Variations in fat content and lipid class composition in ten different mango varieties

The kernels of 10 different mango varieties were extracted. The physico-chemical characteristics and lipid class composition of fats were studied. The fat content of mango kernels grown under the soil and climatic conditions of Bangladesh varied from 7.1% to 10%, depending on the variety. The total lipid extracts were fractionated into lipid classes by a combination of column and thin layer chromatography (TLC). The hydrocarbon and sterol esters varied from 0.3% to 0.7%, triglycerides from 55.6% to 91.5%, partial glycerides from 2.3% to 4% and free sterol from 0.3% to 0.6%. Free fatty acids amounted to 3.0–37% as oleic; glycolipids were 0.6–1.2% and phospholipids 0.11–0.8%. The fatty acid composition of triglyceride (TG) fractions was analyzed by gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Palmitic acid varied from 7.9 molar % to 10.0 molar %, stearic from 38.2% to 40.2%, oleic from 41.1% to 43.8%, linoleic from 6.0% to 7.6%, linolenic from 0.6% to 1.0% and arachidic acid from 1.7% to 2.6%. TLC revealed the presence of lyso-phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidic acid in the phospholipid fraction.     

Varietal difference in lipid content and fatty acid composition of highbush blueberries

Lipids from five cultivars of highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) were extracted and fractionated into neutral lipids (60–66%), glycolipids (20–22%) and phospholipids (14–18%). The major fatty acids in all fractions were palmitic (16∶0), oleic (18∶1), linoleic (18∶2), and linolenic (18∶3) acids. All lipid classes had a large concentration of C₁₈ polyunsaturated acids (84–92%), indicating that blueberries are a rich source of linoleic and linolenic acids. Changes in the fatty acid composition of neutral lipids and phospholipids were not significantly different among the five cultivars, but significant differences were noted in the ratios of linoleic and linolenic acids in the glycolipids fraction.     

Chemical composition and characteristics ofMoringa peregrina seeds and seeds oil

TheMoringa peregrina kernel contains 1.8% moisture, 54.3% oil, 22.1% protein, 3.6% fiber, 15.3% carbohydrate and 2.5% ash. The composition and characteristics of the extracted oil were determined. Gas liquid chromatography of methyl esters of the fatty acids shows the presence of 14.7% saturated fatty acids and 84.7% unsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid composition is as follows: palmitic 9.3%, palmitoleic 2.4%, stearic 3.5%, oleic 78.0%, linoleic 0.6%, linolenic 1.6%, arachidic 1.8% and behenic 2.6%.     

Conifer seeds: Oil content and fatty acid composition

The seed oils from twenty-five Conifer species (from four families—Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Taxodiaceae, and Taxaceae) have been analyzed, and their fatty acid compositions were established by capillary gas-liquid chromatography on two columns with different polarities. The oil content of the seeds varied from less than 1% up to 50%. Conifer seed oils were characterized by the presence of several Δ5-unsaturated polymethylene-interrupted polyunsaturated fatty acids (Δ5-acids) with either 18 (cis-5,cis-9, 18∶2,cis-5,cis-9,cis-12 18∶3, andcis-5,cis-9,cis-12,cis-15 18∶4 acids) or 20 carbon atoms (cis-5,cis-11 20∶2,cis-5,cis-11,cis-14, 20∶3, andcis-5,cis-11,cis-14,cis-17 20∶4 acids). Pinaceae seed oils contained 17–31% of Δ5-acids, mainly with 18 carbon atoms. The 20-carbon acids present were structurally derived from 20∶1n-9 and 20∶2n-6 acids. Pinaceae seed oils were practically devoid of 18∶3n-3 acid and did not contain either Δ5-18∶4 or Δ5-20∶4 acids. Several Pinaceae seeds had a Δ5-acid content higher than 50 mg/g of seed. The only Taxaceae seed oil studied (Taxus baccata) had a fatty acid composition related to those of Pinaceae seed oils. Cupressaceae seed oils differed from Pinaceae seed oils by the absence of Δ5-acids with 18 carbon atoms and high concentrations in 18∶3n-3 acid and in Δ5-acids with 20 carbon atoms (Δ5-20∶3 and Δ5-20∶4 acids). Δ5-18∶4 Acid was present in minute amounts. The highest level of Δ5-20∶4 acid was found inJuniperus communis seed oil, but the best source of Δ5-acids among Cupressaceae wasThuja occidentalis. Taxodiaceae seed oils had more heterogeneous fatty acid compositions, but the distribution of Δ5-acids resembled that found in Cupressaceae seed oils. Except forSciadopytis verticillata, other Taxodiaceae species are not interesting sources of Δ5-acids. The distribution profile of Δ5-acids among different Conifer families appeared to be linked to the occurrence of 18∶3n-3 acid in the seed oils.     

