Use of combinations of re-esterified oils, differing in their degree of saturation, in broiler chicken diets.

Re-esterified oils contain higher proportions of mono- and diacylglycerols, and also higher proportions of saturated fatty acids (SFA) at the sn-2 position of acylglycerol molecules than does a native oil with the same degree of saturation, which enhances the apparent absorption of SFA. Moreover, as happens with native oils, their nutritive value could be further improved by blending re-esterified oils of extreme degrees of saturation. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the effect of increasing the dietary unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio (UFA:SFA) by adding re-esterified soybean oil in replacement of re-esterified palm oil, on fatty acid (FA) apparent absorption and its consequences on growth performance, carcass fat depots, and FA composition of abdominal adipose tissue. For this purpose, one hundred twenty 1-day-old female broiler chickens were randomly distributed in 30 cages. The 2 pure re-esterified oils, together with 3 re-esterified oil blends, were included in the basal diet at 6%. The increasing dietary UFA:SFA ratio resulted in an improved total FA apparent absorption (linear effect for the starter period, P = 0.001; quadratic effect for the grower-finisher period, P = 0.006) and, therefore, an improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) for the overall period (linear effect, P = 0.003). In the starter period, the improved fat absorption was due to the growing presence of linoleic acid and the enhanced absorption of SFA, mono- and polyunsaturated FA (associative effects among FA; P < 0.05). In the growing-finishing period, however, the absorption of mono- and polyunsaturated FA was not affected (P > 0.05). The UFA:SFA ratio of the abdominal adipose tissue varied in the same direction, but to a lesser extent than that of the diet. Whilst the deposited-to-absorbed ratio of polyunsaturated FA remained relatively constant as the dietary UFA:SFA ratio increased, the deposited-to-absorbed ratio of SFA increased, and that of monounsaturated FA decreased. Taken together, the addition of re-esterified soybean oil in replacement of re-esterified palm oil improved fat absorption, but no synergism was observed between re-esterified oils.

Evaluation of the use of esterified fatty acid oils enriched in medium-chain fatty acids in weight loss diets for dogs.

Esterified fatty acid oils (EAOs) are obtained from esterification of vegetable acid oils with glycerol. These fat sources have the same fatty acid (FA) composition as their respective native oils but new chemical properties. Several studies have confirmed the potential of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) to reduce fat mass (FM) in humans and rodents. This study investigates the use of EAOs with different MCFA proportions on food preferences, digestibility and weight loss management in dogs. A basal diet was supplemented with 8% of three different fat sources: C0: soya bean-canola EAO, C20: soya bean-canola (80%) coconut (20%) EAO and C40: soya bean-canola (60%) coconut (40%) EAO. Food preference of these EAOs was tested using a two-pan preference test. Dogs presented a higher daily food intake of C20 and C40 compared to C0 (C20: 155 ± 18.6 g vs. C0: 17 ± 7.0 g, p < 0.001; C40: 117 ± 13.9 g vs. C0: 28 ± 10.5 g, p < 0.05 respectively). Also, the digestibility of the three experimental diets was tested. C20 and C40 showed higher ether extract, total FA and saturated FA digestibilities (p < 0.05) than C0 diet. Lastly, the three diets were investigated in a 14-week weight loss study, following 16 weeks of ad libitum feeding to induce overweight condition. Body weight (BW) reduction was lower (C0: 20.1 ± 2.32%, C20: 14.6 ± 1.43% and C40: 15.7 ± 1.23%, p < 0.05) and FM was higher (FM, 18.7 ± 3.42%, 27.9 ± 3.90% and 28.2 ± 2.88% for C0, C20 and C40, respectively, p < 0.05) for diets C20 and C40 than for C0. Feeding diets with MCFA at these inclusion levels to experimentally overweight dogs during 14 weeks do not result in faster weight loss compared to unsaturated long-chain FA.

