Addition of Sesamol Increases the Oxidative Stability of Beeswax Organogels and Beef Tallow Matrix Under UV Light Irradiation and Thermal Oxidation.

To enhance the oxidative stability of organogels made from canola oil, 40 ppm sesamol was added to beeswax-based organogels stored under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation and 60 or 100 °C thermal oxidation conditions. To study the practical application of organogels as animal fat substitutes, beef tallow was mixed with organogels and their oxidative stability was determined under oxidative stress conditions. Without sesamol addition, the organogels and beef tallow with organogel oxidized rapidly under UV irradiation and thermal oxidation. The addition of 40-ppm sesamol decreased the consumption of headspace oxygen and the formation of primary and secondary oxidation products significantly (P < 0.05) compared with those in samples without the addition of sesamol, irrespective of oxidative stress. Sesamol improved the oxidative stability of organogels and beef tallow with organogel, which could be used in the meat industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Organogels may replace trans-fat or highly saturated lipids in food products. The high degree of unsaturation and processing temperature mean that antioxidants are needed to extend the shelf life of organogels or organogel-containing products. The addition of sesamol significantly enhanced the oxidative stability of organogels and of beef tallow-containing organogels under UV irradiation and thermal oxidation conditions. Therefore, sesamol-supplemented organogels could replace saturated fats in beef tallow and prolong the shelf-life of meat products.

Unravelling the effects of blue light on aerobic methane emissions from canola.

It is now well documented that plants produce methane (CH4) under aerobic conditions. However, the nature of methane production in plants and all the potential precursors and environmental factors that can be involved in the process are not fully understood. Earlier studies have suggested several chemical compounds, including the amino acid methionine, as precursors of aerobic methane in plants, but none have explored other amino acids as potential precursors or blue light as a driving force of methane emission. We examined the effects of blue light, and the promoter or inhibitor of endogenous ethylene on methane and ethylene emissions, amino acids, and some plant physiological parameters in canola (Brassica napus). Plants were grown under four light conditions: no supplemental blue light, and low, medium, or high blue light, and exposed to three chemical treatments: no chemical application, ethylene promoter (kinetin), or ethylene inhibitor (silver nitrate). Regardless of chemical treatment, blue light significantly increased methane emission, which was accompanied by decreased plant biomass, gas exchange, and flavonoids, but by increased wax, and most amino acids. This study revealed that blue light drives aerobic methane emission from plants by releasing of methyl group from a number of amino acids, and that the methane production in plants may have several pathways.