Superior Valorisation of Juglans regia L. Leaves of Different Maturity through the Isolation of Bioactive Compounds.

Extracts rich in bioactive compounds from natural sources have received great interest due to their great impact on human health. The aim of this research is focused on the obtaining and characterization of several extracts from Juglans regia L. leaves in four different maturity phases: young green leaves (YGL), green leaves (GL), mature green leaves (MGL), and yellow leaves (YL), using different solvents: ethanol (e), water (w), or water:ethanol (1:1 (v/v)-m) by employing several methods: magnetic stirring (MS), ultrasound-assisted (UA), as well as maceration (M). The obtained extracts were quantitatively evaluated through spectrophotometric methods: Total Polyphenol Content (TPC-Folin-Ciocalteu assay) and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC assay). Phytochemical screening by means of Fourier-Transform Ion-Cyclotron-Resonance High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) indicated the presence of 40 compounds belonging to different phytochemical classes: phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavones, flavanones, flavonones, flavanols, vitamins, tereponoid, steroid, anthocyanidin, and other compounds. Based on TPC and TEAC assays, the water-ethanol mixture was found to be the proper extraction solvent, with the best results being obtained for YL plant material: 146.29 mg GAE/g DM (TPC) and 11.67 mM TE/g DM (TEAC). This type of extract may be used in various domains, such as the cosmetics industry, the biomedical field, and/or the design of functional foods, relying on their phytochemical composition.

Saponification Value of Fats and Oils as Determined from 1H-NMR Data: The Case of Dairy Fats.

The saponification value of fats and oils is one of the most common quality indices, reflecting the mean molecular weight of the constituting triacylglycerols. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectra of fats and oils display specific resonances for the protons from the structural patterns of the triacylglycerols (i.e., the glycerol backbone), methylene (-CH2-) groups, double bonds (-CH=CH-) and the terminal methyl (-CH3) group from the three fatty acyl chains. Consequently, chemometric equations based on the integral values of the 1H-NMR resonances allow for the calculation of the mean molecular weight of triacylglycerol species, leading to the determination of the number of moles of triacylglycerol species per 1 g of fat and eventually to the calculation of the saponification value (SV), expressed as mg KOH/g of fat. The algorithm was verified on a series of binary mixtures of tributyrin (TB) and vegetable oils (i.e., soybean and rapeseed oils) in various ratios, ensuring a wide range of SV. Compared to the conventional technique for SV determination (ISO 3657:2013) based on titration, the obtained 1H-NMR-based saponification values differed by a mean percent deviation of 3%, suggesting the new method is a convenient and rapid alternate approach. Moreover, compared to other reported methods of determining the SV from spectroscopic data, this method is not based on regression equations and, consequently, does not require calibration from a database, as the SV is computed directly and independently from the 1H-NMR spectrum of a given oil/fat sample.

Influence of composition on the thermal behavior of oils extracted from the seeds of some Romanian grapes.

BACKGROUND: The oils obtained from grape seeds are becoming a valuable way of exploiting winery waste and their properties are scrutinized for evaluating the potential usages. We examined the oils extracted with petroleum ether from grape seeds of four varieties of grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Feteasca Neagra, Merlot and Pinot Noir) from Romania looking at the influence of the fatty acid profile and of the antioxidants on their thermal behavior. RESULTS: The fatty acid profiles of the oils were evaluated by 1 H-NMR spectroscopy, and the oil antioxidant capacity was determined by cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) method. The main fatty acid component in all the oils is linoleic acid (over 70%), which, due to its known health benefits, make the oils of commercial interest. The thermal stability of grape seed oils appears to be mainly influenced by the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in their composition, less polyunsaturated fatty acids making the oils more stable. The antioxidant compounds affect only the initial stage of the decomposition by limiting the formation of hydroperoxides in the allylic positions of the fatty acid chain. CONCLUSION: Compared to pure samples of glyceryl-unsaturated fatty acids (glyceryl-trioleate, glyceryl-trilinoleate), the grape seed oils exhibit higher thermal stability, due to the presence of antioxidant compounds and to a synergistic action of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, smaller percentage of the polyunsaturated and higher percentage of the saturated fatty acids enhancing the stability. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.