Canola protein thermal denaturation improved emulsion-templated oleogelation and its cake-baking application

The stability and viscoelasticity of an oil-in-water emulsion formed with canola proteins could be significantly improved by heat-induced protein thermal denaturation followed by aggregation at the oil droplet surface. This phenomenon was used to develop emulsion-templated oleogels with improved rheology and used in cake baking. Canola oil (50 wt%)-in-water emulsions stabilized by 1 and 4 wt% canola protein isolates (CPI), prepared by high-pressure homogenization, were dried at 60 °C in a vacuum oven followed by shearing to create the oleogels. Before drying, the emulsions were heated (90 °C for 30 min) to induce protein denaturation. The oleogel from 4 wt% CPI heated emulsions (HE) exhibited the lowest oil loss, highest gel strength, firmness and stickiness compared to all other oleogels. Cake batter prepared with shortening showed the lowest specific gravity, highest viscosity and storage modulus compared to CPI oleogels. Confocal micrographs of shortening cake batters showed smaller air bubbles entrapped in the continuous fat phase. In comparison, the oleogel cake batters showed dispersion of larger air bubbles, oil droplets, and protein aggregates. The oleogel cake showed a darker colour compared to the shortening cake due to the dark colour of CPI. Interestingly, oleogel cakes showed lower hardness, higher cohesiveness and springiness than the shortening cake, which was attributed to the higher cake volume of the former due to the formation of larger air channels stabilized by canola proteins. In conclusion, CPI stabilized emulsion-templated oleogels could be used as a potential shortening replacer in cake and other baking applications.

The stability and viscoelasticity of an oil-in-water emulsion formed with canola proteins could be significantly improved by heat-induced protein thermal denaturation followed by aggregation at the oil droplet surface.     

Oleogelation using pulse protein-stabilized foams and their potential as a baking ingredient

Structuring liquid oil into a self-standing semisolid material without trans and saturated fat has become a challenge for the food industry after the recent ban of trans fat by the US Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada. Lately, the use of hydrocolloids such as animal proteins and modified cellulose for oleogel preparation has gained more attention. However, plant proteins have never been explored for the development of oleogels. The present study explored the use of freeze-dried foams prepared using protein concentrates and isolates of pea and faba bean with xanthan gum at different pH values for oil adsorption and subsequent oleogelation. Compared to protein isolate stabilized foams, protein concentrate-stabilized foams displayed (i) higher oil binding capacity (OBC) due to a higher number of smaller pore size; and (ii) lower storage modulus and firmness due to the higher oil content. At all pH values, there was no significant difference between the OBC of different protein isolates, but among the concentrates, pea displayed higher OBC than faba bean at pH 5 and faba bean displayed higher OBC than pea at pH 9. Results showed that such oleogels could be used as a shortening alternative. Cakes prepared using the pea protein-based oleogel at pH 9 displayed a similar specific volume as that of shortening-based cake, although with higher hardness and chewiness.

Canola oil was structured into oleogels using freeze-dried foam made with pea or faba bean protein concentrates or isolates and xanthan gum at pH 5, 7 and 9. The oleogels were used to bake cakes and compared with conventional shortening-based cakes.     

Correlation of serum fatty acid composition with dietary intake data in children and young adults.

The percentage compositions of fatty acids in serum cholesteryl esters and phospholipids were analysed with gas chromatography in 759 nine- to 24-year-old Finns. The correlations of serum fatty acids with dietary fat intake data were calculated from a 48-h recall survey. The dietary P/S ratio had correlations of r = 0.50 and r = 0.40 with linoleate (18:2) in serum cholesteryl esters and phospholipids, respectively. The intake of fish and fish products correlated positively with the percentages of eicosapentaenoate (20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoate (22:6 n-3) in both cholesteryl esters and phospholipids. Dietary intake of saturated fat correlated positively with the percentages of all saturated fatty acids in cholesteryl esters and with myristate (14:0) in phospholipids. The intake of monounsaturated fats did not correlate positively with serum monoenes. In conclusion, the dietary P/S ratio is well reflected in the fatty acid composition of serum cholesteryl esters and phospholipids, the intake of saturated fats less well, and the intake of monounsaturated fats not at all.     

Utilization of myristic and palmitic acid in humans fed different dietary fats

To assess the influence of dietary fat composition on the contribution of dietary myristic and palmitic acid to total fat oxidation and energy production, eight healthy men consumed diets containing 40% of total energy as fat, largely as either butter, tallow or corn oil, for 11 days. On days 8 and 11 of each diet, [1-¹³C]-myristic or [1-¹³C]-palmitic acid (20 mg kg^–1 body weight) was ingested mixed with the test breakfast meal. Respiratory gas exchange was measured before, and for 9 h after, consumption of the meal. Breath ¹³CO₂ enrichments were determined hourly by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Cumulative 9-h percentage oxidation of dietary myristic acid exceeded that of palmitic acid ( P  < 0.01), but neither was influenced by fat treatment [ n  = 8, 7.1% (1.0) (SEM), 8.6% (0.9) and 8.9% (0.6) of dietary myristic acid and 3.3% (0.7), 3.0% (0.9), and 2.5% (0.6) of dietary palmitic acid from butter, tallow and corn oil meals respectively]. Net dietary myristic acid oxidation was greater ( P  <0.05) after consumption of the meal high in butter than after consumption of other fats. Net dietary palmitic acid oxidation was similar after consumption of all test meals. Precedent fat treatment had no measurable effect on net fat or carbohydrate oxidation or energy expenditure. The overall contribution of dietary myristic or palmitic acid to total fat oxidation did not exceed 1% over 9 h for any dietary fat. These results suggest that, although dietary fatty acid content is the principal determinant of net dietary fatty acid oxidation, dietary fat sources with moderate differences in fat composition do not measurably alter total energy or substrate utilization after a meal.     

Phosphorus speciation analysis of fatty-acid-based feedstocks and fast pyrolysis biocrudes via gel permeation chromatography inductively coupled plasma high-resolution mass spectrometry

Renewable feedstocks, such as lignocelulosic fast pyrolysis oils and both vegetable oil and animal fats, are becoming a viable alternative to petroleum for producing high-quality renewable transportation fuels. However, the presence of phosphorus-containing compounds, mainly from phospholipids, in these renewable feedstocks is known to poison and deactivate hydrotreating catalysts during fuel production. In this work, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) combined with inductively coupled plasma high-resolution mass spectrometry (ICP-HRMS) was used to analyze feedstocks including unprocessed soybean oil, animal fat, and pyrolysis oils from red oak and milorganite to identify phosphorus species. The results have shown the presence of a wide range of different phosphorous compounds among all the samples analysed in this work. The GPC-ICP-HRMS analyses of a vegetable oil and two animal fats have shown different fingerprints based on the molecular weight of each of the samples, highlighting the structural differences among their corresponding phosphorus-containing compounds. While the presence of low-molecular-weight species, such as phospholipids, was expected, several high-molecular-weight species (MW > 10 000 Da) have been found, suggesting that high-molecular-weight micelles or liposomes might have been formed due to the high concentration of phospholipids in these samples. Results obtained through the hydroxylation of a mix of phospholipids (asolectin) and its posterior GPC-ICP-HRMS agree with this hypothesis. With respect to the lignocellulosic catalytic fast pyrolysis oil samples, the GPC-ICP-HRMS results obtained suggest that either aggregation or polymerization reactions might have occurred during the pyrolysis process, yielding phosphorus-containing compounds with an approximate molecular weight above 91 000 kDa. In addition, an aggregation phenomenom has been observed for those phosphorus species present within the fast pyrolysis oils after being stored for 3 months, especially for those pyrolysis oils contaning pre-processed feedstocks, such as milorganite.

Renewable feedstocks, such as lignocelulosic fast pyrolysis oils and both vegetable oil and animal fats, are becoming a viable alternative to petroleum for producing high-quality renewable transportation fuels.     

Dietary enrichment with the polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid prevents proteinuria and prolongs survival in NZB x NZW F1 mice.