Fatty acid content and composition ofOenothera hookeri seeds containing mutant plastids

The effects of plastid mutations on seed oil content and fatty acid composition are of considerable interest. Seeds of a number of plastome mutants produced by thepm plastome mutator line ofOenothera hookeri were therefore harvested to investigate these effects. The mutants were altered solely in their plastome: each seed lot had the same nuclear background. To facilitate the study, a rapid single-step method was developed to simultaneously assay both oil content and fatty acid composition of small quantities ofOenothera seed. The lipid analyses showed that the mutated plastome often changed the oil content of the seeds, and that such changes always reduced oil content. Strong negative correlations were observed between oil content and palmitate or γ-linolenate, and a strong positive correlation was observed between oil content and linoleate. This is the first instance to our knowledge in which plastid mutations have been unequivocally demonstrated to affect seed oil content and composition. Such effects would be indirect, since the mutated plastid genes would not be the structural genes for enzymes on the pathway of oil biosynthesis. The plastid mutations demonstrate another layer of potential complexity in understanding oilseed genetics.     

Oil content,fatty acid composition,and other agronomic characteristics of sunflower introductions

Twenty sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.) introductions and the variety Mammoth Kussian were grown at Experiment, Georgia. Total oil, fatty acid composition, and other agronomic characteristics were used to evaluate the various introductions. Total oil content varied from 17.7 to 32.7%. All introductions were relatively low in palmitic, stearic, linolenic, and behenic acids. About 90% of the oil was composed of oleic and linoleic acids, and there was considerable variation in the ratios of these two fatty acids. Seed yields varied from 329 to 3,224 lb per acre and were related to the number and size of flowers. The more profusely flowering and higher yielding introductions originated in countries of lower latitudes.     

Some differences in composition of covering fat,intermuscular fat,and intramuscular fat of meat animals

A method is described for rapid, reproducible extraction of total lipids from adipose and muscle tissues. The distribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the depot fats and intramuscular lipids in loin or rib roasts of pork, beef, lamb, and veal has been determined. The phosphatides of the muscle were found to contain a greater amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids than the neutral fats of the intramuscular lipids. American Meat Institute Foundation Journal Paper No. 225.     

Oil and protein content,and oil composition of the seeds of some plants of the Canadian prairies

The oil and protein content are reported for the seeds of 19 plant species selected for their possible crop potential for the Canadian prairie region. Data on seed oil composition are reported for the 12 species which contained greater than 15% seed oil.     

Determination of seed oil content and fatty acid composition in sunflower through the analysis of intact seeds, husked seeds, meal and oil by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

A methodological study was conducted to test the potential of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate the oil content and fatty acid composition of sunflower seeds. A set of 387 intact-seed samples, each from a single plant, were scanned by NIRS, and 120 of them were selected and further scanned as husked seed, meal, and oil. All samples were analyzed for oil content (nuclear magnetic resonance) and fatty acid composition (gas chromatography), and calibration equations for oil content and individual fatty acids (C_16:0, C_16:1, C_18:0, C_18:1, and C_18:2) were developed for intact seed, husked seed, meal, and oil. For intact seed, the performance of the calibration equations was evaluated through both cross- and external validation, while cross-validation was used in the rest. The results showed that NIRS is a reliable and accurate technique to estimate these traits in sunflower oil (validation r ² ranged from 0.97 to 0.99), meal (r ² from 0.92 to 0.98), and husked seeds (r ² from 0.90 to 0.97). According to these results, there is no need to grind the seeds to scan the meal; similarly accurate results are obtained by analyzing husked seeds. The analysis of intact seeds was less accurate (r ² from 0.76 to 0.85), although it is reliable enough to use for pre-screening purposes to identify variants with significantly different fatty acid compositions from standard phenotypes. Screening of intact sunflower seeds by NIRS represents a rapid, simple, and cost-effective alternative that may be of great utility for users who need to analyze a large number of samples.     

Trace metal content of rapeseed meals,oils and seeds

The concentration of lead, copper, cadmium and zinc as determined by anodic stripping voltammetry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry in a series of rapeseed oils, meals, and seeds is reported. The metal content of rapeseed seeds is not influenced by growing area; however, the variety appears to affect the metal levels. In general, meals contain twice the heavy metal burden of the seeds. The partitioning of metals between meals and oils heavily favors the meals except for lead where the distribution is approximately two to one.     

Studies on changes in fatty acid composition and content of endogenous antioxidants during γ irradiation of rice seeds

Accelerated aging effects, induced by y irradiation, were investigated on the fatty acid composition of lipids and on the content of endogenous antioxidants of four Indica and four Japonica rice seeds with and without intact hull. While the linoleic acid content of the phospholipids decreased gradually with the increase in irradiation doses, there was a corresponding increase in the linoleic acid content of the free fatty acids. Such changes were drastic, especially in the case of Japonica rice seeds irradiated without intact hull. However, the neutral lipids were found to be resistant to γ irradiation. The α-tocopherol content was found to decrease (markedly) in rice seeds irradiated with or without hull, especially in the Japonica rice seeds. At a dose of 15 kGy only traces of a-tocopherol could be detected in Japonica and Indica rice seeds irradiated with and without intact hull. Oryzanol, a relatively weaker anti-oxidant, was found to be more resistant to oxidative damage than a-tocopherol. At 15 kGy, the oryzanol content ranged from 59 μg to 170 μg/g lipid in rice seeds irradiated with intact hull, while the corresponding value for rice seeds irradiated without hull was 52 μg to 153 μg/g lipid. The overall susceptibility to oxidative damage was less in Indica rice seeds, indicating that the antioxidative defense system offered better protection in overcoming oxidative stress in Indica rice hull than in Japonica rice hull.     

Triglyceride composition of ewe,cow, and goat milk fat

The separation and identification of the components in milk fat, which are mainly triglycerides, is a challenge due to its complex composition. A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with gradient elution and light-scattering detection is described in this paper for the triglyceride analysis in ewes’ milk fat. Triglyceride identification was carried out by combining HPLC, gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), and the calculated equivalent carbon numbers of several triglyceride standards. Quantitation of partially resolved peaks in the HPLC chromatogram was accomplished by applying a peak deconvolution program. Forty-four fatty acids were identified by GLC analysis, but only 19 were used for the following prediction of triglyceride molecular species; 181 triglycerides were identified, some of which were grouped at the same peak and needed application of the deconvolution program. Consequently, coefficients of variation were close to or lower than 5%. Moreover, the triglyceride composition of ewe, cow, and goat milk fat were compared by using these methods. These results show that ewe milk fat is richer in short- and medium-chain triglycerides, and cow milk fat is richer in long-chain and unsaturated triglycerides.     

Determination of fat composition

A revolution has taken place in the analysis of fats. Physical methods, both rapid and accurate, have replaced laborious chemical procedures. The timehonored saponification equivalents and iodine values now are calculated from Chromatographic and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data. Differential migration processes such as countercurrent distribution, liquid-liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography have supplanted the classical distillation and crystallization procedures for analysis and preparation. What have been referred to as “gadgets” are now the stock-in-trade of the analytical lipid chemist. Mass, infrared, ultraviolet, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers are the accepted tools for organic characterization. Recording detectors and computer processing of data reduce the labor of analysis and improve its quantitation. Today’s methodology stands at the verge of specifying fatty acid composition of even so complex lipids as hydrogenated fats in terms of the amounts, the positions, and geometric configurations of its individual component fatty acids. Presented at the AOCS Short Course, East Lansing, Mich., Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 1966. No. Utiliz. Bes. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Phospholipid content of human and guinea pig muscle: Post-mortem changes and variations with muscle composition

The phospholipid composition of human and guinea pig skeletal muscle was determined. Virtually no autolytic changes occurred in the first half hour post-mortem and after 12 hr only very small changes were detected. There were significant differences in the phospholipid composition of red and white muscle, especially in the diphosphatidyl glycerol (DPG) content,red muscle having over 50% more DPG than white muscle.     

Chemical composition of acacia seeds

Several plants of Acacieae (family Leguminosae) have been recommended under aforestation programs. The seeds of some such plants have been examined for their fatty acid composition with special reference to epoxy acids. Epoxy 18:1 in Acacia auriculiformis, A. catechu, A. coriacea and A. mellifera was 4.9, 0.1, 2.1, and 0.6%,respectively.     

Milk fat globules: Fatty acid composition,size and in vivo regulation of fat liquidity

Populations of large and small milk fat globules were isolated and analyzed to determine differences in fatty acid composition. Globule samples were obtained by centrifugation from milks of a herd and of individual animals produced under both pasture and barn feeding. Triacylglycerols of total globule lipids were prepared by thin layer chromatography and analyzed for fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. Using content of the acids in large globules as 100%, small globules contained fewer short-chain acids, −5.9%, less stearic acid, −22.7%, and more oleic acids, +4.6%, mean values for five trials. These differences are consistent with alternative use of short-chain acids or oleic acid converted from stearic acid to maintain liquidity at body temperature of milk fat globules and their precursors, intracellular lipid droplets. Stearyl-CoA desaturase (EC 1.14.99.5), which maintains fluidity of cellular endoplasmic reticulum membrane, is suggested to play a key role in regulating globule fat liquidity. Possible origins of differences between individual globules in fatty acid composition of their triacylglycerols are discussed.     