Use of re-esterified oils, differing in their degree of saturation and molecular structure, in broiler chicken diets.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential use of re-esterified oils, differing in their degree of saturation and molecular structure, in comparison with their corresponding acid and native oils in broiler chicken diets. For this purpose, 144 one-d-old female broiler chickens were randomly distributed in 48 cages. Birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with 6% of native palm oil ( PN: ), acid palm oil ( PA: ), re-esterified palm oil low in mono- ( MAG: ) and diacylglycerols ( DAG: ) ( PEL: ), re-esterified palm oil high in MAG and DAG ( PEH: ), native soybean oil ( SN: ), acid soybean oil ( SA: ), re-esterified soybean oil low in MAG and DAG ( SEL: ), or re-esterified soybean oil high in MAG and DAG ( SEH: ), which resulted in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. Digestibility balances showed that the degree of saturation of fat generally exerted a greater impact than did the fat molecular structure. The dietary utilization of S sources was higher than that of P sources. However, the increased sn-2 saturated fatty acid ( SFA: ) content of EL oils in the starter period and the increased MAG and DAG content of EH oils in the grower-finisher period yielded favorable effects on the SFA apparent absorption, especially in those birds fed re-esterified palm oils. The excreta acylglycerol and free fatty acid composition was mainly composed of free fatty acids, and their amount almost paralleled the results observed for SFA apparent absorption. For growth performance, birds fed S exhibited better feed conversion ratios and lower abdominal fat-pad weights than did those fed P. The fatty acid composition of abdominal adipose tissue was also mainly affected by the degree of saturation of dietary fat sources. We concluded that re-esterified oils, mainly from P sources, can be used in broiler chicken diets as alternative fat sources since they show similar or even higher total fatty acid apparent absorption than do their corresponding native and acid oils, with small changes in abdominal adipose tissue fatty acid composition.

Use of recovered frying oils in chicken and rabbit feeds: effect on the fatty acid and tocol composition and on the oxidation levels of meat, liver and plasma.

The addition of some fat co- and by-products to feeds is usual nowadays; however, the regulations of their use are not always clear and vary between countries. For instance, the use of recycled cooking oils is not allowed in the European Union, but they are used in other countries. However, oils recovered from industrial frying processes could show satisfactory quality for this purpose. Here we studied the effects of including oils recovered from the frying industry in rabbit and chicken feeds (at 30 and 60 g/kg, respectively) on the fatty acid (FA) and tocol (tocopherol + tocotrienol) compositon of meat, liver and plasma, and on their oxidative stability. Three dietary treatments (replicated eight times) were compared: fresh non-used oil (LOX); oil discarded from the frying industry, having a high content of secondary oxidation compounds (HOX); and an intermediate level (MOX) obtained by mixing 50 : 50 of LOX and HOX. The FA composition of oil diets and tissues was assessed by GC, their tocol content by HPLC, the thiobarbituric acid value was used to assess tissue oxidation status, and the ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange method was used to assess the susceptibility of tissues to oxidation. Our results indicate that FA composition of rabbit and chicken meat, liver and plasma was scarcely altered by the addition of recovered frying oils to feed. Differences were encountered in the FA composition between species, which might be attributed mainly to differences in the FA digestion, absorption and metabolism between species, and to some physiological dietary factors (i.e. coprophagy in rabbits that involves fermentation with FA structure modification). The α-tocopherol (αT) content of tissues was reduced in response to the lower αT content in the recovered frying oil. Differences in the content of other tocols were encountered between chickens and rabbits, which might be attributable to the different tocol composition of their feeds, as well as to species differences in the digestion and metabolism of tocols. Tissue oxidation and susceptibility to oxidation were in general low and were not greatly affected by the degree of oxidation of the oil added to the feeds. The relative content of polyunsaturated fatty acids/αT in these types of samples would explain the differences observed between species in the susceptibility of each tissue to oxidation. According to our results, oils recovered from the frying industry could be useful for feed uses.

Use of palm-oil by-products in chicken and rabbit feeds: effect on the fatty acid and tocol composition of meat, liver and plasma.

