Chemical Characteristics and Nutritional Properties of Hybrid Palm Oils

Nutritional guidelines and environmental issues are adversely affecting palm oil’s image among consumers. However, hybrid palm oils are currently receiving increasing attention because of their interesting chemical characteristics and nutritional properties. Interspecific hybridization Elaeis oleifera × E. guineensis (O×G) has been originally exploited with the main aim of developing disease-resistant varieties. However, available literature data contribute to reinforcing the idea that interspecific hybrid O×G palm oil could be a potential substitute for other vegetable oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (i.e., high oleic sunflower and safflower oils). The chapter aims to review current knowledge on various aspects of hybrid palm oil chemical composition (fatty acids, triacylglycerols, partial glycerides, unsaponifiable matter components) and their changes during fruit ripening. The nutritional attributes of hybrid palm oils are compared with the ones of conventional African palm oils

INFLUENCE OF DEEP-FAT FRYING PROCESS ON PHOSPHOLlPID MOLECULAR SPECIES COMPOSITION OF SARDINA PILCHARDUS FILLET

Introduction. Fish is an excellent source of essential nutrients such as essential amino acids, bioactive latty acids, minerals, vitamins, chitin and antioxidants. The nutritional benefit of fish lies, predominantly, in its lipid Iraction which is mainly composed of phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TAG) exceptionally rich of n-3 polyunsaturated latty acids (n-3 PUFA). Recently, fish PLs have attracted a great deal of attention as they are considered more efficient carriers of n-3 PUFA than fish TAG in terms of n-3 PUFA absorption in different tissues. In addition, fish PLs have also exhibited antitumoral and anti-inllammatory effects. Unfortunately, lish PLs are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation and to thermal damage due to excessive heating. The n-3 PUFA chains in PLs are the primary targets of oxidation which can take piace during cooking processes. Since most fish are consumed cooked, the nutritional value of the final cooked product is of major importance lor human health. Especially, the determination of the effects of frying (a very popular method utilized lor fish cooking) on the n-3 PUFA rich lipid fraction of fish will provide uselul inlormation to consumers and to lood industry to establish the fish quality. Purpose. This study was, therelore, conducted to determine the inlluence of deep fat frying process on PL composition of edible muscle (fillet) of Sardina pilchardus, a fish species commonly consumed in Mediterranean countries. Design/methodology. The effects of deep-fat frying performed using different culinary lats (extra virgin olive oil, conventional sunflower oil and high-oleic sunfiower oil) and different frying temperatures (160 and 180°C) on the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecular species composition (the preponderant fish phospholipid classes) were investigated. For each frying test, ten fish fillets were introduced into a deep fryer (capacity 2 L), in a closed environment, lor 5 min. The oil temperature prior to start frying has been set to established value (160 or 180'C) and it was controlled by a specific digital thermometer. Each cooking procedure was done in triplicate. The PL molecular species composition was determined by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a second order mass spectrometer (MS-MS) with electronebulization interface (ESI). Findings. The deep-fat frying process caused significative changes on PE and PC molecular species composition of the fish fillet. However, these changes were not related to the nature of the culinary fat and to the frying temperature. In all cases, the deep fat frying process caused a significative increase of the proportion of the PE and PC species formed by the combination of palmitic and docohexanoic acids and a significative decrease of the percentage of the PE and PC species formed by two docohexanoic acid residues. Keywords: Deep fat frying, European pilchard, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamin

Utjecaj dijetalnog ribljeg ulja na razinu n-3 polinezasićenih masnih kiselina, trans-kiselina i konjugirane linolne kiseline u ovčjem mlijeku

Three groups of ten lactating Sardinian ewes were used between 3rd and 6th month of lactation to determine the effects of supplementing diets with n-3 fatty acids on milk production and milk fat composition. The control group (A) was fed on a mixture of Gramineae hay with a pelleted alfalfa and concentrate; the other groups (B and C) were given the control ration supplemented with graded levels of fish oil. Milk content of nutritionally important fatty acids (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFA; trans acids and conjugated linoleic acid, CLA) was determined by gas chromatography. Unlike cow milk, milk of normally fed ewes contained detectable quantities of n-3 PUFA and higher amounts of CLA. The supplementation with fish oil resulted in an increased milk fat levels of n-3 PUFA, CLA and trans isomers. There was a positive correlation (R2 = 0.964) between the trans and n-3 fatty acid content in ewe milk, and a close positive correlation (R2 = 0.996) between CLA and trans monoenoic fatty acid contents. PUFA supplementation resulted in a slightly, but not statistically significative, decrease of milk fat percentage. On the contrary, dietary fish oil markedly affected milk production: ewes fed on the n-3 supplemented diet produced more milk than the ewes fed with the control diet.Izdvojene su tri skupine od po 10 ovaca sa Sardinije između 3. i 6. mjeseca laktacije kako bi se utvrdio utjecaj dodatne ishrane s n-3 masnim kiselinama na proizvodnju mlijeka i sastav masnoća u mlijeku. Kontrolna skupina (A) hranjena je smjesom sijena od Gramineae s kuglicama lucerne i koncentratom; ostale skupine (B i C) hranjene su kao i kontrolna, ali uz sve veću količinu ribljeg ulja. Plinskom kromatografijom određene su u mlijeku nutritivno važne masne kiseline (n-3 polinezasićene masne kiseline, PUFA; trans-kiseline i konjugirana linolna kiselina, CLA). Za razliku od kravljeg mlijeka, mlijeko normalno hranjenih ovaca sadržavalo je primjetne udjele n-3 PUFA i veće količine CLA. Dodatak ribljeg ulja očitovao se u povećanoj količini n-3 PUFA, CLA i trans-izomera u mliječnoj masti. U ovčjem mlijeku postoji pozitivna korelacija (R2 = 0,964) između količine trans- i n-3 masnih kiselina, a uska pozitivna korelacija (R2 = 0,996) između udjela CLA i trans-monoenskih masnih kiselina. Dodatak PUFA uzrokovao je slabo, ali statistički nesignifikantno, snizivanje postotka mliječne masti. Dijetalno riblje ulje značajno je utjecalo na proizvodnju mlijeka: ovce hranjene dodatnim n-3 masnim kiselinama proizvele su više mlijeka od onih koje su bile u kontrolnoj skupini

[The role of eggs in the diet: nutraceutical and epigenetic aspects].

The use of eggs in human diet has been object of many prejudices which are not yet completely disappeared The evolution of knowledge in the field of nutrition has, partially, countered these prejudices by highlighting the biological importance of several compounds present in the eggs. The nutritional and commercial revaluation of the eggs are passed through the enrichment of the lipid fraction in omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA omega3) which, have shown positive effects against cardiovascular diseases and development of the central nervous system and retina. The enrichment of eggs lipid with omega3 fatty acids is carried out by the integration of feeding hens with oils rich in omega3 fatty acids such as plant or marine oils. The results showed that the accumulation of omega3 in the egg yolk lipids is strongly affected by the type of oil used as supplement and by the amounts of oils administrated to the hens

Discovering microbiota and volatile compounds of surströmming, the traditional Swedish sour herring

none13noIn this study, the microbiota of ready-to-eat surströmming from three Swedish producers were studied using a combined approach. The pH values of the samples ranged between 6.67±0.01 and 6.98±0.01, whereas their aw values were between 0.911±0.001 and 0.940±0.001. The acetic acid concentration was between 0.289±0.009 g/100 g and 0.556±0.036 g/100 g. Very low concentrations of lactic acid were measured. Viable counting revealed the presence of mesophilic aerobes, mesophilic lactobacilli and lactococci as well as halophilic lactobacilli and lactococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, halophilic aerobes and anaerobes. Negligible counts for Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and total eumycetes were observed, whereas no sulfite-reducing anaerobes were detected. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were absent in all samples. Multiplex real-time PCR revealed the absence of the bont/A, bont/B, bont/E, bont/F, and 4gyrB (CP) genes, which encode botulinic toxins, in all the samples analyzed. Metagenomic sequencing revealed the presence of a core microbiota dominated by Halanaerobium praevalens, Alkalibacterium gilvum, Carnobacterium, Tetragenococcus halophilus, Clostridiisalibacter, and Porphyromonadaceae. Psychrobacter celer, Ruminococcaceae, Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans, Streptococcus infantis and Salinivibrio costicola were detected as minority OTUs. GC-MS analysis of volatile components revealed the massive presence of trimethylamine and sulfur compounds. Moreover, 1,2,4-trithiolane, phenols, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and long chain aliphatic hydrocarbons were also detected. The data obtained allowed pro-technological bacteria, which are well-adapted to saline environments, to be discovered for the first time. Further analyses are needed to better clarify the extent of the contribution of either the microbiota or autolytic enzymes of the fish flesh in the aroma definition.restrictedLuca Belleggia, Lucia Aquilanti, Ilario Ferrocino, Vesna Milanović, Cristiana Garofalo, Francesca Clementi, Luca Cocolin, Massimo Mozzon, Roberta Foligni, M. Naceur Haouet, Stefania Scuota, Marisa Framboas, Andrea OsimaniBelleggia, Luca; Aquilanti, Lucia; Ferrocino, Ilario; Milanovic, Vesna; Garofalo, Cristiana; Clementi, Francesca; Cocolin, Luca; Mozzon, Massimo; Foligni, Roberta; Naceur Haouet, M.; Scuota, Stefania; Framboas, Marisa; Osimani, Andre

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Search for gravitational-lensing signatures in the full third observing run of the LIGO-Virgo network

Gravitational lensing by massive objects along the line of sight to the source causes distortions of gravitational wave-signals; such distortions may reveal information about fundamental physics, cosmology and astrophysics. In this work, we have extended the search for lensing signatures to all binary black hole events from the third observing run of the LIGO--Virgo network. We search for repeated signals from strong lensing by 1) performing targeted searches for subthreshold signals, 2) calculating the degree of overlap amongst the intrinsic parameters and sky location of pairs of signals, 3) comparing the similarities of the spectrograms amongst pairs of signals, and 4) performing dual-signal Bayesian analysis that takes into account selection effects and astrophysical knowledge. We also search for distortions to the gravitational waveform caused by 1) frequency-independent phase shifts in strongly lensed images, and 2) frequency-dependent modulation of the amplitude and phase due to point masses. None of these searches yields significant evidence for lensing. Finally, we use the non-detection of gravitational-wave lensing to constrain the lensing rate based on the latest merger-rate estimates and the fraction of dark matter composed of compact objects