Underutilised palm stearin as hard stock for deep-frying medium and its performance for oil uptake in instant noodles.

BACKGROUND: As a by-product of the palm oil industry, palm stearin is often overlooked despite having several beneficial properties, such as excellent stability, which is critically essential to meet the demand of the global food trend in producing safer processed food. Specifically, deep frying of food is often associated with the production of toxic compounds that could potentially migrate into the food system when oils are degraded under continuous heating. The incorporation of palm stearin is regarded as a cost-effective and efficient method to modify the fatty acid composition of oils, enhance the frying qualities and lower the degradation rate. RESULTS: This study blended 5% and 10% palm stearin into palm oil to investigate the deep-frying performance and impact on food quality. Increasing the palm stearin content improved the frying oil's oxidative and hydrolytic stability, evidenced by reduction of total polar material, free fatty acid and total oxidation value. Addition of palm stearin increased the slip melting point which improved the oil's oxidative stability but no significant increase in oil content of instant noodles was observed. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy showed the formation of larger pores in the noodle structure that facilitated oil retention. CONCLUSION: Blending palm stearin into frying oil enhanced the frying stability and minimally affected the oil uptake in instant noodles. This article presents the viability of blending palm stearin into frying oils to develop longer-lasting frying oils. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Fatty acid profile, minor bioactive constituents and physicochemical properties of insect-based oils: A comprehensive review.

Insect-based food or ingredients have received tremendous attention worldwide because of their potential to ensure food and nutrition security, mitigating the reliance on land-dependent agricultural products. Indeed, insect-farming has low environmental impacts with reduced land, water and energy input. More importantly, insects are rich in high quality proteins and fats. They are also excellent sources of minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds. Insect-based lipids are intriguing because they may contain high levels of unsaturated fatty acids particularly linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Besides, the insect-based lipids also show a considerable amount of bioactive components such as tocols, sterols and carotenoids. However, their fatty acid compositions and the nutritional values may vary depending on species, feed composition, developmental stage, geographical locations, and extraction techniques. Therefore, the present article aims to provide a comprehensive review on the fatty acid composition, the minor bioactive constituents and the physicochemical properties of fats and oils derived from insects of different orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera and Diptera). The various parameters affecting the nutritional compositions of the insect-based lipids will also be highlighted. These information will definitely provide a detailed insight on the potential applications of these fats in various food systems based on their unique properties.

A review on application of ultrasound and ultrasound assisted technology for seed oil extraction.

Oil has extensively been extracted from oil-bearing crops and traded globally as a major food commodity. There is always a huge demand from the fats and oils industries to increase oil yield because of profitability benefits. If extraction is conducted under mild operating conditions to preserve and improve the oil quality, then it would be an added value. Ultrasound that works on the cavitational action helps to fulfil the gap. Ultrasound is gaining tremendous interest as an alternative to replace the current conventional extractions approach because of its multiple benefits. Cavitation generated by ultrasound eases the release of oil from cell matrices, thereby allowing the extraction to be carried out under mild processing conditions. The effect enhances the oil yield whilst preserving the quality of the oil. In ultrasound, green solvents can be used to replace toxic organic solvents. Recent up-to-date approaches utilised a combination of ultrasound with enzyme, microwave and supercritical technology to further enhance the oil extraction. This review highlights a comprehensive work of the impact of ultrasound and ultrasound in combination with other technologies on oil extraction, which emphasises the extraction yield and physicochemical properties of the oil, such as fatty acid composition, oxidative stability with the retention of the lipophilic phytochemicals and iodine, saponification values and colour parameters. Understanding of ultrasonication techniques for oil extraction served to be essential and useful information for the fats and oils scientists from academia and industries to explore the possibility of employing a sustainable and mild approaches for extracting oil from various crops.

Medium chain triglyceride and medium-and long chain triglyceride: metabolism, production, health impacts and its applications - a review.

