of lipid accumulation in CCs and stable lipid content in oocytes. In the case of FF with low FA content, CCs accumulated lipids at a significantly lower rate whereas lipid level in oocytes was reduced. The alterations observed in the LD parameters were not accompanied by changes in oocyte nuclear maturation and in transcript level of any from the 7 analyzed genes. In conclusion, fatty acid content of the follicular fluid supplemented to porcine IVM medium affects lipid metabolism in cumulus cells of the maturing oocyte and application of a standardized FF may help to improve the quality of porcine oocytes matured in vitro.

Aerobic degradation of anionic polyacrylamide in oil sands tailings: Impact factor, degradation effect, and mechanism

An investigation was carried out to study the degradation of anionic polyacrylamide (A-PAM) under different temperature and microorganism conditions as well as to assess its effects on water chemistry and toxicity in oil sands tailings. The maximum removal efficiency of A-PAM was 41.0 % in tailings water with augmented microorganisms at 20 °C. No acrylamide (AMD) monomer was released during the A-PAM degradation, while residual AMD, from the manufacturing process to make A-PAM, was completely removed within 4 weeks. Both temperature and microorganisms showed significant effects (p < 0.05) on the degradation of A-PAM and residual AMD. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses showed that biodegradation could be the active pathway for A-PAM degradation in oil sands tailings. These analyses also indicated that macromolecular A-PAM was degraded into lower molecular weight organic compounds. No remarkable changes of the total concentration of naphthenic acids (NAs) were observed in A-PAM treated tailings water. However, low concentrations of fatty acids (<2.5 mg/L), which fit the NAs formula, were detected in pure polymer solution, indicating that A-PAM degradation would not affect the total concentration of NAs in tailings water but affect their distribution. Our results also showed that total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) could be used as indicators of A-PAM degradation in tailings water due to their strong linear correlations (R2 > 0.90). Only slight increases in zeta potential and pH were found during A-PAM degradation. Limited effect on acute toxicity and no genotoxicity were found in A-PAM treated tailings water. Furthermore, the results suggest that A-PAM undergoes hydrolysis of amide groups by amidase enzymes, releasing ammonia and smaller molecules like organic acids. This research provides valuable information regarding the stability and impacts of A-PAM and thus will be beneficial for the management of oil sands tailings in long period of time.

Two-stage anaerobic membrane bioreactor for co-treatment of food waste and kitchen wastewater for biogas production and nutrients recovery

Co-digestion of organic waste and wastewater is receiving increased attention as a plausible waste management approach toward energy recovery. However, traditional anaerobic processes for co-digestion are particularly susceptible to severe organic loading rates (OLRs) under long-term treatment. To enhance technological feasibility, this work presented a two-stage Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (2 S-AnMBR) composed of a hydrolysis reactor (HR) followed by an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) for long-term co-digestion of food waste and kitchen wastewater. The OLRs were expanded from 4.5, 5.6, and 6.9 kg COD m−3 d−1 to optimize biogas yield, nitrogen recovery, and membrane fouling at ambient temperatures of 25–32 °C. Results showed that specific methane production of UASB was 249 ± 7 L CH4 kg−1 CODremoved at the OLR of 6.9 kg TCOD m−3 d−1. Total Chemical Oxygen Demand (TCOD) loss by hydrolysis was 21.6% of the input TCOD load at the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 days. However, low total volatile fatty acid concentrations were found in the AnMBR, indicating that a sufficiently high hydrolysis efficiency could be accomplished with a short HRT. Furthermore, using AnMBR structure consisting of an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASB) followed by a side-stream ultrafiltration membrane alleviated cake membrane fouling. The wasted digestate from the AnMBR comprised 42–47% Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) and 57–68% total phosphorous loading, making it suitable for use in soil amendments or fertilizers. Finally, the predominance of fine particles (D10 = 0.8 μm) in the ultrafiltration membrane housing (UFMH) could lead to a faster increase in trans-membrane pressure during the filtration process.