This study was undertaken in the framework of a larger European project dealing with the characterization of fat co- and by-products from the food chain, available for feed uses. In this study, we compare the effects, on the fatty acid (FA) and tocol composition of chicken and rabbit tissues, of the addition to feeds of a palm fatty acid distillate, very low in trans fatty acids (TFA), and two levels of the corresponding hydrogenated by-product, containing intermediate and high levels of TFA. Thus, the experimental design included three treatments, formulated for each species, containing the three levels of TFA defined above. Obviously, due to the use of hydrogenated fats, the levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) show clear differences between the three dietary treatments. The results show that diets high in TFA (76 g/kg fat) compared with those low in TFA (4.4 g/kg fat) led to a lower content of tocopherols and tocotrienols in tissues, although these differences were not always statistically significant, and show a different pattern for rabbit and chicken. The TFA content in meat, liver and plasma increased from low-to-high TFA feeds in both chicken and rabbit. However, the transfer ratios from feed were not proportional to the TFA levels in feeds, reflecting certain differences according to the animal species. Moreover, feeds containing fats higher in TFA induced significant changes in tissue SFA, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids composition, but different patterns can be described for chicken and rabbit and for each type of tissue.

Oxidized oils and dietary zinc and α-tocopheryl acetate supplementation: effects on rabbit plasma, liver and meat fatty acid composition and meat Zn, Cu, Fe and Se content.

The effects of the addition of heated oils to feeds (3%, w/w) and the dietary supplementation with α-tocopheryl acetate (TA; 100 mg/kg) and Zn (200 mg/kg) on rabbit tissue fatty acid (FA) composition and on the Zn, Cu, Fe and Se content in meat were assessed. Heating unrefined sunflower oil (SO) at 55°C for 245 h increased its content in primary oxidation products and reduced its α-tocopherol content. However, this did not significantly affect tissue FA composition. Heating SO at 140°C for 31 h increased its content in secondary oxidation products and in some FA isomers as c9,t11-CLA and di-trans CLA. This led to increases in di-trans CLA in liver and in t9,c12-18:2 in meat. The c9,t11-CLA was the most incorporated CLA isomer in tissues. The dietary supplementation with α-TA did not affect the FA composition of plasma, liver or meat. The cooking of vacuum-packed rabbit meat at 78°C for 5 min reduced significantly but slightly its polyunsaturated FA content. The dietary supplementation with Zn did not modify the content of Zn, Fe or Se in meat, but it reduced its Cu content. On the other hand, it increased the content of some FAs in meat when SO heated at 140°C for 31 h was added to feeds.

Dietary n-6- or n-3-rich vegetable fats and α-tocopheryl acetate: effects on fatty acid composition and stability of rabbit plasma, liver and meat.

We supplemented diets with α-tocopheryl acetate (100 mg/kg) and replaced beef tallow (BT) in feeds with increasing doses of n-6- or n-3-rich vegetable fat sources (linseed and sunflower oil), and studied the effects on the fatty acid (FA) composition, the α-tocopherol (αT) content and the oxidative stability of rabbit plasma and liver. These effects were compared with those observed in a previous study in rabbit meat. As in meat, the content of saturated, monounsaturated and trans FA in plasma and liver mainly reflected feed FA profile, except stearic acid in liver, which increased as feeds contained higher doses of vegetable fat, which could be related to an inhibition of the activity of the stearoyl-CoA-desaturase. As linseed oil increased in feeds, the n-6/n-3 FA ratio was decreased in plasma and liver as a result of the incorporation of FA from diets and also, due to the different performance and selectivity of desaturase enzymes. However, an increase in the dose of vegetable fat in feeds led to a significant reduction in the αT content of plasma and liver, which was greater when the fat source was linseed oil. Increasing the dose of vegetable fat in feeds also led to an increase in the susceptibility to oxidation (lipid hydroperoxide (LHP) value) of rabbit plasma, liver and meat and on the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of meat. Although the dietary supplementation with α-tocopheryl acetate increased the αT content in plasma and liver, it did not modify significantly their TBA or LHP values. In meat however, both TBA and LHP values were reduced by the dietary supplementation with α-tocopheryl acetate. The plasma αT content reflected the αT content in tissues, and correlated negatively with tissue oxidability. From the studied diets, those containing 1.5% linseed oil plus 1.5% BT and 100 mg of α-tocopheryl acetate/kg most improved the FA composition and the oxidative stability of rabbit tissues.

Effects of various fat sources, alpha-tocopheryl acetate, and ascorbic acid supplements on fatty acid composition and alpha-tocopherol content in raw and vacuum-packed, cooked dark chicken meat.

A factorial design was used to study the effects of dietary fat sources (beef tallow, fresh and oxidized sunflower oils, and linseed oil), alpha-tocopheryl acetate (0 and 225 mg/kg), and ascorbic acid (0 and 110 mg/ kg) supplementation on fatty acid composition, as well as on fat and alpha-tocopherol content in vacuum-packed raw and cooked meat stored at -20 degrees C. Raw meat fatty acid composition was affected by dietary fat sources and tocopheryl acetate supplementation. After cooking, meat composition was only affected by dietary fat sources. Birds fed linseed oil yielded meat rich in n-3 fatty acids, especially linolenic acid, which provides about 20% of the adequate intake for this fatty acid. Birds fed sunflower or oxidized sunflower oil produced meat rich in n-6 fatty acids, whereas those fed beef tallow resulted in meat rich in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Raw and cooked dark chicken meat alpha-tocopherol content was only affected by tocopherol supplementation. Supplementation with alpha-tocopheryl acetate led to alpha-tocopherol-enriched meat, which provides about 25% of the recommended dietary allowance. Moreover, this content in vacuum-packed samples was not modified even after 7 mo of storage at -20 degrees C.

Effect of dietary fat sources and zinc and selenium supplements on the composition and consumer acceptability of chicken meat.

A factorial design was used to study the effect of changes in broiler feed on the composition and consumer acceptability of chicken meat. One week before slaughter, 1.25% dietary fish oil was removed from the feed and replaced by other fat sources (animal fat or linseed oil) or we continued with fish oil, and diets were supplemented with Zn (0, 300, or 600 mg/kg), and Se (0 or 1.2 mg/kg as sodium selenite or 0.2 mg/kg as Se-enriched yeast). The changes in dietary fat led to distinct fatty acid compositions of mixed raw dark and white chicken meat with skin. The fish oil diet produced meat with the highest eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) content, whereas the linseed oil diet led to meat with the highest content in total n-3 polyunsaturated acids (PUFA), especially linolenic acid. However, meat from animals on the animal fat diet was still rich in very long-chain n-3 PUFA. Se content was affected by Se and Zn supplements. Se content increased with Zn supplementation. However, only Se from the organic source led to a significant increase in this mineral in meat compared with the control. Consumer acceptability scores and TBA values of cooked dark chicken meat after 74 d or after 18 mo of frozen storage were not affected by any of the dietary factors studied.

Fatty acid content in chicken thigh and breast as affected by dietary polyunsaturation level.

One hundred ninety-two female broiler chickens were randomly distributed into 16 experimental treatments as a result of the combination of 4 levels of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (15, 34, 45, and 61 g/kg) and 4 levels of supplementation with alphatocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg), to determine the modification of the amount and type of fatty acids (FA) deposited in raw and cooked chicken tissues. At 44 d, quantified FA of thighs and breasts were not affected by dietary supplementation with alpha-TA. Total FA content of breast was less than 15% of the total FA content of thigh. However, increasing the PUFA content of the diet by 46 g, from 15 to 61 g/kg, decreased total FA of thigh 17%, but did not affect FA content in breast meat. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) content of thigh (y) decreased linearly as the inclusion of dietary PUFA (x) increased (MUFA: y = 89.34 - 0.92x, R2 = 0.70; SFA: y = 53.81 - 0.43x, R2 = 0.57), whereas the relationship between PUFA content of feed (x) and thighs (y) was exponential (y = 92.03 92.03e(-00155x), R2 = 0.75). A similar response was observed in breast, with less variation and more incorporation of PUFA than thigh. Cooking of thigh meat led to a reduction in total FA content that affected SFA, MUFA, and PUFA in a similar proportion.

Effect of dietary fish oil, alpha-tocopheryl acetate, and zinc supplementation on the composition and consumer acceptability of chicken meat.

A factorial design was used to study the effect of dietary fish oil (1.25% and 2.5%), all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (70 and 140 mg/kg), and Zn supplementation (0 and 200 mg/kg) on the composition and consumer acceptability of chicken meat stored at -20 degrees C for 5 mo. Supplementation of the diet with all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate increased the alpha-tocopherol content in meat. The fatty acid composition of the meat was affected only by the amount of fish oil. Diets supplied with 2.5% fish oil produced meat with an eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid content double that of diets supplied with 1.25% fish oil. Zn supplementation did not affect the content of this mineral in the meat. Moreover, the consumer acceptability of meat samples showed no significant differences between dietary treatments after 5 mo of storage at -20 degrees C or with respect to a freshly cooked commercial sample used as a blind control.