Structured lipid is a type of modified form of lipid that is "fabricated" with the purpose to improve the nutritional and functional properties of conventional fats and oils derived from animal and plant sources. Such healthier choice of lipid received escalating attention from the public for its capability to manage the rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Of which, medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) and medium-and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) are the few examples of the "new generation" custom-made healthful lipids which are mainly composed of medium chain fatty acid (MCFA). MCT is made up exclusively of MCFA whereas MLCT contains a mixture of MCFA and long chain fatty acid (LCFA), respectively. Attributed by the unique metabolism of MCFA which is rapidly metabolized by the body, MCFA and MCT showed to acquire multiple physiological and functional properties in managing and reversing certain health disorders. Several chemically or enzymatically oils and fats modification processes catalyzed by a biological or chemical catalyst such as acidolysis, interesterification and esterification are adopted to synthesis MCT and MLCT. With their purported health benefits, MCT and MLCT are widely being used as nutraceutical in food and pharmaceutical sectors. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review on MCT and MLCT, with an emphasis on the basic understanding of its structures, properties, unique metabolism; the current status of the touted health benefits; latest routes of production; its up-to-date applications in the different food systems; relevant patents filed and its drawbacks.

Insight into the pilot-scale fed-batch fermentation for production of Enterococcus faecium CW3801 using molasses-based medium.

Enterococcus sp. has been used as starters in food fermentation due to their probiotic and antimicrobial properties in food biopreservation. The antimicrobial properties were mainly contributed by the bacteriocin called enterocin. Hence, the availability of a cost-effective pilot-scale cultivation conditions is a necessity for the production of probiotic bacteria. This study aims to investigate optimization of medium composition using sugarcane molasses as a carbon source using response surface methodology and the potential use of fed-batch cultivation for improvement of the cell viability of Enterococcus faecium CW3801 for the use as a probiotic starter culture. Two feeding strategies (ramp and constant) were applied in fed-batch cultivation for enhancement of the production of E. faecium in a 2-L stirred tank bioreactor using the optimized medium and scaled up to a 15-L bioreactor. Optimized fermentation medium which comprised of 10% (v/v) of molasses and 10 g/L of yeast extract at pH 7 yielded maximum cell viability of 29.4 × 1011 CFU/mL with 3900 AU/mL of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) activity. In the fed-batch, the cell viability (8.4 × 1013) and dry cell weight (6.34 g/L) reached the highest in optimized medium when the ramp (stepwise) feeding was applied. In scaling up to 15-L bioreactor, the growth of E. faecium was achieved at 2.3 × 1013 CFU/mL with the dry cell weight of 5.28 g/L under the same condition. The BLIS in 15-L bioreactor was 6% higher than the 2-L bioreactor. This study demonstrated that molasses and yeast extract are good feedstock for the growth of E. faecium. The E. faecium, a non-vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) was successfully produced by a fed-batch cultivation approach and scaled up to a 15-L bioreactor using a ramp feeding strategy. Results from this study revealed that the fed-batch cultivation using molasses-based medium has industrial potential for the production of probiotics.

Preparation of palm (Elaeis oleifera) pressed fibre cellulose nanocrystals via cation exchange resin: characterisation and evaluation as Pickering emulsifier.

BACKGROUND: Palm pressed fibre (PPF) is a cellulose-rich biomass residue produced during palm oil extraction. Its high cellulose content allows the isolation of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). CNC has attracted scientific interest due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility and low cost. The present study isolated CNC from PPF using a cation exchange resin, which is an environmentally friendly and less harsh hydrolysis method than conventional mineral acid hydrolysis. Isolated CNC was used to stabilise an oil-in-water emulsion and the emulsion stability was evaluated in terms of droplet size, morphology and physical stability. RESULTS: PPF was subjected to alkali and bleach treatment prior to hydrolysis, which successfully removed 54% and 75% of non-cellulosic components (hemicellulose and lignin, respectively). Hydrolysis conditions of 5 h, 15:1 (w/w) resin-to-pulp ratio and 50 °C produced CNC particles of 50-100 nm in length. CNC had a crystallinity index of 42% and appeared rod-like morphologically. CNC-stabilised emulsion had better stability when used in combination with soy lecithin (SL), a well-established, commonly used food stabiliser. Emulsion stabilised by the binary mixture of CNC and SL had droplet size, morphology and physical stability comparable to those of emulsion stabilised using SL. CONCLUSIONS: CNC was successfully isolated from PPF through a cation exchange resin. This offers an alternative usage for the underutilised PPF to be converted into value-added products. Isolated CNC was also found to have promising potential in the stabilisation of Pickering emulsions. These results provide useful information indicating CNC as a natural and sustainable stabiliser for food, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical applications. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Production, safety, health effects and applications of diacylglycerol functional oil in food systems: a review.