Enhancement of bioactive compounds and oxidation stability of soybean oil by enrichment with tocols and γ‐oryzanol extracted from rice bran using ultrasound and ohmic heating

Soybean oil is beneficial from a nutritional viewpoint; however, the high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acid presents a high risk of oxidation. This study incorporated α- and γ-tocopherols and γ-oryzanol as natural antioxidants from rice bran into soybean oil to improve oxidation stability of the oil using ohmic heating-assisted ultrasound extraction. Moisturized bran (30% wet basis) was pretreated using an ohmic heater at 100 and 200 V/cm before ultrasound extraction using soybean oil as a green solvent. Raw and steamed rice bran extracted by ultrasound without ohmic heating were used as controls. Enriched soybean oil obtained from ohmic heating pretreatment gave the highest concentration of α- and γ-tocopherols, γ-oryzanol, and antioxidant activities with low concentrations of free fatty acids, thiobarbituric acid, and peroxide values. Results suggested that ohmic heating-assisted ultrasound extraction showed potential to enrich soybean oil with bioactive compounds. Practical applications Soybean oil can be enriched with tocols and γ-oryzanol from rice bran to increase oil quality and oxidative stability. Ohmic heating was applied to assist ultrasound extraction of tocols and γ-oryzanol from rice bran. Extraction of edible vegetable oils using ohmic heating-assisted ultrasound is an alternative green process to improve oil quality and produce functional vegetable oils enriched with value-added compounds.

Dietary Supplement of Microalgal Astaxanthin Extraction Improved Shell Pigmentation and Nutritional Value of Litopenaeus vannamei in an Indoor Industrial Aquaculture System

Blue-shell syndrome is associated with low levels of astaxanthin (Ax) deposition in cultured shrimp. Such a syndrome is a key issue in indoor industrial shrimp aquaculture. In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with microalgal Ax extract (MAAE), extracted from the microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis, on shell pigmentation and nutritional value of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Dietary supplementation with MAAE (20 mg kg-1) effectively improved shrimp pigmentation. In addition to increased growth and nutritional value, shrimp muscles had higher free amino acid concentrations (Asp, Ser, Ala, Val, and His) and lower fatty acid concentrations (except for C18:0, C18:1n9c, C20:0, C20:2, and C24:1) compared to those in the control group. In conclusion, this study indicated that a relatively low dose of MAAE at 20 mg kg-1 may improve the growth and nutritional value of shrimp in an indoor industrial shrimp aquaculture system.

Unravelling capability of two-stage thermophilic anaerobic membrane bioreactors for high organic loading wastewater: Effect of support media addition and irreversible fouling

This study investigated the effects of adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) beads on the performance of methanogenic reactors and the fouling behavior of a two-stage thermophilic anaerobic membrane bioreactor (ThAnMBR) for treating wastewater at a feed chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 10 g/L. The PVA-added methanogenic reactor exhibited stable operation performance and offered a relatively low volatile fatty acid concentration effluent with a higher COD removal than the system without PVA addition. The predominant microbial communities in both methanogenic reactors were similar and were assigned to the genus Methanosaeta, followed by Clostridia, which was the predominant genus in the hydrolytic reactor. Ultrafiltration in the PVA-added system offered higher effluent quality and lower fouling resistance. The system was able to operate with hydraulically removable fouling, without any chemical cleaning requirements; however, an elevated flux caused the system to suffer from hydraulically irreversible fouling. PVA beads exhibit their structural stability over long-term operation.

Physical and chemical properties of nabak (Zizyphus spina-christi) seed kernel and sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seed oils.