Accumulation of alpha-tocopherol in eggs enriched with omega3 and omega6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the pattern of accumulation of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) in egg as a response to dietary supplementation with 200 mg/kg diet of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) and whether the inclusion of dietary oils with different fatty acid (FA) composition affected this parameter. Forty hens were randomly distributed into two treatments resulting from the supplementation of a basal diet containing 200 mg/kg alpha-TA with either 5% linseed oil (LO) or sunflower oil (SO). alpha-Tocopherol concentration of eggs was measured at 0, 4, 9, 14, 19, and 50 d after inclusion of the experimental diets. Results show that alpha-Toc concentration in the egg increased after the 4th d of feeding, reaching its maximum level at 14 d (168 microg/g egg), after which it decreased 10 to 12% until 19 d, obtaining similar values at 50 d (145 microg/g egg). No differences were observed between dietary oils in the deposition pattern of alpha-Toc in the egg.

Oxidative stability of dark chicken meat through frozen storage: influence of dietary fat and alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid supplementation.

We used factorial design to ascertain the influence of dietary fat source (linseed, sunflower and oxidized sunflower oils, and beef tallow) and the dietary supplementation with alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) (225 mg/kg of feed) and ascorbic acid (AA) (110 mg/kg) on dark chicken meat oxidation (lipid hydroperoxide and TBA values and cholesterol oxidation product content). alpha-TA greatly protected ground and vacuum-packaged raw or cooked meat from fatty acid and cholesterol oxidation after 0, 3.5, or 7 mo of storage at -20 C. In contrast, AA provided no protection, and no synergism between alpha-TA and AA was observed. Polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched diets (those containing linseed, sunflower, or oxidized sunflower oils) increased meat susceptibility to oxidation. Cooking always involved more oxidation, especially in samples from linseed oil diets. The values of all the oxidative parameters showed a highly significant negative correlation with the alpha-tocopherol content of meat.

Influence of dietary fat source, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid supplementation on sensory quality of dark chicken meat.

We studied the influence of dietary fat source and dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate and ascorbic acid supplementation on the sensory quality of cooked dark chicken meat stored at -20 C for different periods. Results showed that dietary fat source and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation influenced sensory scores (rancid flavor and aroma and acceptability). Ascorbic acid had no influence on these scores. Thiobarbituric acid values showed a high correlation with sensory scores. In addition, the low levels of alpha-tocopheryl acetate contained in the trace mineral-vitamin mix (20 IU/kg of feed) were enough to prevent rancidity development in cooked dark chicken meat when broilers were fed a saturated fat diet and samples were vacuum-packed and stored at -20 C for 13 mo.

Effect of dietary supplementation with rosemary extract and alpha-tocopheryl acetate on lipid oxidation in eggs enriched with omega3-fatty acids.

The antioxidant effect of dietary supplementation with 500 or 1,000 mg/kg of a commercial rosemary extract vs. 200 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) on the lipid oxidative stability of omega3-fatty acid (FA)-enriched eggs was compared. Lipid oxidation was measured in fresh eggs by the lipid hydroperoxide level and malonaldehyde content. Stability to iron-induced lipid oxidation was also measured. Results showed the clear antioxidant effect of dietary alpha-TA supplementation on omega3-FA enriched eggs. In contrast, dietary supplementation with rosemary extract showed no effect on any of the lipid oxidation parameters evaluated.

Determination of macrolide antibiotics by liquid chromatography.

The liquid chromatographic separation of seven macrolides used in food producing animals in the European Union has been studied. Separation was performed by using an end-capped high-purity silica-based C18 column and mobile phases consisting of phosphate buffer (pH 2.5)-acetonitrile mixtures. The effect of pH and acetonitrile percentage on the separation was examined. Two UV-based detection systems, wavelength programming and diode array, were assayed. Detection limits were in the range 6-33 microg l(-1) for spiramycin, tilmicosin, tylosin, kitasamicin and josamicin and about 400 microg l(-1) for erythromycin and oleandomycin. The suitability of the method for multiresidue determination of the five macrolides is demonstrated by the analysis of spiked samples of chicken muscle.