Prostaglandins and related compounds are active mediators of inflammation, but data concerning their role in the pathogenesis of the glomerulonephritis of New Zealand Black x New Zealand White (NZB x NZW) F1 mice are conflicting. Dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5), a fatty acid analogue of arachidonic acid (C20:4), has been shown to impair platelet aggregation in humans, apparently through inhibition of the synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes from arachidonic acid. We report here the effects of a diet high in EPA on the development of renal disease and survival in female NZB x NZW F1 mice. Animals from 4--5 wk of age were fed diets containing 25% lipid, supplied either as beef tallow or menhaden oil, with fatty acid analysis of less than 0.05 and 14.4% EPA, respectively. In the first experiment, by 13.5 mo of age, mice on the beef tallow diet had all (9/9) developed proteinuria and the majority (6/9) had died, with renal histologic examination revealing severe glomerulonephritis. In contrast, none of 10 menhaden oil-fed animals had developed proteinuria, and all were alive at this time (P less than 0.005 for both proteinuria and survival). In a second experiment using 50 mice in each dietary group, 56% of the beef tallow group vs. none of the menhaden oil group had developed proteinuria at 9 mo of age (P less than 0.005). Native DNA binding at 6 mo of age was 23.9 +/- 14.7 vs. 10.1 +/- 9.7% in the beef and menhaden oil groups, respectively (P less than 0.01). Weights were similar in all groups, and there was no evidence of essential fatty acid deficiency in any group. These results demonstrate that a diet high in EPA protects NZB x NZW F1 mice from the development of glomerulonephritis.     

Design,synthesis and in silico screening of benzoxazole–thiazolidinone hybrids as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 proteases

Hybrid molecules in the recent years have gained significant importance in drug research as promising therapeutic agents. We report a novel combination of two such bioactive scaffolds (benzoxazole and 4-thiazolidinone B–T hybrids) as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2. The study uses an in silico approach to identify the potential of B–T hybrids as possible inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 proteases. Molecular docking was employed to identify the interactions of B–T hybrids with the two proteases – 3CLp (the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease) and PLp (the papain-like protease). Docking results of the screened 81 hybrids indicated that BT10 and BT14 interacted with the catalytic dyad residue of 3CLp (Cys145) with the best binding energy. MD simulations revealed that BT10 formed stable interactions via 4 hydrogen bonds with the catalytic site residues of 3CLp. In the case of PLp, BT27 and MBT9 interacted with the catalytic triad residue of PLp (His272) with high binding energy. MD simulations demonstrated that the reference drug Tipranavir relocated to the thumb region of the protease whereas BT27 remained in the active site of PLp stabilized by 2 hydrogen bonds, while MBT9 relocated to the BL2 loop of the palm region. The MM-PBSA and interaction entropy (IE) analysis indicated that BT14 exhibited the best ΔG (of −6.83 kcal mol⁻¹) with 3CLp, while BT27 exhibited the best ΔG (of −7.76 kcal mol⁻¹) with PLp. A four-step synthetic procedure was employed to synthesize the B–T hybrids starting from ammonium thiocyanate. The short-listed compounds in the case of 3CLp were synthesized and characterized using IR, NMR, and HRMS spectroscopic techniques.

A novel combination of two bioactive scaffolds – benzoxazole and 4-thiazolidinone (B–T hybrids) as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2.     

Trans Fatty Acids: Are Its Cardiovascular Risks Fully Appreciated?

Objective

The goal of this article was to review the causal link between trans fatty acids (TFA) produced from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (PHVO) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and its likely mechanisms. The potential risk of TFA from ruminant dairy and meats, which are currently the major sources of dietary TFA, is also discussed.

Methods

Evidence was derived from observational studies of large cohorts followed up prospectively; from randomized controlled trials of clinical interventions; and from specific case-control studies that investigated biomarkers in tissues. Searches included PubMed and Medline from 1990 to 2013.

Results

Despite TFA from PHVO being associated more strongly with CVD risk than even saturated fats, it may prove difficult to totally eliminate PHVO from all foods. This raises the issue of the lower limit of TFA consumption below which CVD risk is not increased. Limits of <1% of total energy have been suggested. The major mechanism underlying the increased CVD risk from TFA is an increase in LDL-C and Lp(a) lipoproteins and a decrease in HDL-C; increased inflammation and adverse effects on vascular function have also been shown. Both PHVO and ruminant TFA comprise a range of isomers, some specific to each source but including a substantial commonality that supports findings of similar adverse effects at equivalent intakes of TFA. However, the amount of TFA in ruminant fat is relatively small; this limits the CVD risk from eating ruminant products, an inference supported by analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Conclusions

Two key challenges to the health industry arise from this evidence. They must first determine whether a small intake of TFA from PHVO is safe and what constitutes a safe amount. They must also determine whether TFA from ruminant fat in currently consumed amounts represent limited cardiovascular risk that is balanced by the nutritional benefits of dairy products.     

Rationale and design of the TRANSFACT project phase I: a study to assess the effect of the two different dietary sources of trans fatty acids on cardiovascular risk factors in humans

BACKGROUND: Detrimental effects of consumption of industrial trans fatty acids (TFA) from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are well documented. However, very little information is available on the effect of natural sources of TFA coming from milk fat, dairy products and ruminant meat. In fact, due to the naturally low level of TFA in milk fat, it is almost impossible to conduct a clinical trial with a limited number of subjects (<200). METHODOLOGY: To compare the effects of industrial and natural dietary sources of TFA, two specific test fats have been designed and produced. A substantial amount of milk fat (130 kg) enriched in TFA has been produced by modification of the cow's diet and selection of cows with the highest TFA content. The level obtained was approximately 4- to 7-fold higher than typically present in milk fat (approximately 20 instead of 3-6 g/100 g of total fatty acids). The control fat is composed of PHVO balanced in saturated fatty acids (lauric, myristic and palmitic). Both experimental fats contain about 20-22% of monounsaturated TFA and the volunteers' daily experimental fat intake (54 g), will represent about 12.0 g/day of TFA or 5.4% of the daily energy (based on 2000 kcal/day). These two test fats have been incorporated into food items and will be provided to 46 healthy subjects under a randomised, double blind, controlled, cross-over design. The primary outcome is high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which is an independent risk factor for CVD. Other parameters such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and HDL-C level and subclasses will be also to be evaluated. CONCLUSION: We have shown that it is technically feasible to perform a clinical trial on the comparative effects of natural and industrial sources of TFA isomers on CVD risk factors. Results are expected by mid-2006.     

The irradiation-associated decline in the in vivo uptake of glucose observed in rats fed fish oil is prevented by feeding a diet enriched in saturated fatty acids

Previous in vitro studies have shown that abdominal irradiation diminishes the uptake of many nutrients and that the extent of this effect can be modified by varying the type of dietary fatty acid. This study was undertaken to determine (1) the effect of dietary fish oil fatty acids (FO) on the in vivo absorption of D-glucose and (2) the effect of feeding isocaloric diets containing FO or beef tallow (BT) on the in vivo uptake of glucose 2 weeks after a single 600 cGy exposure to abdominal irradiation from a 137Cs source. Feeding FO reduced the jejunal and ileal maximal transport rate (Vmax) and Michaelis constant (Km) for glucose uptake in nonirradiated control animals. In irradiated rats the Vmax was higher and the Km was lower in animals fed BT than in those fed FO. The passive component of glucose uptake was higher in control rats fed FO than in those fed BT yet was lower in irradiated animals fed FO compared with those fed BT. Although the value of the Km fell with FO, the effective resistance of the intestinal unstirred water layer rose so that the uptake of lower concentrations of glucose was undisturbed. However, FO reduces the uptake of higher concentrations of glucose as a result of a decline in the value of the Vmax that is sufficiently large to override the enhanced passive permeability of the intestine to glucose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of dietary fat on the fecal excretion of cholesterol and its degradation products in man