Nabak seed kernels and sweet pepper seeds, which are separated from the fruits and discarded as waste after processing or consumption, contain high levels of oils (30.19% and 19.57%, respectively). The chemical and thermal characteristics of nabak seed kernel oil (NSO) and sweet pepper seed oil (PSO) were investigated in this study. The NSO and PSO contained high levels of unsaturated fatty acids (84.1% and 86.5%, respectively), and the major fatty acid was oleic acid (57.3%) in NSO, but it was linoleic acid (69.4%) in PSO. The triacylglycerol (TAG) profiles show that NSO contained ten TAG species, three of which represented 87.1%, namely C54:3, C52:2 and C54:4, and triolein was the dominant (OOO, 47.0%). Pepper seed oil contained nine TAG molecular species, four of which represented 93.6%, namely C54:6, C52:4, C54:4 and C52:5, and trilinolein was dominant (LLL, 44.0%). The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of NSO revealed that three exothermal peaks were detected during cooling, two endothermal peaks were detected during melting, and the major peak occurred at a low temperature. For PSO, three exothermal peaks were detected during cooling, three peaks were detected (one of them was exothermal) during melting, and the major peaks were observed at low temperatures. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that NSO and PSO did not contain peroxides or trans fatty acids, but they did contain low concentrations of free fatty acids. This study offers a scientific basis for the use of NSO and PSO as new sources of edible oils for food applications. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Enhancing the performance of thermophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste by introducing a hybrid anaerobic membrane bioreactor

The thermophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste was a long-term challenge for maintaining process stability. A hybrid submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), integrating 27%(v/v) polyurethane sponge as fixed carriers were therefore investigated at (50 ± 2) °C. The organics removal efficiencies, COD mass balance, and membrane filtration performance were investigated in a 75-days continuously operated experiment. The results showed that methane production reached 0.31 L/(kg·COD) under an organic loading rate of 7.3 kg·COD/(m3·d). The low concentration of total volatile fatty acids of 247 ~ 274 mg/L and a high proportion of Methanosarcina (>97%) represented the high stability of the thermophilic process. Approximately 21% of biomass grew on the carriers in the hybrid AnMBR and induced a much lower suspended solids concentration and viscosity of bulk sludge. Noticeable lower trans-membrane pressure was consequently observed. The affecting factors identified by PCA analysis proved the advantages of the hybrid AnMBR for alleviating membrane fouling formation.

Development and Physicochemical Properties of Low Saturation Alternative Fat for Whipping Cream.

We developed an alternative whipping cream fat using shea butter but with low saturation. Enriched stearic-oleic-stearic (SOS) solid fat was obtained from shea butter via solvent fractionation. Acyl migration reactant, which mainly contains asymmetric SSO triacylglycerol (TAG), was prepared through enzymatic acyl migration to obtain the creaming quality derived from the β’-crystal form. Through enzymatic acyl migration, we obtained a 3.4-fold higher content of saturated-saturated-unsaturated (SSU) TAG than saturated-unsaturated-saturated (SUS) TAG. The acyl migration reactant was refined to obtain refined acyl migration reactant (RAMR). An alternative fat product was prepared by blending RAMR and hydrogenated palm kernel oil (HPKO) at a ratio of 4:6 (w/w). The melting points, solid fat index (SFI), and melting curves of the alternative products were similar to those of commercial whipping cream fat. The alternative fat had a content of total unsaturated fatty acids 20% higher than that of HPKO. The atherogenic index (AI) of alternative fat was 3.61, much lower than those of whipping cream fat (14.59) and HPKO (1220.3), because of its low atherogenic fatty acid content and high total unsaturated fatty acids. The polymorphic crystal form determined by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy showed that the β’-crystal form was predominant. Therefore, the alternative fat is comparable with whipping cream that requires creaming quality, and has a reduced saturated fat content.

Crystallization and melting properties studied by DSC and FTIR spectroscopy of goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) oil

The chemical and thermal characteristics of goldenberry pomace oil (GPO) and goldenberry seed oil (GSO) were investigated. GPO and GSO contained high levels of unsaturated fatty acids (90.1% and 85.1%, respectively), and the major fatty acid was linoleic (62.0% and 72.8%, respectively). Additionally, GPO contained eleven triacylglycerol (TAG) species, three of which represented 82.7%, namely C54:6, C54:4 and C52:4, and trilinolein was the dominant one (35.5%). GSO contained nine TAG species, two of which represented 80.3%, namely C54:6 and C52:4, and trilinolein was dominant (53.3%). The DSC analysis of GPO and GSO revealed that three exothermal peaks were detected during cooling. Three endothermal peaks (one of which is exothermal for GSO) were detected during melting, and the most significant peaks occurred at low temperatures. FTIR spectra indicated that GPO and GSO did not contain peroxides or trans fatty acids, but they did contain low concentrations of free fatty acids.

