Composición de tocoferoles en aceite de semilla de sésamo: indicativo de adulteración

The objective of this research was to verify how the composition of tocopherols can help to reveal adulteration in samples of sesame seed oils commercialized in Brazil. Five samples have been analyzed. One sample presented the composition of fatty acids, tocopherols and desmethylsterols of authentic sesame oil. Another one presented only non complying parameters. Three other samples showed the fatty acid composition of pure sesame oil, but the tocopherol and desmethylsterol profiles did not comply with those for sesame seed oil. The results indicate that samples could be adulterated by other vegetable oils like soybean, lauric and corn oils.Este trabajo examina la importancia de los tocoferoles en la detección de la adulteración del aceite de sésamo comercializado en Brasil. Se analizaron cinco muestras a las que se le determinaron su composición en ácidos grasos, esteroles y tocoferoles. Una de las muestras se reveló puro aceite de semilla de sésamo; en otra, todos los parámetros estaban en desacuerdo. En las demás, el perfil de ácidos grasos caracterizaba el aceite de sésamo, sin embargo los tocoferoles y esteroles permanecieron en desacuerdo. Los resultados indican adulteración con otros aceites vegetales como soja, aceites láuricos y maíz

Review of literature: carotenoids, chemical composition and dietary reference intake of buriti fruits

Although fruits and vegetables, sources of carotenoids, are widely available in Brazil, hypovitaminosis A constitutes a serious public health problem. There is lack of information available to the population about the dietary sources of carotenoids and factors affecting their bioavailability. The carotenoids also known as bioactive compounds have been associated with the reduction of the risk for degenerative diseases, such as cancer (modulators of immunological responses), cardiovascular diseases, macular degeneration and cataract. In Brazil the utilization of buriti fruit is not widespread; it is consumed only by the local population of some parts of the North and Central regions. Among those foods, out the foods of buritizeiro, the buriti has the highest content of β-carotene among the numerous foods already analyzed, as well as a source of oleic fatty acid, similar to olive oil. The buriti fruit provides the needs of DRI.s (Dietary Reference Intake) of vitamin A for adult, being a good source of nutrition, knowing the variety of foods that composes a balanced diet. Also, the buriti fruit is a natural source of β-carotene (provitamin A). Also, it has antioxidant power by having carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamin C compared to other vegetables, can be considered a functional food

Potential use of fatty acid profiles of the adductor muscle of cockles (Cerastoderma edule) for traceability of collection site

Geographic traceability of seafood is key for controlling its quality and safeguarding consumers’ interest. The present study assessed if the fatty acid (FA) profile of the adductor muscle (AM) of fresh cockles (Cerastoderma edule) can be used to discriminate the origin of specimens collected in different bivalve capture/production areas legally defined within a coastal lagoon. Results suggest that this biochemical approach holds the potential to trace sampling locations with a spatial resolution <10 Km, even for areas with identical classification for bivalve production. Cockles further away from the inlet, i.e. in areas exposed to a higher saline variation, exhibited lower levels of saturated fatty acids, which are key for stabilizing the bilayer structure of cell membranes, and a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which enhance bilayer fluidity. Results suggest that the structural nature of the lipids present in the AM provides a stable fatty acid signature and holds potential for tracing the origin of bivalves to their capture/production areas

Unravelling polar lipids dynamics during embryonic development of two sympatric brachyuran crabs (Carcinus maenas and Necora puber) using lipidomics

Embryogenesis is an important stage of marine invertebrates with bi-phasic life cycles, as it conditions their larval and adult life. Throughout embryogenesis, phospholipids (PL) play a key role as an energy source, as well as constituents of biological membranes. However, the dynamics of PL during embryogenesis in marine invertebrates is still poorly studied. The present work used a lipidomic approach to determine how polar lipid profiles shift during embryogenesis in two sympatric estuarine crabs, Carcinus maenas and Necora puber. The combination of thin layer chromatography, liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry allowed us to achieve an unprecedented resolution on PL classes and molecular species present on newly extruded embryos (stage 1) and those near hatching (stage 3). Embryogenesis proved to be a dynamic process, with four PL classes being recorded in stage 1 embryos (68 molecular species in total) and seven PL classes at stage 3 embryos (98 molecular species in total). The low interspecific difference recorded in the lipidomic profiles of stage 1 embryos appears to indicate the existence of similar maternal investment. The same pattern was recorded for stage 3 embryos revealing a similar catabolism of embryonic resources during incubation for both crab species

Caracterização química e físico-química do óleo das sementes de Platymiscium floribundum Vog. (sacambu) colhidas na fase de desenvolvimento e na época de maturação fisiológica. Chemical and chemical-physics characterization of seeds’ oil of Platymiscium floribundum Vog. (sacambu) collected evolution state and stage of fruit’s maturation.

Frutos de Platymiscium floribundum Vog. -Fabaceae (sacambu) foram colhidos no ParqueEstadual Alberto Löfgren, na cidade de São Paulo,em agosto e novembro de 2004, correspondendo adiferentes condições climáticas e de amadurecimento.As sementes foram analisadas com o objetivo de seavaliar os teores de lipídios, ácidos graxos e tocoferóis,em duas épocas de colheita. Os lipídios foramextraídos com éter etílico por soxhlet. A identificaçãoe quantificação dos ácidos graxos e tocoferóis foramfeitas por cromatografia a gás (CG), com detetorde ionização de chama e cromatografia líquida dealta eficiência (CLAE), com detetor de fluorescência,respectivamente. Obteve-se maior teor de lipídios(23,6 g 100 g-1) no estádio de maturação fisiológicadas sementes. Não se observou diferenças relevantesno perfil de ácidos graxos nas duas épocas de colheita;no entanto, os teores de alfa e gama tocoferóis,expressos mg 100 g-1, apresentaram mudançasconsideráveis com o amadurecimento das sementes,havendo um aumento na concentração de 27,7 para42,8 alfa () tocoferóis e de 68,9 para 88,1 gama() tocoferóis, o mesmo não ocorrendo com beta() e delta () tocoferóis, que permanecerampraticamente inalterados com o amadurecimentodas sementes.Platymiscium floribundum Vog. - Fabaceae(sacambu) fruits have been collected in the ParqueEstadual Alberto Löfgren in São Paulo city, in Augustand November 2004, corresponding both to differentclimatic conditions and of matureness. The seedshave been analyzed in order to determine lipids,fatty acids and tocopherols rates, in the twoseasonal maturation phases. The lipids have beenextracted with ethyl ether for soxhlet. Fatty acidsand tocopherol identification and quantificationhave been made by gas chromatograph (GC),with flame ionization detector and high performanceliquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescencedetector, respectively. The results showed high levelof lipid (23.6 g 100 g-1) in the phase of greatestmaturation of fruits. No considerable differencewas observed in the profile of fatty acids in thetwo phases studied; however, the level of alphaand gamma tocopherols, expressed in mg 100 g-1,has presented considerable changes by the ripenessof the fruits, increasing the concentration from27.7 to 42.8 (alpha) and from 68.9 to 88.1 (gamma);the same did not happened with beta and deltatocopherols, that had practically remained unchangedby the ripening of the fruits