Cholesterol oxidation in frozen dark chicken meat: influence of dietary fat source, and α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid supplementation.

A factorial design assessed the effect of dietary fat source (beef tallow, fresh and oxidized sunflower oils, and linseed oil), and α-tocopheryl acetate (α-TA) and ascorbic acid (AA) supplementation (225 and 110 mg/kg feed, respectively) on the cholesterol oxidation product (COP) content and 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values in raw and cooked dark chicken meat vacuum packaged and stored at -20°C for 7 months. COP determination showed good linearity, recovery and precision. Dietary α-TA was highly effective in protecting raw or cooked meat from cholesterol and fatty acid oxidation, regardless of its degree of unsaturation. In contrast, AA supplementation was ineffective and even promoted oxidation in raw meat from broilers fed unsaturated fat diets that had not been supplemented with α-TA. Oxidation values (raw or cooked meat) from α-TA or α-TA+AA supplemented diets were not statistically different (P>0.05). TBA and COP values were significantly correlated in raw samples (r=0.6466, P=0.0001).

Evaluation of lipid ultraviolet absorption as a parameter to measure lipid oxidation in dark chicken meat.

The application of lipid UV absorption (235, 269, and 280 nm) to follow up lipid oxidation in dark chicken meat has been evaluated using raw and cooked samples with different alpha-tocopherol contents (modulated by dietary supplementation). To this purpose, when absorption was measured at 235 nm, second-derivative spectrophotometry did not show any significant advantage over nonderivative spectrophotometry. For absorption at 269 and 280 nm, nonderivative spectrophotometry more sensitively monitored lipid oxidation than second- and third-derivative spectrophotometry. In addition, only direct measurements at 235 and 269 nm and second-derivative measurements at 235 nm showed a limited usefulness to follow up lipid oxidation in our samples. However, these UV absorption parameters were much less effective than lipid hydroperoxide values measured through a ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange method and 2-thiobarbituric acid values determined by a third-derivative spectrophotometric method with acid aqueous extraction.

Lipid hydroperoxide determination in dark chicken meat through a ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange method.

A ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX) method was adapted to measure lipid hydroperoxides (LHP) in raw and cooked dark chicken meat. Its applicability was evaluated using samples with different alpha-tocopherol contents or unsaturation degrees (both modulated by dietary supplementation). The FOX assay can work as an induced method because there is some oxidation of the sample extract during the incubation of the reaction. Consequently, it allows assessment of sample susceptibility to oxidation (response after some hours of incubation) and comparison of samples that are highly oxidized or readily susceptible to oxidation through their absorbance after 30 min of incubation. It is highly specific for LHP and showed a linear relationship between volume of meat extract and absorbance. However, the most suitable volume of extract and incubation time must be studied for each kind of sample. The use of butylated hydroxytoluene during this incubation is strongly discouraged because it attenuated the reaction by radical stabilization, thus diminishing Fe(III) formation and leading to a lower response.

Analysis of olive and hazelnut oil mixtures by high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry of triacylglycerols and gas-liquid chromatography of non-saponifiable compounds (tocopherols and sterols).

We analysed the triacylglycerol, tocopherol and sterol composition of hazelnut oil, olive oil and their mixtures (90% olive oil with 10% hazelnut oil, 70% olive with 30% hazelnut oil and 50% olive oil with 50% hazelnut oil). The main triacylglycerols were 1,2,3-trioleylglycerol, 2,3-dioleyl-1-palmitoylglycerol, 2,3-dioleyl-1-linoleylglycerol and 2,3-dioleyl-1-stearoylglycerol. Non-saponfiable compounds (tocopherols and sterols) were derivatised as O-trimethylsilyl ethers. Alpha-tocopherol was the main vitamin E isomer in all samples; however, small amounts of beta-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol were also found. Beta-sitosterol and delta5-avenasterol were the principal sterols in all samples; campesterol and stigmasterol were minor sterol compounds in all samples. Obtusifoliol, which was a major sterol in olive oil and oil mixtures, was not found in hazelnut oil. The discriminant analysis showed that hazelnut oil, olive oil and oil mixtures were clearly separated according to their triacylglycerol composition.