TILLING-by-Sequencing+ to Decipher Oil Biosynthesis Pathway in Soybeans: A New and Effective Platform for High-Throughput Gene Functional Analysis.

Reverse genetic approaches have been widely applied to study gene function in crop species; however, these techniques, including gel-based TILLING, present low efficiency to characterize genes in soybeans due to genome complexity, gene duplication, and the presence of multiple gene family members that share high homology in their DNA sequence. Chemical mutagenesis emerges as a genetically modified-free strategy to produce large-scale soybean mutants for economically important traits improvement. The current study uses an optimized high-throughput TILLING by target capture sequencing technology, or TILLING-by-Sequencing+ (TbyS+), coupled with universal bioinformatic tools to identify population-wide mutations in soybeans. Four ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenized populations (4032 mutant families) have been screened for the presence of induced mutations in targeted genes. The mutation types and effects have been characterized for a total of 138 soybean genes involved in soybean seed composition, disease resistance, and many other quality traits. To test the efficiency of TbyS+ in complex genomes, we used soybeans as a model with a focus on three desaturase gene families, GmSACPD, GmFAD2, and GmFAD3, that are involved in the soybean fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. We successfully isolated mutants from all the six gene family members. Unsurprisingly, most of the characterized mutants showed significant changes either in their stearic, oleic, or linolenic acids. By using TbyS+, we discovered novel sources of soybean oil traits, including high saturated and monosaturated fatty acids in addition to low polyunsaturated fatty acid contents. This technology provides an unprecedented platform for highly effective screening of polyploid mutant populations and functional gene analysis. The obtained soybean mutants from this study can be used in subsequent soybean breeding programs for improved oil composition traits.

Flaxseed oil and palm olein blend to improve omega-6: omega-3 ratio.

The objective of the study was to develop the oil blend with improved omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio (ω-6:ω-3) with good oxidative and thermal stability. Flaxseed oil and palm olein were selected for the blending. Flaxseed oil is rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid (ω-3 FA)but isoxidatively very unstable. Palm olein has low omega-6 fatty acid content and high thermal and oxidative stability. Blends containing various percent (v/v) of flaxseed oil and palm olein were prepared. Oxidative and thermal stability was determined by analyzing peroxide value, acid value, smoke point, % free fatty acids, para-Anisidine and TOTOX values. Nutritive quality was confirmed by determining fatty acid composition. Nine month storage stability of the blend containing highest flaxseed oil percentage was assessed in terms of peroxide and acid value and fatty acid composition. The biological effects were studied in THP-1 cell line as the effect on cell survival, FA uptake and inflammatory markers. The data indicates that, blending improved ω-6:ω-3 ratio. Oxidative and thermal stability study, and nine month storage stability study suggested that palm olein imparted stability to the blend. Fatty acid profiles of the cells treated with these blends showed uptake of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ω-3 FA). These blends lowered inflammatory TNFα level without affecting cell survival. Thus, blending of flaxseed oil with palm olein may result in better health benefits owing to their improved nutritional and stability properties.

Aeromonas species from non-chlorinated distribution systems and their competitive planktonic growth in drinking water.

