Fatty and resin acids of spanishpinus pinaster Ait. Subspecies

The qualitative and quantitative composition of the acid fraction of wood extractives from three SpanishPinus pinaster Ait. subspecies (Atlantic, mountain Mediterranean and plain Mediterranean) were studied. Seven samples of each subspecies were prepared according to Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Standards, extracted with petroleum ether (b.p. 40–60°C) in a Soxhlet apparatus and saponified with ethanolic 0.4N potassium hydroxide. The acid fraction was methylated with diazomethane and studied by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The major constituents found were palmitic, oleic and linoleic among the fatty acids and pimaric, sandaracopimaric, levopimaric, isopimaric, abietic and dehydroabietic among the resin acids. Neoabietic and palustric acids were not found. Variations in the quantitative composition of the acid fraction enable us to distinguish the three subspecies. Main quantitative differences are found between the Atlantic subspecies and the two Mediterranean subspecies.     

Monitoring of Fat Content,Free Fatty Acid and Fatty Acid Profile Including <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis> Fat in Pakistani Biscuits

The fat contents of 12 brands of biscuits were extracted and evaluated for free fatty acids (FFA) and their fatty acid composition (FAC). The oil content and FFA varied from 13.7 to 27.6% and 0.2 to 1.0%, respectively. The FAC was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy with particular emphasis on trans fatty acids (TFA). Total saturated, unsaturated, cis-monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were determined in the range of 37.9–46.9, 53.0–62.0, 12.3–43.7 and 0.1–9.2%, respectively. The high amount of TFA was observed in all biscuit samples and varied from 9.3 to 34.9%. The quantity and quality of the lipid fraction of the biscuits indicated that the all analyzed biscuits are a rich source of fat, saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids, consequently not suitable for the health of consumers. The high content of trans fatty acids and palmitic acid also indicated that blends of RBD palm oil and partially hydrogenated oil had been used in the biscuit manufacturing.     

The fatty acid composition of the seeds ofGinkgo biloba

The fatty acid composition of seeds ofGinkgo biloba has been examined by a combination of capillary gas chromatography, silver ion high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Some of the fatty acids identified are unusual in plants and were rather different from those reported earlier. These include ananteiso-methyl branched fatty acid, 14-methylhexadecanoic acid, 5,9-octadecadienoic acid, and 5,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that all of the double bonds were of thecis-configuration.     

Determination of sterols, oxysterols, and fatty acids of phospholipids in cells and lipoproteins: A one-sample method

In addition to fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated species, cholesterol oxidizes and leads to various oxygenated derivatives, named oxysterols. They display a wide range of adverse biological properties. Monitoring oxysterols is important in the evaluation of the potential risks associated with lipid oxidation. In the present study, a quick and reliable method was developed for analysis of oxysterols, sterols, and fatty acid composition of phospholipids in the same biological sample. Total lipid extraction was determined after addition of several internal standards (epicoprostanol for sterols, 19-hydroxy-cholesterol for oxysterol and di-heptadecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine for phospholipid fatty acids). Cold acetone-mediated precipitation was then used to fractionate sterols from phospholipids. The phospholipid-containing precipitate was transmethylated for fatty acid analysis by gas chromatography. The sterol- and oxysterol-containing phase was saponified under mild conditions to avoid artificial oxysterol generation and was analyzed by gas chromatography after derivatization into trimethylsilyl ethers. The overall procedure was found to be specific with good recovery and reproducibility for sterols, oxysterols [mean coefficient of variation in percent (CV), 11.3%] as well as phospholipid fatty acids (CV, 5.6%). This procedure has been used to document in vitro free radical treated-human low-density lipoproteins and erythrocytes. Results demonstrated that this method is a useful tool in assessing qualitative and quantitative differences in oxysterols and phospholipid fatty acid patterns attributed to lipid oxidation.     

Phospholipid composition of some fruit-stone oils of Rosaceae species

The phospholipid composition of five types of vegetable oil extracted from the nuts of plum (Prunus domestica L.), peach (Prunus persica L.), apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), cherry (Prunus aviumL.), and morello-cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) was determined spectrophotometrically after fractionation and separation to individual components by means of two-directional thin-layer chromatography. The content of phospholipids in the oils varied from 0.4% to 1.1%, while in the corresponding nuts it varied from 0.2 to 0.5%. The major components in the phospholipid fraction were phosphatidylcholine (37.1–59.0%), phosphatidylinositol (13.8–31.6%) and phosphatidylethanolamine (12.9–19.5%). The fatty acid composition of the triacylglycerols and of the major phospholipids was determined by capillary gas chromatography. Larger quantities of saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic and stearic acid, were identified in the phospholipids.     