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a world leading anti-obesity functional cooking oil synthesized via structural modification of conventional fats and oils. DAG exits in three stereoisomers namely sn-1,2-DAG, sn-1,3-DAG, and sn-2,3-DAG. DAG particularly sn-1,3-DAG demonstrated to have the potential in suppressing body fat accumulation and lowering postprandial serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol and glucose level. DAG also showed to improve bone health. This is attributed to DAG structure itself that caused it to absorb and digest via different metabolic pathway than conventional fats and oils. With its purported health benefits, many studies attempt to enzymatically or chemically synthesis DAG through various routes. DAG has also received wide attention as low calorie fat substitute and has been incorporated into various food matrixes. Despite being claimed as healthy cooking oil the safety of DAG still remained uncertain. DAG was banned from sale as it was found to contain probable carcinogen glycidol fatty acid esters. The article aims to provide a comprehensive and latest review of DAG emphasizing on its structure and properties, safety and regulation, process developments, metabolism and beneficial health attributes as well as its applications in the food industry.

Microtiter miniature shaken bioreactor system as a scale-down model for process development of production of therapeutic alpha-interferon2b by recombinant Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: Demand for high-throughput bioprocessing has dramatically increased especially in the biopharmaceutical industry because the technologies are of vital importance to process optimization and media development. This can be efficiently boosted by using microtiter plate (MTP) cultivation setup embedded into an automated liquid-handling system. The objective of this study was to establish an automated microscale method for upstream and downstream bioprocessing of α-IFN2b production by recombinant Escherichia coli. The extraction performance of α-IFN2b by osmotic shock using two different systems, automated microscale platform and manual extraction in MTP was compared. RESULTS: The amount of α-IFN2b extracted using automated microscale platform (49.2 µg/L) was comparable to manual osmotic shock method (48.8 µg/L), but the standard deviation was 2 times lower as compared to manual osmotic shock method. Fermentation parameters in MTP involving inoculum size, agitation speed, working volume and induction profiling revealed that the fermentation conditions for the highest production of α-IFN2b (85.5 µg/L) was attained at inoculum size of 8%, working volume of 40% and agitation speed of 1000 rpm with induction at 4 h after the inoculation. CONCLUSION: Although the findings at MTP scale did not show perfect scalable results as compared to shake flask culture, but microscale technique development would serve as a convenient and low-cost solution in process optimization for recombinant protein.

New functionalities of Maillard reaction products as emulsifiers and encapsulating agents, and the processing parameters: a brief review.

Non-enzymatic browning has been a wide and interesting research area in the food industry, ranging from the complexity of the reaction to its applications in the food industry as well as its ever-debatable health effects. This review provides a new perspective to the Maillard reaction apart from its ubiquitous function in enhancing food flavour, taste and appearance. It focuses on the recent application of Maillard reaction products as an inexpensive and excellent source of emulsifiers as well as superior encapsulating matrices for the entrapment of bioactive compounds. Additionally, it will also discuss the latest approaches employed to perform the Maillard reaction as well as several important reaction parameters that need to be taken into consideration when conducting the Maillard reaction. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Palm-based medium-and-long-chain triacylglycerol (P-MLCT): production via enzymatic interesterification and optimization using response surface methodology (RSM).