Aeromonas is included in the Dutch Drinking Water Decree as an indicator for elevated microbial regrowth in non-chlorinated drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). The temporal and spatial diversity of Aeromonas species in ten DWDS and their planktonic growth characteristics for different carbon sources was investigated. Genotyping of the gyrB gene of isolates showed a non-systematic temporal and spatial variable prevalence of seven different Aeromonas species in these DWDS and no correlation with AOC-P17/NOX and Aeromonas concentrations. Pure cultures of these seven species showed a high affinity to low concentrations (μg/L) of individual amino acids and fatty acids, compounds associated with biomass. Growth occurred at 0.5 μg-C/L of an amino acid mixture. Growth of a mixed community of A. rivuli, A. salmonicida, A. sobria and A. veronii in drinking water occurred in pasteurized samples, however, no growth and decay occurred in competition with the autochthonous bacteria (non-pasteurized samples). This community also failed to grow in non-pasteurized distribution samples from a location with clear increase in planktonic Aeromonas concentrations in the transported drinking water. For competitive planktonic growth of Aeromonas an amino acid concentration of ≥5 μg-C/L is required. AOC-P17/NOX concentrations showed that such concentrations are not expected in Dutch drinking water. Therefore, we suspect that competitive planktonic growth is not the major cause of the observed non-compliance with the Aeromonas standard in non-chlorinated DWSD.Importance The occurrence of the bacterial genus Aeromonas in non-chlorinated drinking water in the Netherlands is regarded as an indication for elevated microbial regrowth in the distribution system. Identification of the prevalent species in ten distribution systems by genotyping yielded seven different species, with A. rivuli, A. veronii and A. sobria as the most dominant ones. Planktonic growth experiments of pure cultures confirmed former published affinity of Aeromonas for certain biomass compounds (amino and fatty acids). In competition with the autochthonous microflora, however, planktonic growth was not observed, only after addition of a threshold amino acid concentration of 5 μg-C/L. Based on our results and further observations we deduced that planktonic growth of Aeromonas in the DWDS is not very likely. Benthic growth in loose deposits and planktonic release is a more plausible explanation for the observed planktonic increase of Aeromonas.

Valorisation of low fatty acid content waste cooking oil into biodiesel through transesterification using a basic heterogeneous calcium-based catalyst

This study presents the valorisation of waste cooking oil (WCO) and marble waste powder (MW) in the synthesis of biodiesel using ultrasonication. The novelty of this study is the development of environmental friendly catalysts from MW for biodiesel synthesis. Performance of five different catalysts such as MW, calcined marble waste powder (MWC), marble waste powder pretreated with acid followed by calcination (MWAC), marble waste powder precalcined followed by acid treatment and calcination (MWCAC) and commercially available CaO were utilized in the synthesis of biodiesel. Characterization of the catalysts was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyser. The Box-Behnken method was used to design the sets of experiments followed by the optimization of parameters such as oil to alcohol molar ratio, catalyst concentration and temperature using the response surface methodology (RSM). Thereafter biodiesel synthesis was carried out at the optimized conditions in presence of all catalysts along with ultrasonication. Maximum yield of 95.45 and 98.81% was obtained using MWCAC and CaO in 180 min of reaction time at the optimized conditions of oil to alcohol molar ratio of 1:15.9, catalyst concentration of 6.8 wt% of oil and reaction temperature of 64.8 °C. Biodiesel synthesis carried out using conventional stirring method at the optimum conditions provided a maximum yield of 51.92% only in 180 min of reaction time. The present results delivers that ultrasonication reduced the energy requirement by 1.5 folds in biodiesel production as compared to conventional method.

Phenolic Compounds Characterization and Antioxidant Properties of Monocultivar Olive Oils from Northeast Algeria

In Algeria, the olive tree is one of the main fruit species and plays a very important socioeconomic role. The objective of this study was firstly, to identify and quantify the phenolics of some Algerian olive oils, and secondly, to assess the antioxidant activity of the samples. The olive oils used in this study were derived from Algerian cultivars, including Tefahi, Gelb Elfarroudj, Chemlal, and imported cultivar Manzanilla and Zebboudj. For this purpose, gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify olive oil fatty acids profile, while the individual phenolic compounds were assessed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HESI-MS). To verify the antioxidant capacity, five in vitro free radical assays were used. Questionable values of particular physico-chemical parameters, such as the high value of free acidity and the low concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids in oil from the Zebboudj cultivar, indicate that improvements in olive cultivation and oil production practices are needed. Gelb Elfarroudj, Tefahi, and Manzanilla oils contain quantities of monounsaturated fatty acids in accordance with EU regulations. The oil obtained from the Zebboudj cultivar is not usable for food purposes due to the high value in free acidity and the low concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids. Tefahi and Manzanilla cultivars have given oils with the best antioxidant activity as compared to other studied cultivars; this is attributable to their composition in bioactive phenolic compounds, such as secoiridoids, which play an important role in human health as scavengers of free radicals. The results are interesting for producers and consumers to promote the culture of olive oils derived in particular from the Tefahi cultivar. However, in order to improve the health qualities of this oil, the agronomic techniques essentially linked to the time of harvesting of the olives destined for oil production must be improved.

Adsorption mechanisms of fatty acids on fluorite unraveled by infrared spectroscopy and first-principles calculations

HypothesisThe adsorption mechanisms of fatty acids on minerals are largely debated from years, and their understanding is now required to improve flotation processing in the critical context of raw materials. Three wavenumbers have been observed in the literature for the asymmetric stretching vibration of COO− after the adsorption of fatty acids on mineral surfaces. They have been interpreted as different adsorbed forms, such as a precipitate formation, an adsorption of sole or bridged carboxylates, an anion exchange, or adsorbed modes, such as monodentate or bidentate configurations. Experiments/theoryDiffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy was combined with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and simulation of infrared spectra. Fluorite and sodium octanoate – or longer-chain fatty acids – were used as prototypical materials for all the investigations. FindingsAt low fatty acids concentration, the asymmetric stretching vibration of COO− peaks at 1560 cm−1 while, at higher concentration, this infrared band converts into a doublet peaking at 1535 and 1575 cm−1. Using simulations, we assign the band at 1560 cm−1 to the adsorption of a carboxylate molecule bridged on a sodium counter-cation and the doublet at 1535 and 1575 cm−1 to the adsorption of the sole carboxylate anion under a monodentate or a bidentate binuclear configuration, respectively. The formation of an adsorbed layer on the mineral surface is initiated by the adsorption of a sodium carboxylate and followed by the adsorption of mixed sole anionic forms. The role of the carboxylate counter-cation is highlighted for the first time, which was totally ignored in the literature beforehand. This particularly opens the path to the development of innovative strategies to enhance the separation contrast between minerals, which is of uttermost importance for the recovery of critical raw materials.

Features of Serum Fatty Acids at Acute Ischemic Stroke Onset in Statin-Treated Patients with Hypercholesterolemia.

In addition to diet therapy, statins are used to prevent cardiovascular disease in patients with hypercholesterolemia (HC). However, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) still occurs in statin-treated patients. How strictly statin-treated patients follow diet therapy before they experience AIS and whether they increase seafood consumption remains unknown. We investigated the serum concentrations and proportions (weight percentages: wt %) of fatty acids (FAs) at AIS onset in statin-treated patients (statin group), compared to those in non-treated patients with HC (6.465 mmol/L or higher) as controls (non-treated group). We included patients with AIS admitted between 2016 and 2019 within 24 h of AIS onset who underwent analysis of serum FAs. During the study period, 188 patients met the inclusion criteria: 133 in the statin group and 55 in the non-treated group. Interestingly, serum FA concentrations in the statin group were lower than those in the non-treated group. However, serum FA wt % in the statin group was almost identical to that in the non-treated group. In conclusion, statin-treated AIS patients had low FA concentrations and identical FA wt %, compared to non-treated AIS patients with HC.

The optimization of heterogeneous catalytic conditions in the direct alkylation of waste vegetable oil.

Alkylated waste vegetable oil is a versatile intermediate product in the synthesis of bio-based materials. Heterogeneous catalytic condition with high conversion rate in the direct alkylation of waste vegetable oil was reported and the deactivation mechanism of catalyst was revealed. The total exchange capacity, elemental composition and pyrolysis product of catalyst before and after the alkylation reaction were analysed by back titration, elemental analysis, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, gas chromatography mass spectrometry and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, respectively. The results indicated that the metallic and non-metallic (C, H) elements contents of the catalyst have very much increased with great changes in pyrolysis product and a slight decrease in the total exchange capacity. The formation of insoluble polymers through Diels–Alder cycloaddition between triglycerides was proved to be the major factor causing the dysfunction of the catalytic centre. The metal ions from corrosion of the reactor were the minor factor causing about 2.56% loss of the catalytic centre. Moreover, the catalyst was able to maintain high catalytic efficiency when replacing the raw materials with other waste vegetable oil having low concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is significant for producing not only the aryl fatty acids derivatives but also the bio-based surfactants.