Evaluation of nonpolar methyl esters by column and gas chromatography for the assessment of used frying olive oils

The measurement of unaltered methyl esters separated from polar methyl esters by column chromatog-raphy was used to evaluate the alteration of an olive oil that had been used 15 times to fry potatoes. Unaltered methyl ester (the nonpolar fraction) decreased significantly (94.9 ± 0.8%vs 98.2 + 0.5%; p < 0.05), while the polar fraction increased significantly (4.0 ± 0.7%vs 2.1 ± 0.7%; p < 0.05) after 15 fryings. The unrecoverable fraction also increased. In order to avoid column contamination the gas Chromatographic analysis was only done on the nonpolar fractions. Linoleic and oleic acids showed a tendency to decrease while saturated fatty acid tended to increase. The unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio decreased from an initial value of 7.05 to 6.40 in the last frying. Quantitative gas Chromatographic analysis using both the percentage fatty acid composition and the relative amount of unaltered methyl esters showed a significant oleic acid decrease after 15 fryings (75.8 ± 0.6vs 78.9 ± 0.2 mg/100 mg oil; p < 0.05). To whom correspondence should be addressed     

Extraction of Nitraria tangutorum seed lipid using different extraction methods and analysis of its fatty acids by HPLC fluorescence detection and on‐line MS identification

The seed lipid of Nitraria tangutorum was extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, microwave‐assisted reflux extraction, ultrasound‐assisted extraction, or solvent reflux extraction. The experimental parameters of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction including pressure, temperature, particle size, and extraction time were investigated. A facile and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of 30 saturated and 9 unsaturated fatty acids by HPLC with fluorescence detection after pre‐column derivatization was developed. Fatty acid derivatives were separated on a reversed‐phase Eclipse XDB‐C₈ column in conjunction with gradient elution. Identification of fatty acid derivatives was carried out by on‐line APCI/MS in positive‐ion mode. Excellent quantitative linear responses of the 39 fatty acids were observed in the range of 0.014 to 14 μmol/L with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9992. Limits of detection were in the range of 0.32–3.7 nmol/L (S/N = 3). The fatty acids in Nitraria tangutorum seed lipid with or without saponification extracted by the four different methods were determined and compared. The results indicated that the mass percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid) in Nitraria tangutorum seed lipid was up to 79%, and the best method was supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.     

Lipid composition of the sponge Verongia aerophoba from the Canary Islands

The fatty acid composition of the lipids from the sponge Verongia aerophoba was investigated and 60 acids were identified. Two of them were new and their structures were elucidated by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. These acids were identified as 20‐methylhexacosanoic and Δ5, 9, 22‐nonacosatrienoic. Only 13 sterols were present, and aplysterol predominated. In the volatile fraction 13 compounds were identified, mainly fatty acids, their esters and hydrocarbons, while in the n‐butanol fraction we found mainly free fatty acids and free amino acids.     

Soy lecithin-monoester interchange reaction by microbial lipase

Modification of the fatty acid composition of soy lecithin, principally at its 1-position, was investigated by interchange reaction with the methyl ester of individual fatty acids and a lipase as the catalyst. The consequent effect on the surface activity of soy lecithin was also examined. The interchange reaction was carried out by heating a mixture of soy lecithin and methyl ester of a fatty acid at 60°C for 48 h with 10% (by weight of the reactants) Mucor miehei lipase. The lipase was filtered from the reaction mixture, and the product was isolated by combination of acetone extraction, which removed the methyl ester fraction, and by preparative thin-layer chromatography separation. The soy lecithin showed distinct change in its fatty acid composition in the sn-1 position. Capric acid was incorporated by 8.4%, while lauric acid and myristic acid were introduced at 14.1 and 15.7%, respectively. The linolenic acid percentage was increased by about 10 units. The interfacial tension of soy lecithin changed significantly after incorporation of various saturated fatty acids.     