TAG composition and solid fat content of palm oil, sunflower oil, and palm kernel olein belends before and after chemical interesterification

Modification of the characteristics of palm oil (PO), sunflower oil, and plam kernel olein (PKOo) according to conventional three-component mixture designs was undertaken by a combination of blending and chemical interesterification (CIE) techniques. TAG composition and solid fat content (SFC) profile of the starting blends were analyzed and compared with those of the interesterified blends. Upon CIE, extensive rearrangement of FA among TAG was evident. Concentrations of several TAG were increased, some were decreased, and several new TAG were formed. The resulting changes in TAG profile were reflected in the SFC of the blends. The SFC values of the chemically interesterified blends, except binary blends of PO/PKOo, revealed that they were softer than their respective starting blends. SFC data also indicated that eutectic interaction occurred between PO and PKOo in the starting blends and that this interaction was diminished after CIE.     

Dietary fat composition influences fatty acid composition of milk fat globule membrane in lactating cows

Milk fat globule membranes are derived directly from the apical plasma membrane of mammary epithelial cells. To evaluate the effect of dietary fat on mammary membranes, we determined the fatty acid composition of the milk fat globule membrane in lactating dairy cows fed diets supplemented with fats of different fatty acid composition, or infused intravenously with soy oil emulsion. A preliminary survey, using an abbreviated preparation procedure (membranes isolated at 48,000 x g-max for 15 min), yielded about 45% of the total membrane fatty acids that could be recovered by centrifuging at the same speed for 120 min, and showed that changes in fatty acid composition of membranes reflected dietary fatty acids to some extent. Dietary palmitic acid increased the content of 16:0 in the membranes. A high corn diet increased ruminal formation of t18:1, and its level increased to 12% of membrane fatty acids. Infusion of soy oil emulsion increased 18:2 membrane content, and decreased the levels of 18:1 and 20:4. All treatments decreased the ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids as compared to controls, whereas the ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids was increased by feeding a high corn diet or by infusing soy oil. The ratio of 18:2/c18:1 increased from 0.31 to 1.0 after infusing soy oil for 4 days. The fatty acids of membranes isolated upon 120-min centrifugation were slightly more saturated. The differences were not sufficiently large, however, to affect overall results significantly.     

Fat content and fatty acid composition of oils extracted from selected wild-gathered tropical plant seeds from Nigeria

As the search for alternative sources of food to alleviate hunger continues, this study was undertaken to determine the fat content and the fatty acid composition of 15 lesser-known wild tropical seeds gathered in Nigeria. Results were contrasted with five tropical soybean varieties (Glycine max). The fat content varies from less than 1% (Pterocarpus santalinoides, Daniellia ogea) to 59% (Entandrophragma angolense). The fatty acid composition of most of the wild and mostly leguminous seeds differed considerably, compared to the composition of tropical soybeans. The oil of Adansonia digitata, Prosopis africana, Afzelia lebbeck, Enterolobium cyclocarpium, and Sesbania pachycarpa contained high proportions of linoleic and oleic acid as well as palmitic and linolenic acid. Seeds of Milletia thonningii, Lonchocarpus sericeus, and S. pachycarpa were much higher in linolenic acid and relatively poor in linoleic acid, compared to soybeans. The content of saturated fatty acids was higher than that of soybeans, resulting in lower polyunsaturated/saturated (P/S) ratios (0.83–2.12) than observed in soybeans (P/S=3.4), with the exception of the composition of S. pachycarpa (P/S=3.15). Some of these less familiar wild seeds could be used as sources for industrial or edible oils, provided that possible toxic constituents could be removed.     

Determination of oil content of seeds by NIR: Influence of fatty acid composition on wavelength selection

The oil content of nine different types of oilseeds has been determined by near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy. A Northstar computer was used to select the wavelengths that best represent the oil content in these seeds. Selected wavelengths were often in the same area of the spectrum, but calibrations differed with respect to the number of wavelength points required and their order of selection. Wavelength assignments for typical functional groups in fatty acids are discussed. The fatty acid composition and the predominant fatty acid component appeared to influence the wavelengths used for the estimation of oil content in each seed type. The mathematical treatments used appeared to affect absorption maxima of all seed types. Spectra of seed oils and their fatty acids indicated variation and closeness of absorption maxima. Paper No. 649 of the Canadian Grain Commission, Grain Research Laboratory, 1404-303 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 3G8, Canada. Presented at the 79th annual meeting of the American Oil Chemists’ Society on May 10, 1988, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.