Structured lipid such as medium-and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) is claimed to be able to suppress body fat accumulation and be used to manage obesity. Response surface methodology (RSM) with four factors and three levels (+1,0,-1) faced centered composite design (FCCD) was employed for optimization of the enzymatic interesterification conditions of palm-based MLCT (P-MLCT) production. The effect of the four variables namely: substrate ratio palm kernel oil: palm oil, PKO:PO (40:60-100:0 w/w), temperature (50-70 °C), reaction time (0.5-7.5 h) and enzyme load (5-15 % w/w) on the P-MLCT yield (%) and by products (%) produced were investigated. The responses were determined via acylglycerol composition obtained from high performance liquid chromatography. Well-fitted models were successfully established for both responses: P-MLCT yield (R (2) = 0.9979) and by-products (R (2) = 0.9892). The P-MLCT yield was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by substrate ratio, reaction time and reaction temperature but not enzyme load (P > 0.05). Substrate ratio PKO: PO (100:0 w/w) gave the highest yield of P-MLCT (61 %). Nonetheless, substrate ratio of PKO: PO (90:10w/w) was chosen to improve the fatty acid composition of the P-MLCT. The optimized conditions for substrate ratio PKO: PO (90:10 w/w) was 7.26 h, 50 °C and 5 % (w/w) Lipozyme TLIM lipase, which managed to give 60 % yields of P-MLCT. Up scaled results in stirred tank batch reactor gave similar yields as lab scale. A 20 % increase in P-MLCT yield was obtained via RSM. The effect of enzymatic interesterification on the physicochemical properties of PKO:PO (90:10 w/w) were also studied. Thermoprofile showed that the P-MLCT oil melted below body temperature of 37 °C.

Palm-based nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in carotenoid encapsulation and its incorporation into margarine-like reduced fat spread as fat replacer.

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) from plant biomass is becoming popular, attributed to the protective encapsulation of bioactive compounds in Pickering emulsion, preventing degradation and stabilizing the emulsion. NFC, as a natural dietary fiber, is a prominent fat replacer, providing a quality enhancement to reduced-fat products. In this study, NFC Pickering emulsions were prepared at NFC concentrations of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1% to encapsulate carotenoids. The NFC Pickering emulsions at NFC concentrations of 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1% were incorporated into margarine-like reduced fat (3%) spreads as the aqueous phase. Characterization of both NFC Pickering emulsion and the incorporated NFC Pickering emulsion, margarine-like reduced fat spreads, was conducted with mastersizer, rheometer, spectrophotometer, and texture analyzer. The particle size (73.67 ± 0.35 to 94.73 ± 2.21 nm), viscosity (138.36 ± 3.35 to 10545.00 ± 567.10 mPa s), and creaming stability (25% to 100% stable) of the NFC Pickering emulsions were increased significantly when increasing the NFC concentration, whereas the encapsulation efficiency was highest at NFC 0.4% and 0.6%. Although imitating the viscoelastic solid-like behavior of margarine was difficult, the NFC Pickering emulsion properties were still able to enhance hardness, slip melting point, and color of the reduced fat spreads compared to the full-fat margarine, especially at 0.6% of NFC. Overall, extensive performances of NFC can be seen in encapsulating carotenoids, especially at NFC concentrations of 0.4% and 0.6%, with the enhancement of Pickering emulsion stability while portraying futuristic possibilities as a fat replacer in margarine optimally at 0.6% of NFC concentration. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Nanocellulose extracted from palm dried long fiber was utilized to encapsulate carotenoids and replace fats in margarine-like reduced fat (3%) spreads. Our study portrayed high encapsulation efficiency and successful fat replacement with promising stability performances. Hence, nanocellulose displayed extensive potential as encapsulating agents and fat replacers while providing quality and sustainability enhancements in reduced-fat food.

Nonconventional Technologies in Lipid Modifications.

Lipid modifications play a crucial role in various fields, including food science, pharmaceuticals, and biofuel production. Traditional methods for lipid modifications involve physical and chemical approaches or enzymatic reactions, which often have limitations in terms of specificity, efficiency, and environmental impact. In recent years, nonconventional technologies have emerged as promising alternatives for lipid modifications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of nonconventional technologies for lipid modifications, including high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, ozonation, and cold plasma technology. The principles,mechanisms, and advantages of these technologies are discussed, along with their applications in lipid modification processes. Additionally, the challenges and future perspectives of nonconventional technologies in lipid modifications are addressed, highlighting the potential and challenges for further advancements in this field. The integration of nonconventional technologies with traditional methods has the potential to revolutionize lipid modifications, enabling the development of novel lipid-based products with enhanced functional properties and improved sustainability profiles.

Physicochemical and antioxidative properties of ultrasound-assisted extraction of mahua (Madhuca longifolia) seed oil in comparison with conventional Soxhlet and mechanical extractions.

Ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction (UAE) was applied to extract underutilized Madhuca longifolia seed oil. The effect of extraction time, temperature, solvent type, solvent/sample ratio, and amplitude on the oil yield and recovery were investigated. Approximately 56.97% of oil yield and 99.54% of oil recovery were attained using mild conditions of 35 min, 35 °C, 40% amplitude, isopropanol to acetone (1:1), and solvent to sample (20 mL/g). UAE oil yield and recovery were comparable with Soxhlet extraction (SXE) whilst mechanical pressing (ME) yielded < 50% of UAE recovery. UAE does not affect the fatty acids composition (46% C18:1; 22% C16:0; 21% C18:0, 10% C18:2), and triacylglycerol profile (23% POO, 17% POS, 16% SOO, and 14% POP). Interestingly, UAE extracted oil conferred remarkably (P < 0.05) higher antioxidant capacity (IC50 of DPPH 106.60 mg/mL and ABTS 39.80 mg/mL) than SXE (IC50 of DPPH 810.40 mg/mL and ABTS 757.43 mg/mL) or ME (IC50 of DPPH 622.38 mg/mL and ABTS 392.87 mg/mL).

Palm-based cellulose nanofiber isolated from mechano-chemical processing as sustainable rheological modifier in reduced fat mayonnaise.

Reducing fat intake from our daily diet serves to be an effective way to combat the rising obesity issue worldwide. Hence, reducing fat content in mayonnaise, a high fat food product, is one of the primary trends in the food industry. To date, research on the use of nanocellulose, a new and emerging form of fat mimetic, in mayonnaise formulation remains limited. This study sets out to formulate reduced fat 5%, 15%, and 30% mayonnaise using varying concentration of nanocellulose synthesized from palm pressed fiber followed by a 20-day stability study. Nanocellulose was synthesized with particle size of 106.0 ± 18.7 nm and zeta potential of -72.5 ± 2.26 mV. It was used as fat mimetic in mayonnaise. Rheological analysis conducted showed that incorporation of nanocellulose into reduced fat mayonnaise formulation was able to counteract the loss of viscosity in mayonnaise caused by fat content reduction. This finding was further supported by the smaller oil droplets that are closely packed in reduced fat mayonnaise formulation when viewed under light microscope. Nonetheless, significant oil droplet coalescence was found in reduced fat mayonnaise formulations during storage period which could lead to loss of viscosity. Taken together, these findings suggest that CNF was able to act as fat mimetic upon formulation of mayonnaise but the same cannot be said during long term storage of mayonnaise. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: We successfully isolated nanocellulose from palm biomass (palm pressed fiber) using green approach and used it as a fat replacer for preparation of 5%, 15%, and 30% reduced fat mayonnaise. A computation study revealed a strong binding affinity of the nanocellulose on the lipase active site essential to inhibit the digestion of fats and oils. Therefore, nanocellulose demonstrated a huge potential to be used as not only as fat replacer but also rheological modifier for the development of reduced fat or vegan foods.

Pickering emulsion stabilized by palm-pressed fiber cellulose nanocrystal extracted by acid hydrolysis-assisted high pressure homogenization.

Palm pressed fibre (PPF) is a lignocellulose biomass generated from palm oil mill that is rich in cellulose. The present work aimed to combine acid hydrolysis followed by high-pressure homogenisation (HPH) to produce nanocrystal cellulose (CNC) with enhanced physicochemical properties from PPF. PPF was alkaline treated, bleached, acid hydrolysed and homogenised under high pressure condition to prepare CNC. The effects of homogenisation pressure (10, 30, 50, 70 MPa) and cycles (1, 3, 5, 7) on the particle size, zeta potential and rheological properties of CNC produced were investigated. HPH was capable of producing CNC with better stability. Results revealed that utilizing 1 cycle of homogenisation at a pressure of 50 MPa resulted in CNC with the smallest dimension, highest aspect ratio, moderate viscosity and exceptionally high zeta potential. Subsequently, 0.15% (CNC 0.15 -PE) and 0.30% (CNC 0.30 -PE) of CNC was used to stabilise oil-in-water emulsions and their stability was evaluated against different pH, temperature and ionic strength. All the CNC-stabilised emulsions demonstrated good thermal stability. CNC 0.30 -PE exhibited larger droplets but higher stability than CNC 0.15 -PE. In short, CNC with gel like structure has a promising potential to serve as a natural Pickering emulsifier to stabilise oil-in-water emulsion in various food applications.

Potential Residual Contaminants in Edible Bird's Nest.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is recognized as a nourishing food among Chinese people. The efficacy of EBN was stated in the records of traditional Chinese medicine and its activities have been reported in many researches. Malaysia is the second largest exporter of EBNs in the world, after Indonesia. For many years, EBN trade to China was not regulated until August 2011, when a safety alert was triggered for the consumption of EBNs. China banned the import of EBNs from Malaysia and Indonesia due to high level of nitrite. Since then, the Malaysia government has formulated Malaysia Standards for swiftlet farming (MS 2273:2012), edible bird's nest processing plant design and management (MS 2333:2010), and edible bird's nest product quality (MS 2334:2011) to enable the industry to meet the specified standards for the export to China. On the other hand, Indonesia's EBN industry formulated a standard operating procedure (SOP) for exportation to China. Both countries can export EBNs to China by complying with the standards and SOPs. EBN contaminants may include but not limited to nitrite, heavy metals, excessive minerals, fungi, bacteria, and mites. The possible source of contaminants may come from the swiftlet farms and the swiftlets or introduced during processing, storage, and transportation of EBNs, or adulterants. Swiftlet house design and management, and EBN processing affect the bird's nest color. Degradation of its optical quality has an impact on the selling price, and color changes are tied together with nitrite level. In this review, the current and future prospects of EBNs in Malaysia and Indonesia in terms of their quality, and the research on the contaminants and their effects on EBN color changes are discussed.

Kinetic study of lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis of palm olein using Lipozyme TLIM in solvent-free system.

Diacylglycerol (DAG) and monoacylglycerol (MAG) are two natural occurring minor components found in most edible fats and oils. These compounds have gained increasing market demand owing to their unique physicochemical properties. Enzymatic glycerolysis in solvent-free system might be a promising approach in producing DAG and MAG-enriched oil. Understanding on glycerolysis mechanism is therefore of great importance for process simulation and optimization. In this study, a commercial immobilized lipase (Lipozyme TL IM) was used to catalyze the glycerolysis reaction. The kinetics of enzymatic glycerolysis reaction between triacylglycerol (TAG) and glycerol (G) were modeled using rate equation with unsteady-state assumption. Ternary complex, ping-pong bi-bi and complex ping-pong bi-bi models were proposed and compared in this study. The reaction rate constants were determined using non-linear regression and sum of square errors (SSE) were minimized. Present work revealed satisfactory agreement between experimental data and the result generated by complex ping-pong bi-bi model as compared to other models. The proposed kinetic model would facilitate understanding on enzymatic glycerolysis for DAG and MAG production and design optimization of a pilot-scale reactor.

Structural difference of palm based Medium- and Long-Chain Triacylglycerol (MLCT) further reduces body fat accumulation in DIO C57BL/6J mice when consumed in low fat diet for a mid-term period.

Medium-and-Long Chain Triacylglycerol (MLCT) is a type of structured lipid that is made up of medium chain, MCFA (C8-C12) and long chain, LCFA (C16-C22) fatty acid. Studies claimed that consumption of MLCT has the potential in reducing visceral fat accumulation as compared to long chain triacylglycerol, LCT. This is mainly attributed to the rapid metabolism of MCFA as compared to LCFA. Our study was designed to compare the anti-obesity effects of a enzymatically interesterified MLCT (E-MLCT) with physical blend of palm kernel and palm oil (B-PKOPO) having similar fatty acid composition and a commercial MLCT (C-MLCT) made of rapeseed/soybean oil on Diet Induced Obesity (DIO) C57BL/6J mice for a period of four months in low fat, LF (7%) and high fat, HF (30%) diet. The main aim was to determine if the anti-obesity effect of MLCT was contributed solely by its triacylglycerol structure alone or its fatty acid composition or both. Out of the three types of MLCT, mice fed with Low Fat, LF (7%) E-MLCT had significantly (P<0.05) lower body weight gain (by ~30%), body fat accumulation (by ~37%) and hormone leptin level as compared to both the LF B-PKOPO and LF C-MLCT. Histological examination further revealed that dietary intake of E-MLCT inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation. Besides, analysis of serum profile also demonstrated that consumption of E-MLCT was better in regulating blood glucose compared to B-PKOPO and C-MLCT. Nevertheless, both B-PKO-PO and E-MLCT which contained higher level of myristic acid was found to be hypercholesterolemic compared to C-MLCT. In summary, our finding showed that triacylglycerol structure, fatty acid composition and fat dosage play a pivotal role in regulating visceral fat accumulation. Consumption of E-MLCT in low fat diet led to a significantly lesser body fat accumulation. It was postulated that the MLM/MLL/LMM/MML/LLM types of triacylglycerol and C8-C12 medium chain fatty acids were the main factors that contributed to the visceral fat suppressing effect of MLCT. Despite being able to reduce body fat, the so called healthful functional oil E-MLCT when taken in high amount do resulted in fat accumulation. In summary, E-MLCT when taken in moderation can be used to manage obesity issue. However, consumption of E-MLCT may lead to higher total cholesterol and LDL level.

Production of γ-cyclodextrin by Bacillus cereus cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase using extractive bioconversion in polymer-salt aqueous two-phase system.

Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) extractive bioconversion provides a technique which integrates bioconversion and purification into a single step process. Extractive bioconversion of gamma-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) from soluble starch with cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase, EC 2.4.1.19) enzyme derived from Bacillus cereus was evaluated using polyethylene glycol (PEG)/potassium phosphate based on ATPS. The optimum condition was attained in the ATPS constituted of 30.0% (w/w) PEG 3000 g/mol and 7.0% (w/w) potassium phosphate. A γ-CD concentration of 1.60 mg/mL with a 19% concentration ratio was recovered after 1 h bioconversion process. The γ-CD was mainly partitioned to the top phase (YT=81.88%), with CGTase partitioning in the salt-rich bottom phase (KCGTase=0.51). Repetitive batch processes of extractive bioconversion were successfully recycled three times, indicating that this is an environmental friendly and a cost saving technique for γ-CD production and purification.

Short term and dosage influences of palm based medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols on body fat and blood parameters in C57BL/6J mice.

Structured lipid medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCT) are claimed to be able to manage obesity. The present study investigated the body fat influence of enzymatically interesterifed palm-based medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (P-MLCT) on diet-induced obesity (DIO) C57BL/6J mice compared with commercial MLCT oil (C-MLCT) and a control, which was the non enzymatically modified palm kernel and palm oil blend (PKO-PO blend). It also investigated the low fat and high fat effects of P-MLCT. DIO C57BL/6J mice were fed ad libitum with low fat (7%) and high fat (30%) experimental diets for 8 weeks before being sacrificed to obtain blood serum for analysis. From the results, there is a trend that P-MLCT fed mice were found to have the lowest body weight, body weight gain, total fat pad accumulation (perirenal, retroperitoneal, epididymal and mesenteric), total triglyceride levels and efficiency in controlling blood glucose level, compared with C-MLCT and the PKO-PO blend in both low fat and high fat diets. Nevertheless, the PKO-PO blend and P-MLCT caused significantly (P < 0.05) higher total cholesterol levels compared to C-MLCT. P-MLCT present in low fat and high fat dosage were shown to be able to suppress body fat accumulation. This effect is more prominent with the low fat dosage.