Growth and fatty acid composition of Acutodesmus obliquus under different light spectra and temperatures

The combined impact of temperature and light spectra on the fatty acid (FA) composition in microalgae has been sparsely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions of light and temperature on the FA composition in Acutodesmus obliquus. For this purpose, A. obliquus was cultivated with different temperatures (20, 30, and 35°C), as well as broad light spectra (blue, green, and red light). Growth and FA composition were monitored daily. Microalgal FA were extracted, and a qualitative characterization was done by gas chromatography coupled with electron impact ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EI/MS). Compared to red light, green and blue light caused a higher percentage of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) 16:4, 18:3, and 18:4, at all temperatures. The highest total percentage of these PUFA were observed at the lowest cultivation temperature and blue and green light. These data imply that a combination of lower temperatures and blue-green light (450–550 nm) positively influences the activity of specific FA-desaturases in A. obliquus. Additionally, a lower 16:1 trans/cis ratio was observed upon green and blue light treatment and lower cultivation temperatures. Remarkably, green light treatment resulted in a comparably high growth under all tested conditions. Therefore, a higher content of green light, compared to blue light might additionally lead to a higher biomass concentration. Microalgae cultivation with low temperatures and green light might therefore result in a suitable FA composition for the food industry and a comparably high biomass production.     

Studies on lipid and fatty acid composition of human hepatoma tissue

Studies are reported on the composition of the lipids of human liver and hepatoma tissues from male adults. Liver tissues were obtained from individuals who died from causes other than liver disease or cancer. The hepatoma tissues were obtained from individuals shortly after they succumbed to cancer. The total lipid of each tissue was fractionated quantitatively by silicic acid column chromatography into neutral lipid, glycolipid, and phospholipid fractions. These fractions were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and converted to methyl esters for analysis of their constituent fatty acids by gas liquid chromatography. In comparison to liver tissue, the total amount of lipid in the hepatoma tissues was generally higher and more variable; the lipid of one hepatoma was ca. 92% of the dry wt of the tissue. The greater lipid content of the hepatoma tissues was due to the high percentage of neutral lipid. Except for one specimen, there was ca. the same amount of glycolipid in the hepatoma as in the liver tissues, but the composition of the glycolipid fraction of the hepatoma lipid differed considerably, particularly in the ganglioside fraction. The phospholipid fraction of hepatoma lipid was much lower than that of liver but exhibited only quantitative differences in composition. No glyceryl ether diesters and only traces of plasmalogens of phosphatidyl choline or phosphatidyl ethanolamine were detected in the liver and hepatoma lipids. The levels of monoenoic acids were higher and those of linoleic and polyunsaturated fatty acids lower in the hepatoma lipids. Positional isomers of trienoic acids not normally present in liver tissue were detected in hepatoma lipids. The abnormalities observed in lipid composition indicated interferences in the regulatory processes of lipid metabolism in human hepatoma similar to those observed in animals.     

Changes in the structure of soybean triglycerides during maturation

Soybeans of the Hawkeye variety were picked at eleven periods from 30 to 111 days after flowering and extracted with chloroform-methanol. The triglyceride fraction of five pickings, selected 35 to 91 days after flowering (when synthesis of lipid was most active), were isolated by silicic acid thin layer chromatography (TLC) and species composition determined using argentation TLC and lipase hydrolysis. The triglyceride content of the total lipid increased from 6.5% at 30 days after flowering to 85% in the mature bean (111 days). The major changes in fatty acid composition of the triglycerides occurred during the first 52 days after flowering. During this period linolenic acid decreased from 34.2% to 11.7%, the percentages of linoleic and oleic acids increased, stearic remained fairly constant and palmitic decreased slightly. Large quantitative changes occurred in the molecular species of the triglycerides of the bean during maturation; some triglycerides containing linolenic acid could not be detected approximately 66 days after flowering. Although changes occurred in the percentage and amount of each triglyceride species, the positional distribution of fatty acids remained virtually unchanged throughout maturation. Linolenic acid was distributed fairly uniformly between the β-position and the α-positions, linoleate favored esterification in the β-position, and oleate the α-positions. Most of the stearic and palmitic acids were esterified in the α-positions. The consistency of the positional arrangement of the fatty acids indicated that the mode of glyceride synthesis was established very early during maturation and molecular species composition was controlled by the fatty acids available for synthesis.     

Content of trans-fatty acids in edible margarines

Fatty acid composition, including trans-isomers, was determined for four types of imported margarines consumed by the Bulgarian population. The results were compared with data obtained from a Bulgarian edible margarine produced under German license. Fatty acid composition and trans-isomer content were determined by gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters on a packed and capillary column, respectively. The total contents of trans-isomers of oleic and linoleic acid were within the ranges of 1.9–8.0% and 0.4–1.4%, respectively. The Bulgarian margarine contained similar quantities of trans-isomers.     

