Evaluation of fatty acid content and nutritional properties of selected native and imported hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) varieties grown in Iran

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is one of the most important nuts rich in valuable nutrients. In this study chemical composition of Two Iranian native varieties namely ‘Pashmineh’ and ‘Garche’ and four imported varieties, ‘Ghafghaze’, ‘Zakatala’, ‘Ronde dupimont’ and ‘Fertile decotard’ were taken under investigation. The main fatty acid in hazelnut varieties were oleic (71.02%) and linoleic acid (14.45%). The hazelnut varieties showed oil content in a range from 53.36% to 63.5%; protein, 16.03-23.26%; energy, 653.4-707.65%; ash, 2.46-3.5%; carbohydrate, 13.16-20.14%; total phenolic content, 6.4-16.42 mg GAE /g; antioxidant capacity, 57.17-72.38%; oleic acid, 64.17 - 81.34%; Linoleic acid, 10 –21.07%; Linolenic acid, 0 – 2%; myristic acid, 0 – 0.5 %; stearic acid, 0 – 7.8%; eicosenoic acid, 0 – 1.69%; palmitic acid, 0.49 – 9.61%; palmitoleic acid, 0 – 1.6 % and behenic acid, 0 – 0.25%

Chemical composition and antibacterial activities of essential oils from fruits of Melicope pteleifolia (Champ. Ex Benth.) T.G. Hartley grown in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam

In the present study, chemical composition and antibacterial properties of essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of the Melicope pteleifolia (Champ. ex Benth.) T.G Hartley in Dalat were evaluated. Essential oil was isolated through hydro-distillation. Twenty-nine constituents comprising 100% of the essential oil were characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The major compounds in the essential oil were (+)-Sabinene (34.73%), Cis-α-bergamotene (13.15%), Z-α-trans-bergamotol (5.28%), β-mycrene (4.98%), and 1,3,6-octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl-(4.71%). Antibacterial activities of Melicope pteleifolia essential oil were investigated against Gram-positive and-negative bacteria. Results showed significant activities against Streptococcus pyogenes and Escherichia coli using an agar well diffusion method. The application of this essential oil in preventing and eliminating bacteria could be useful in fields as medicine and cosmetics.

Physicochemical properties and leaching behavior of eight U.S. long-grain rice cultivars as related to rice texture

There are many long-grain rice cultivars produced commercially in the U.S.; however, little work has been done on correlating the structure and physicochemical properties of starch with their texture. The physicochemical properties, leaching behavior, and texture attributes of eight longgrain rice cultivars were studied. Differences were observed in the approximate composition of kernels, including crude protein (6.6-9.3%), crude lipid (0.18-0.51%), and apparent amylose content (25.5-30.9%). These cultivars also differed slightly in thermal properties, such as onset temperature (73.7° to 77.4°C) and peak temperature (78.8° to 81.9°C). Although they showed a similar pasting temperature, their peak viscosities ranged from 680 to 982 Brabender units. The amount and the molecular size distribution of the leached starch molecules varied greatly among the samples. The leached amylose, instead of the apparent amylose, was suggested to play an important role in cooked rice texture

The essential oil composition of aerial parts of Artemisia austriaca Jacq. from three accessions of Northern Kazakhstan

In the flora of Kazakhstan there are many medicinal plants, of which the genus Artemisia (Asteraceae) includes 81 species. In the current study, chemical composition of essential oil from aerial parts of Artemisia austriaca Jacq. collected from different sites of Northern Kazakhstan was determined using GC-MS analysis. The chemical analysis demonstrated that the oil was dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes amounting to 39.49-59.20% with camphor (7.03-20.52%), 1,8-cineole (8.95-13.55%), α-thujone (3.16-25.78%) and β-thujone (0.87-9.92%) as major constituents. The results also suggested that there was difference in composition as well as amount among different sites depending on pH and organic matter of the soil. Further chemometric analysis using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of A. austriaca essential oil compositions from the published literature as well as the composition from present study were used in order to demonstrate geographical variations in the composition of the essential oils. It showed the existence of two main clusters: mixture of α- and β-thujones (32.5±21.6%) / 1,8-cineole (13.9±7.8%) (Cluster I) and camphor (40.5±17.4%) / 1,8-cineole (19.4±9.5%) (Cluster II)

Nuptial gift chemistry reveals convergent evolution correlated with antagonism in mating systems of harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones)

Nuptial gifts are material donations given from male to female before or during copulation and are subject to sexual selection in a wide variety of taxa. The harvestman genus Leiobunum has emerged as a model system for understanding the evolution of reproductive morphology and behavior, as transitions between solicitous and antagonistic modes of courtship have occurred multiple times within the lineage and are correlated with convergence in genital morphology. We analyzed the free amino acid content of nuptial gift secretions from five species of Leiobunum using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Multivariate analysis of the free amino acid profiles revealed that, rather than clustering based on phylogenetic relationships, nuptial gift chemical composition was better predicted by genital morphology and behavior, suggesting that convergent evolution has acted on the chemical composition of the nuptial gift. In addition, we found that, species with solicitous courtship produce gifts consisting of a 19% larger proportion of essential amino acids as compared to those with more antagonistic courtship interactions. This work represents the first comparative study of nuptial gift chemistry within a phylogenetic framework in any animal group and as such contributes to our understanding of the evolution of reproductive diversity and the participant role of nuptial gift chemistry in mating system transitions

Chemical composition of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans lipid A

Lipopolysaccharides also called endotoxins are an integral component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. When released from the bacterial surface, they interact with a host immune system, triggering excessive inflammatory response. Lipid A is the biologically most active part of endotoxin, and its activity is modulated by the quantity, quality and arrangement of its fatty acids. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans is sulfate-reducing, Gram-negative bacterium that is supposed to be opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. In the present study, chemical composition of lipid A from various strains of D. desulfuricans was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. It was found that the fatty acid component of the lipid A contains dodecanoic, tetradecanoic, 3-hydroxytetradecanoic and hexadecanoic acids, and its carbohydrate core is composed of glucosamine. The analysis of 3-acyloxyacyl residue of the lipid A revealed the presence of amide-bound 3-(dodecanoyloxy)tetradecanoic and 3-(hexadecanoyloxy)tetradecanoic acids and ester-bound 3-(tetradecanoyloxy)tetradecanoic acid. It was concluded that both fatty acid and 3-acyloxyacyl residue profiles of the lipid A from the studied bacteria were similar to those of E. coli and S.enterica

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Cichorium spinosum L. leaves in relation to developmental stage

In the present study, chemical composition and bioactivity of Cichorium spinosum leaves were examined at different growth stages for optimum harvest stage and end-use assessment. Total fresh weight and number of leaves were higher at 4th growth stage; however, at this stage the end-use is not indicated for raw consumption but mostly for pickled or dried products. Regarding chemical composition, the highest content of tocopherols and minerals was observed in the 1st growth stage, whereas sugars content was the highest in 3rd and 4th growth stage. Polyunsaturated fatty acids content was the highest during the first two growth stages, whereas antioxidant activity, phenolic acids and total phenolic compounds content in the 3rd stage. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that chemical composition of C. spinosum is highly depended on development stage, and harvest stage should be considered for alternative uses of end-products with high bioactivity.The authors would like to thank Miss Constantina Fassoli and Stavroula Anesti for their technical assistance throughout the experiment. The authors are also grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/ AGR/00690/2013) and L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015) grant.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio