Searching for health beneficial n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in plant seeds

Various plant seeds have received little attention in fatty acid research. Seeds from 30 species mainly of Boraginaceae and Primulaceae were analysed in order to identify potential new sources of the n-3 PUFA α-linolenic acid (ALA) and stearidonic acid (SDA) and of the n-6 PUFA γ-linolenic acid (GLA). The fatty acid distribution differed enormously between genera of the same family. Echium species (Boraginaceae) contained the highest amount of total n-3 PUFA (47.1%), predominantly ALA (36.6%) and SDA (10.5%) combined with high GLA (10.2%). Further species of Boraginaceae rich in both SDA and GLA were Omphalodes linifolia (8.4, 17.2%, resp.), Cerinthe minor (7.5, 9.9%, resp.) and Buglossoides purpureocaerulea (6.1, 16.6%, resp.). Alkanna species belonging to Boraginaceae had comparable amounts of ALA (37.3%) and GLA (11.4%) like Echium but lower SDA contents (3.7%). Different genera of Primulaceae (Dodecatheon and Primula) had varying ALA (14.8, 28.8%, resp.) and GLA portions (4.1, 1.5%, resp.), but similar amounts of SDA (4.9, 4.5%, resp.). Cannabis sativa cultivars (Cannabaceae) were rich in linoleic acid (57.1%), but poor in SDA and GLA (0.8, 2.7%, resp.). In conclusion, several of the presented plant seeds contain considerable amounts of n-3 PUFA and GLA, which could be relevant for nutritional purposes due to their biological function as precursors for eicosanoid synthesis

Culture, tradition, and taboo: understanding the social shaping of fuel choices and cooking practices in Nigeria

Wood fuel remains the most widely used domestic fuel amongst resource poor groups in many low-income countries, despite the environmental and health problems associated with exposure to wood smoke. Studies on household air pollution concentrate predominately on socio-economic and behavioural factors and health with little emphasis on socio-cultural factors. The study contributes to the understanding of household air pollution (HAP) and wood fuel harvesting for domestic activities in low-income countries from a cultural perspective that draws on householders’ wood fuel selection and cooking practices in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. In this paper, we explore how cultural norms influence households’ cooking practices, energy choices and perceptions of the causes of ill health and misfortune. The research draws on household surveys, participant observation and semi-structured interviews with householders of four different ethnic origins in nineteen villages. Key findings reveal low levels of awareness of HAP-related illness coupled with high levels of attachment to traditional biomass-fuelled cooking systems for a range of cultural and pragmatic reasons. It is argued that ‘ethnic-specific’ traditional norms and taboos provide a more important influence on fuel choice, wood fuel harvesting and cooking practices than the lived realities of exposure to household air pollution

Contribution à l'étude de l'homme fossile sud-américain et de son prétendu précurseur le Diprothomo Platensis

Stolyhwo Kazimierz. Contribution à l'étude de l'homme fossile sud-américain et de son prétendu précurseur le Diprothomo Platensis. In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, VI° Série. Tome 2, 1911. pp. 158-168

Changes in the content of γ-linolenic C18:3 (n-6) and stearidonic C18:4 (n-3) acids in developing seeds of viper's bugloss Echium vulgare L.

Changes in the composition of fatty acids (FA) were determined in lipid extracts isolated from developing ovaries containing ovules and developing seeds of Echium vulgare L. The samples were collected successively over 20 days beginning with the first day after flowering. The contents of the n-6 FA family members, i.e., γ-linolenic (GLA) (C18:3) and linoleic (LA) (C18:2) acids changed in a parallel manner and reached the maximum of 13.9% and 24%, respectively, on the 12th day, after which they fell systematically down to 8.6% and 18.2%, respectively, on the 20th day after flowering. Starting with day 13, the content of α-linolenic acid (ALA) (C18:3 n-3) begins to grow intensively, from 24.2% to 39.3% on the 20th day after flowering. The increase in the content of stearidonic acid (SDA) (C18:4 n-3), up to 10.5% on the 20th day after flowering, occurred steadily as the seeds developed, and was independent of the changes in the content of GLA and LA. The pattern of changes in the content of SDA, GLA, LA and ALA during the development of seeds, and the occurrence of SDA in the seed oil of other plants, demonstrate that the biosynthesis of SDA in the seeds is critically dependent on the presence of ALA. The above condition indicates that SDA biosynthesis in the seeds of Echium vulgare follows the scheme LA → simultaneous, competitive, action of Δ6 and Δ15 desaturases, leading to the formation of GLA and ALA, respectively, and then ALA (Δ6 des) → SDA. The biosynthesis according to the scheme: GLA (Δ15 des) → SDA is highly unlikely

Health impairing tri-unsaturated fatty acids in the infant formulas

Kwasy tłuszczowe zawierające układ trzech sprzężonych wiązań podwójnych TCFA (trienoic conjugated fatty acids) są produktami oksydacji lipidów szkodliwymi dla zdrowia niemowląt i jako takie mogą stanowić znacznik stopnia zaawansowania utlenienia tłuszczu mleka początkowego (infant formulae IF) i następnego (follow-on formulae FF). Zbadano zawartość TCFA w tłuszczu wolnym i w tłuszczu związanym IF i FF. Liczbowo zawartość TCFA wyrażono umownie jako parametr K [%] będący stosunkiem absorbancji układu trzech sprzężonych wiązań podwójnych kwasów tłuszczowych (analityczna długość fali 268 nm) do absorbancji charakterystycznej dla grup karbonylowych triacylogliceroli (218 nm). Próbkę odniesienia stanowił tłuszcz dojrzałego mleka ludzkiego. Parametr K tłuszczu mleka ludzkiego wynosił maksymalnie 0,60 ±0,03% (N=9), podczas gdy rozpiętość K tłuszczu badanych IF i FF zawierała się w granicach: minimalnie 4,49 ±0,27%, maksymalnie 12,40 ±0,73% w zależności od producenta IF i FF (5 różnych producentów, łącznie 17 produktów). Rozbieżności w zaawansowaniu stopnia utlenienia lipidów mają związek z jakością i ilością dodawanych olejów roślinnych oraz z zastosowaną technologią produkcji IF i FF. Mając na uwadze szkodliwość dla zdrowia produktów oksydacji lipidów, zwłaszcza dla niemowląt i małych dzieci, zasugerowano wprowadzenie limitu parametru K tłuszczu IF i FF na maksymalnie 6%. Spośród 17 badanych produktów 22% spełniało te wymagania.Fatty acids containing a system of three conjugated double bonds in their structure (TCFA, i.e. trienoic conjugated fatty acids) are products of lipid oxidation and appear harmful to infant health; as such, they can be used as determinants to determine a degree of acid oxidation and its progress in the infant formula IF and FF (follow-on formula). The TCFA content was determined in a free and bonded acid contained in IF and FF, and expressed numerically as a 'K' parameter [%]. The 'K' parameter is a ratio between the absorbance of the system of three conjugated double bonds in fatty acids (the analytical wave length is 256 nm) and the absorbance characteristic for carbonyl groups of triacylglycerols (218 nm). A reference sample was acid contained in the mature human milk. The maximum 'K' parameter value of human milk was 0.60 ± 0.03% (N=9) whereas its range in the case of IF and FF studied was between 4.49 ± 0.27% (minimum) and 12.40 ± 0.73% (maximum) and depended on the manufacturer of IF and FF (there were 5 manufacturers who supplied 17 products in total). Discrepancies in the progress of lipid oxidation degree are to be attributed to the quality and quantity of plant oils added to the formulas, and to the manufacturing technology applied to produce IF and FF. Because of the harmfulness of lipid oxidation products, especially to infants and little children, it was suggested that the 'K' parameter of fat as contained in IF and FF should be limited to 6% at the most. From among all 17 studied samples, 22% met this requiremen