Fatty acid profile in baby food products

The fatty acid composition in the lipid phase of 64 commercially available baby food products, of two different batches each, was analyzed. They comprised vegetable products for babies of five, eight, and twelve months and fruit and cereal products of three different brands. The comparison of the composition of the saturated (C18:0, C16:0, C14:0, C12:0, C10:0), the unsaturated monoenoic (C18:1n9 and C16:1n7) and the polyenoic (C18:2n6 and C18:3n3) fatty acids was determined by gas chromatography. All analyzed baby food products provided well‐balanced amounts of saturated fatty acids on the one hand (saturated fatty acids (SFA) 31—37% of total fatty acids) and unsaturated fatty acids on the other hand (monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) 23—26% and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) 38—46% of total fatty acids, respectively). The P/S‐ratio in vegetable products of five months reached a value of 1.5, in all other analyzed products it was around 1. The n‐6:n‐3‐ratio was 10:1 in fruit and cereal products, followed by 11.6:1 in vegetable products of eight and twelve months and 13.5:1 in the group of vegetable products of five months. Since there is a lack of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in baby food products, it might be of advantage to consider whether such products should be supplemented by these long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Changes in olive oil composition due to microwave heating

The effects of microwave heating on some components of extra-virgin olive oil were studied. Traditional parameters, including free acidity, peroxide value and ultraviolet absorbance values at 232 and 268 nm, were determined in six extra-virgin olive oil samples before and after the microwave treatment. Significant differences (P<0.01) were detected for free acidity, peroxide, and ultraviolet absorbance at 268 nm; also, the absorbances at 232 nm showed significant differences (P<0.05) between treated and untreated samples. The glycerolic fractions, triacylglycerols (TAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), and monoacylglycerols (MAG), were isolated by thin-layer chromatography. The respective percentage fatty acid (FA) composition and percentage amount were obtained by high-resolution gas chromatography with an internal standard. For the most abundant TAG fraction, the stereospecific analysis was carried out to obtain the FA percentage compositions of the three sn-positions. Small but significant modifications were observed regarding the decrease in the TAG percentage and increases in the DAG and MAG percentage amounts. No significant changes were observed for the FA compositions of TAG, DAG, and MAG fractions before and after the treatment. Nevertheless, the results of TAG stereospecific analysis showed losses of unsaturated FA in all sn-positions. Higher percentage changes in the sn-1- than in sn-2-position of TAG were observed. Regarding the volatile fraction, different profiles were obtained after the treatment.     

Effect of fatty acid positional distribution and triacylglycerol composition on lipid by-products formation during heat treatment: II. Trans isomers

This study examined the effect of the fatty acid positional distribution and of the triacylglycerol (TG) composition on heat-induced trans isomerization of linoleic and linolenic acids. For this, we synthesized diacid TG molecules that were acylated only with linoleic acid (L) or with linolenic acid (Ln) along with palmitic acid (P). The fatty acid of interest was positioned either in the central position (PLP and PLnP, respectively) or in one of the two outer positions (PPL and PPLn, respectively). Monoacid TG, i.e., trilinolein and trilinolenin, were also synthesized and mixed with tripalmitin in a 1:2 ratio. This model TG was also compared to another TG model, which consisted of a canola oil and its randomized counterpart whose fatty acid positional distribution and TG composition were determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. After heating, the content of trans isomers was determined by gas-liquid chromatography with a polar capillary column. In model TG, polyunsaturated fatty acids in monoacid TG (LLL and LnLnLn) exhibited the highest degree of isomerization, compared to diacid TG, and this effect was greatest at 220°C. At this temperature, an effect of the TG structure was observed only with linolenic acid. In that situation, 18:3n-3 acylated in the central position of the TG molecule (PLnP) displayed the highest sensitivity to trans geometrical isomerization. Although to a lesser extent, the same trends as for the pure TG model were observed with the canola oil model with regard to the influence of the fatty acid positional distribution and TG molecular species.     

Elaidic acid in rat liver identified by gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Fatty acid composition has been commonly determined by gas chromatography (GC). In the most commonly used methods, the lipids must be converted into methyl esters or other derivatives of the fatty acids before being analyzed by GC. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has become one of the most promising methods to determine organic structures, providing useful data for analyzing the fatty acid composition of edible vegetable oils. The major advantage of NMR is that identification of each fatty acid is carried out by evaluation of particular signals. We report in this work the fatty acid profile of rat liver after consumption of diets containing different concentrations of partially hydrogenated vegetable fat. The fatty acid composition was identified by GC, and trans fatty acids were also identified by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The results obtained by the ¹³C NMR method were close enough to those obtained by conventional GC.     

