Lipid Characteristics of Camellia Seed Oil.

Camellia oleifera, C. japonica and C. sinensis are three representative crops of the genus Camellia. In this work, we systematically investigated the lipid characteristics of these seed oils collected from different regions. The results indicated significant differences in acid value (AV), peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), saponification value (SV) and relative density of the above-mentioned camellia seed oils (p < 0.05). The C. japonica seed oils showed the highest AV (1.7 mg/g), and the C. sinensis seed oils showed the highest PV (17.4 meq/kg). The C. japonica seed oils showed the lowest IV (79.9 g/100 g), SV (192.7 mg/g) and refractive index (1.4633) of all the oils, while the C. sinensis seed oils showed the lowest relative density (0.911 g/cm3). The major fatty acids in the camellia seed oils were palmitic acid (16:0), oleic acid (18:1) and linoleic acid (18:2); the oleic acid in C. oleifera and C. japonica seed oils accounted for more than 80% of the total fatty acids. The oleic acid levels in the C. oleifera and C. japonica oils were higher than those in the C. sinensis seed oils, while the linoleic acid levels in the former were lower than those in the latter one. Differences also exist in the triacylglycerol (TAG) composition, although the most abundant TAG molecular species in the camellia seed oils was trioleoylglycerol (OOO). Seven sterol species, squalene and α-tocopherol were detected in the camellia seed oils, however, the contents of tocopherol and unsaponifiable molecules in the C. oleifera and C. japonica seed oils were significantly lower than those in the C. sinensis seed oil. These results demonstrated that the varieties of Camellia affected the seed oil lipid characteristics.

Enhanced gastric therapeutic effects of Brucea javanica oil and its gastroretentive drug delivery system compared to commercial products in pharmacokinetics study.

BACKGROUND: Brucea javanica oil (BJO), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has a variety of pharmacological activities and several BJO-related patent drugs have been widely used in China. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the gastric therapeutic effects of self-made BJO and its pharmaceutical potential to formulate novel BJO gastroretentive floating bead by comparing with commercial products. METHODS: BJO was extracted from the seeds of B. javanica, and its therapeutic effects were evaluated by comparing with commercial products in the treatment of human gastric cancer and gastric ulcer. Furthermore, the developed gastroretentive drug delivery system was evaluated by in vivo tests. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for detecting the concentration of glycerol trioleate in the pharma-cokinetic study was applied. RESULTS: The antitumor activity of BJO was stronger than that of the marketed preparation; the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of BJO extracts on HGC27, SGC7901 and BGC823 gastric carcinoma were 0.3091, 1.736 and 2.743 µg/mL, respectively, whereas the values of marked BJO preparation were 15.26, 32.60 and 7.456 µg/mL, respectively. Histopathological studies demonstrated the ability of BJO to locally prevent and treat absolute ethanol-induced gastric ulcer. Developed BJO gastroretentive floating bead showed a satisfactory in vivo study. The highest glycerol trioleate concentration in the stomach after taking BJO gastroretentive floating bead was nearly two times higher when compared to the marketed BJO soft capsule. CONCLUSION: Self-made BJO has a strong therapeutic effect on the stomach, and gastroretentive drug delivery system can be a promising approach to prolong and enhance its therapy ability when treating gastric diseases.

Rapid Measurement of Food Adulteration with Minimal Sample Preparation and No Chromatography Using Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

A rapid method, with minimal sample preparation and no chromatography, was developed for analyzing food samples such as olive oil and pomegranate juice to measure adulteration with cheaper ingredients using the novel Direct Sample Analysis™ (DSA) ion source in conjunction with a time-of-flight (TOF)-MS. In less than 30 s, with minimal sample preparation and method development, adulteration of olive oil and pomegranate juice with cheaper seed oils and fruit juices, respectively, was measured with DSA/TOF-MS.

Stearic acids at sn-1, 3 positions of TAG are more efficient at limiting fat deposition than palmitic and oleic acids in C57BL/6 mice.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of long-acyl chain SFA, namely palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0), at sn-1, 3 positions of TAG on obesity. Throughout the 15 weeks of the experimental period, C57BL/6 mice were fed diets fortified with cocoa butter, sal stearin (SAL), palm mid fraction (PMF) and high-oleic sunflower oil (HOS). The sn-1, 3 positions were varied by 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1, whilst the sn-2 position was preserved with 18:1. The HOS-enriched diet was found to lead to the highest fat deposition. This was in accordance with our previous postulation. Upon normalisation of total fat deposited with food intake to obtain the fat:feed ratio, interestingly, mice fed the SAL-enriched diet exhibited significantly lower visceral fat/feed and total fat/feed compared with those fed the PMF-enriched diet, despite their similarity in SFA-unsaturated fatty acid-SFA profile. That long-chain SFA at sn-1, 3 positions concomitantly with an unsaturated FA at the sn-2 position exert an obesity-reducing effect was further validated. The present study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that SFA of different chain lengths at sn-1, 3 positions exert profound effects on fat accretion.

Lipid components of olive oil from Tunisian Cv. Sayali: characterization and authenticity.

The analysis of the total lipid fraction from the Sayali variety of olive oil was accomplished in the present investigation. Glyceridic, unsaponifiable and flavour fractions of the oil were isolated and identified using several analytical methods. Chromatographic techniques have proven to be suitable for these determinations, especially capillary gas chromatography. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was successfully used to identify sterols, triterpenes alcohols, 4-monomethylsterols, aliphatic alcohols and aroma compounds in our samples. Furthermore, solid phase microextraction was used to isolate volatiles from the total lipid fraction. Results from the quantitative characterization of Sayali olive oil showed that oleic acid (77.4%) and triolein (47.4%) were the dominant glyceridic components. However, the main compounds of the unsaponifiable fraction were beta-sitosterol (147.5mg/100g oil), 24-methylene cycloartenol (146.4mg/100g oil) and hexacosanol (49.3mg/100g oil). Moreover, results showed that the aldehydic compounds were the major flavours present in Sayali olive oil.

MALDI-TOF/MS fingerprinting of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in olive oils produced in the Israeli Negev desert.

Triacylglycerols (TAGs), composed of three esterified fatty acids with an attached glycerol backbone, are the main component of vegetable oil (approximately 95%) and an important source of energy and nutrition for humans, so their compositional analysis merits extensive interest. Intact TAG composition of oil in native form is highly important, rather than the fatty acid profile itself. This paper reports the analysis of the TAG profile of olive oils produced from the six common olive cultivars grown in the Negev desert of Israel (Barnea, Souri, Arbequina, Picual, Leccino, and Koroneiki) together with the content of some additional common oil quality parameters closely associated with TAG composition and integrity. Matrix-assisted laser ionization-desorption time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) fingerprintings were employed for TAG profiling. With 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), MALDI-TOF/MS was able to fingerprint the intact TAG profiles in olive oils in a fast and easy manner without any derivatization. Triolein (31.53%) was found to be the main intact TAG followed by dioleoyl-palmitoyl (23.06%) and dioleoyl-linoleoyl (14.31%). MALDI-TOF/MS also enabled calculation of the main fatty acids and their compositions in a simple manner from the TAG profiles; the results are found to be very similar to conventional methods determined by GC and HPLC. Average free fatty acids and peroxide value were found to be less than 0.8% and 10 mequiv of O(2)/kg of oil, respectively, in all of the tested oils. Relatively high levels of tocopherols (av = 325 microg/kg) and phytosterols (av = 2375 mg/kg) were found. This study demonstrates MALDI-TOF/MS technology as an easy and fast methodology for TAG and fatty acid profile analysis in olive oils. Additionally, this study also shows the high levels of tocopherols and phytosterols in the olive oils produced from the common cultivars grown in the Israeli Negev desert.

Modeling of olive oil degradation and oleic acid inhibition during chemostat and batch cultivation of Bacillus thermoleovorans IHI-91.

Olive oil degradation by the thermophilic lipolytic strain Bacillus thermoleovorans IHI-91 in chemostat and batch culture was modeled to obtain a general understanding of the underlying principles and limitations of the process and to quantify its stoichiometry. Chemostat experiments with olive oil as the sole carbon source were successfully described using the Monod chemostat model extended by terms for maintenance requirements and wall growth. Maintenance requirements and biomass yield coefficients were in the range reported for mesophiles. For a chemostat experiment at D = 0.3 h(-1) the model was validated up to an olive oil feed concentration of about 3.0 g L(-1) above which an inhibitory effect occurred. Further analysis showed that the liberated oleic acid is the main cause for this inhibition. Using steady-state oleic acid concentrations measured in chemostat experiments with olive oil as substrate it was possible to derive a kinetic expression for oleic acid utilization, showing that a concentration of 430 mg L(-1) leads to a complete growth inhibition. Oleic acid accumulation observed during batch fermentations can be predicted using a model involving growth-associated lipase production and olive oil hydrolysis. Simulations confirmed that this accumulation is the cause for the sudden growth cessation occurring in batch fermentations with higher olive oil start concentrations. Further, an oscillatory behavior, as observed in some chemostat experiments, can also be predicted using the latter model. This work clearly demonstrates that thermophilic lipid degradation by Bacillus thermoleovorans IHI-91 is limited by long-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation rather than oil hydrolysis.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of peanut oil triacylglycerols by reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Triacylglycerols (TGs) from an african peanut oil were analysed and fractionated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) using a differential refractometer as a detector. The fatty acids of the 33 collected fractions were analysed by gas chromatography after pentadecanoic acid (15:0) was added as an internal standard to quantitate the TG fractions. The three major fatty acids in the oil were octadecenoic acid (oleic acid, 44.5%), octadecadienoic acid (linoleic acid, 32.3%) and hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid, 13.9%) together amounting to ca. 90% of the total fatty acids. Very long-chain saturated fatty acids (20:0-26:0) were also found. Thirty TGs could be easily identified from the fatty acid composition of the fractions alone. Dioleoyllinoleoylglycerol (18:1, 18:1, 18:2) was the main TG, amounting to nearly 17% of the oil, followed by palmitoyloleoyllinoleoylglycerol (16:0, 18:1, 18:2) (13%), oleoyldilinoleoylglycerol (18:2, 18:2, 18:1) (12%) trioleoylglycerol (18:1, 18:1, 18:1) (10%) and palmitoyldioleoylglycerol (16:0, 18:1, 18:1) (8%). These five TGs, which were virtually the only TGs in their respective fractions, together represented ca. 60% of the peanut oil TGs. Straight parallel lines were found for different series of TGs on plotting the logarithm of the relative retention time of the identified TGs (and those further identified) versus the number of double bonds. Other straight parallel lines were also observed on plotting the carbon numbers versus the equivalent carbon numbers of the oil TGs. These linear relationships were used to predict the different TGs present in the complex fractions. Their proportions in most instances were easily determined from the fatty acid composition of the fractions. In a very few instances a mathematical method had to be applied to solve the problem. Using the above-mentioned methods, 84 TGs could be identified and their percentages determined in the studied peanut oil. The very long-chain saturated fatty acids were always found associated with unsaturated fatty acids, preferentially with two molecules of linoleic acid. On the other hand, correction factors, determined from commercial simple TGs, were applied to peak areas before calculating the percentages of the 33 eluted TG fractions. For the major fractions of the oil, the series of values thus obtained was comparable to the series determined by the internal standardization procedure. Data reported here for peanut oil TGs are likely to be useful in identifying and quantifying the component TGs of other oils analysed by RPLC under the reported conditions.

Metabolic effects of calcitonin in the newborn.

Calcitonin was injected in newborn rats and newborn lambs to study the metabolic effects of the hormone. Subcutaneous injection of salmon calcitonin (140 MRC U/kg) induced a clearing effect on plasma from suckling newborn rats that was naturally lactescent. A lower dose given by the same route (14 MRC U/kg) strongly decreased plasma triglyceride and amino acid levels in suckling newborn rats. This was mainly the result of gastric emptying inhibition. The gastrointestinal action of calcitonin in suckling newborn rats was substantiated by the absorption of [14C]triolein and 14C-labeled amino acids. Hormonal changes that were associated were a decrease in plasma insulin level and an increase in plasma growth hormone concentration. Intravenous calcitonin at a physiological dose (0.03 MRC U/kg) injected into newborn lambs inhibited increases in total plasma lipids, amino acids, and blood-glucose levels at the time of the first suckling period without changing serum calcium levels. One of the physiological roles of calcitonin in the newborn may be the regulation of nutrient absorption from milk rich in lipids.