Effect of fatty acid positional distribution and triacylglycerol composition on lipid by-products formation during heat treatment: II. Trans isomers

This study examined the effect of the fatty acid positional distribution and of the triacylglycerol (TG) composition on heat-induced trans isomerization of linoleic and linolenic acids. For this, we synthesized diacid TG molecules that were acylated only with linoleic acid (L) or with linolenic acid (Ln) along with palmitic acid (P). The fatty acid of interest was positioned either in the central position (PLP and PLnP, respectively) or in one of the two outer positions (PPL and PPLn, respectively). Monoacid TG, i.e., trilinolein and trilinolenin, were also synthesized and mixed with tripalmitin in a 1:2 ratio. This model TG was also compared to another TG model, which consisted of a canola oil and its randomized counterpart whose fatty acid positional distribution and TG composition were determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. After heating, the content of trans isomers was determined by gas-liquid chromatography with a polar capillary column. In model TG, polyunsaturated fatty acids in monoacid TG (LLL and LnLnLn) exhibited the highest degree of isomerization, compared to diacid TG, and this effect was greatest at 220°C. At this temperature, an effect of the TG structure was observed only with linolenic acid. In that situation, 18:3n-3 acylated in the central position of the TG molecule (PLnP) displayed the highest sensitivity to trans geometrical isomerization. Although to a lesser extent, the same trends as for the pure TG model were observed with the canola oil model with regard to the influence of the fatty acid positional distribution and TG molecular species.     

Identification of nine acetylenic fatty acids, 9-hydroxystearic acid and 9,10-epoxystearic acid in the seed oil ofJodina rhombifolia hook et arn. (Santalaceae)

In addition to some usual fatty acids, the seed oil ofJodina rhombifolia (Santalaceae) contains nine acetylenic fatty acids [9-octadecynoic acid (stearolic acid) (1.1%),trans-10-heptadecen-8-ynoic acid (pyrulic acid) (20.1%), 7-hydroxy-trans-10-heptadecen-8-ynoic acid (2.3%),trans-10,16-heptadecadien-8-ynoic acid (0.7%), 7-hydroxy-trans-10,16-heptadecadien-8-ynoic acid (0.1%),trans-11-octadecen-9-ynoic acid (ximenynic acid) (20.3%), 8-hydroxy-trans-11-octadecen-9-ynoic acid (12.2%),trans-11,17-octadecadien-9-ynoic acid (1.5%), 8-hydroxy-trans-11,17-octadecadien-9-ynoic acid (1.3%), 9-hydroxystearic acid (<0.1%) and 9,10-epoxystearic acid (0.7%)]. The fatty acids have been analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of their methyl ester and 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives. The hydroxy fatty acid methyl esters have been examined also as trimethyl-silyl ethers. Furthermore, the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) have been fractionated according to their polarity (FAME-A: nonhydroxy; FAME-B: hydroxy fatty acids) and to their degree of unsaturation (FAME-A1/A2; FAME-B1/B2) by preparative thin-layer chromatography and argentation chromatography, respectively. All of these fractions have been analyzed by ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy, and the fractions FAME-A and FAME-B have been analyzed further by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H,¹³C, 2D H/C, attached proton test) spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This work is dedicated to the 65th birthday of Prof. Dr. K. Pfeilsticker, Institut of Food Science, University Bonn (Germany).     

Trans-18:1 acids in french tub margarines and shortenings: Recent trends

The fatty acid composition of twelve French tub margarines and three industrial shortenings was established with particular attention to theirtrans-18:1 acid content. Four of the twelve margarines (including two major brands, with 60% of market share) were devoid oftrans isomers, one contained less than 2%trans-18:1 acids, whereas the seven others had a mean content of 13.5 ± 3.6%trans isomers. Four years ago, no margarines with 0%trans-18:1 acids could be found. It is deduced that the recent Dutch and American studies on possible effects oftrans acids on human health (serum cholesterol, heart disease risks) may have had some influence on French margarine manufacturers. Presently, an average French tub margarine contains only 3.8% oftrans-18:1 acids instead of 13% four years ago. To protect brand names, some manufacturers have replaced partially hydrogenated oils with tropical fats or fully hydrogenated oils. On the other hand, two of the three shortenings had high levels oftrans-18:1 acids: 53.5 and 62.5%. This last value, obtained for a sample of hydrogenated arachis oil, seems to be one of the highest values ever reported for edible hydrogenated oils. In this sample,trans-18:1 plus saturated acids accounted for 85% of total fatty acids. This would indicate that shortening producers and users are not yet aware of recent dietary recommendations, probably because these products are not easily identifiable by consumers in food items, in contrast to margarines.