Fecal bile acid and neutral sterol excretion rates were determined in five healthy young men when serum cholesterol changes were induced by isocaloric substitution of an unsaturated (safflower oil) for a saturated fat (butter). The isotope balance method was used after the intravenous injection of cholesterol-4-(14)C. A feces extraction method is presented which permits essentially complete separation of fecal neutral sterols and bile acids.There was a significant increase in the total excretion of the fecal end products of cholesterol metabolism from 966 +/- 42 mg/day on saturated fat to 1147 +/- 45 mg/day on unsaturated fat, and the increase was equally distributed between the neutral sterol and bile acid fractions. With the substitution of dietary fats, regardless of the sequence of their feeding, there was a 28% reduction in serum cholesterol concentration during ingestion of the unsaturated fat. There were reciprocal changes in serum cholesterol levels and fecal steroid excretion with the substitution of one type of fat for the other. The changes in plasma cholesterol content were more than adequately balanced by the reciprocal changes in fecal cholesterol end product excretion.The findings in this study agree with several previous reports in supporting the hypothesis that the hypocholesteremic action of dietary unsaturated fatty acids is associated with an increase in the fecal loss of bile acids and neutral sterols.     

Ammonium bio-ionic liquids based on camelina oil as potential novel agrochemicals

Third generation bio-ionic liquids (bio-ILs) were synthesized based on cheap and increasingly available camelina oil. The ionic liquids were obtained with high yield based on the reaction between camelina oil, which contained the following carboxylic acids: C18:3ω-3 linolenic >30%, C20:1 eicosenoic 28%, C18:2ω-6 linoleic 13%, C18:1 oleic 13%, C16:0 palmitic 4.5%, C22:1 erucic 4.5% and C18:0 stearic 2.5%, and quaternary ammonium hydroxides comprising cations such as: choline, di(hydrogenated tallow)dimethylammonium, oleylmethylbis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium, benzalkonium, tetradecyltrimethylammonium, tetramethylammonium and didecyldimethylammonium. The synthesized bio-ILs were characterized as high viscosity liquids which are thermally stable and their solubility in water and organic solvents depended on the type of cation. Two extreme examples of bio-ILs include the water soluble one comprising choline as the cation and the one comprising the di(hydrogenated tallow)dimethylammonium cation, which is soluble in hexane. The presented results show the importance of ammonium bio-ILs as antifeedants with a wide spectrum of activity. The tested beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) of storage pests: grain weevil (Sitophilus granarius (L.)), confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum Duv.) and khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium Ev.) presented notable differences in terms of susceptibility to the synthesized ILs. The synthesized bio-ILs are effective adjuvants for herbicides belonging to the sylfonylurea group. They exhibited high activity despite the fact they were applied at a dose almost half that used for commercial adjuvants, which opens the era of adjuvant ILs. Aside from its use in the production of biodiesel, renewable diesel and renewable jet fuel, camelina oil is starting to become a potential resource for the production of novel agrochemicals.

Third generation bio-ionic liquids (bio-ILs) were synthesized based on cheap and increasingly available camelina oil.     

Nutritional and Sensory Properties of Vegetable Oil Filled Milk Beverage Prepared with Pulp of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mangifera indica</Emphasis> L

Value addition of a beverage was carried out by blending mango juice at three concentrations (5, 10 and 15 %) with skimmed milk and three concentrations (3, 3.5 and 4.0 %) of vegetable oil with 80 % rice bran oil and 20 % Carthamus tinctorius L. oil (Saffola Gold Open image in new window). Sensory evaluation showed significant differences in flavour and taste, consistency and overall acceptability amongst the various treatment combinations. It showed maximum overall acceptability (7.55/9) among all tested combinations. Beverage prepared from 3.5 % vegetable oil and 15 % pulp was observed superior in terms of nutritional quality showing fats (2.9 %), proteins (2.83 %), carbohydrate (12.16 %) and total solids (18.73 %). Total sugar, ascorbic acid and acidity decreased while total solids and pH increased as the storage period of beverage was increased from 0–30 days, however the changes were observed lesser at low temperature than at room temperature. Addition of vegetable oil ≥3.5 % produced minimum total plate count (≤1.8 cfu/mL) and negative test for coliform. The beverage products were found microbiologically safe during one month of storage at low temperature (around 4 °C). The value added filled milk beverage prepared with 80 % rice bran oil, 20 % safflower seed oil and 15 % mango pulp was prescribed for the best use for a week.     

Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in early renal insufficiency in dogs

Dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) alters the course of experimental kidney disease in dogs. In particular, supplementation with omega-6 PUFAs hastens the decline of kidney function, and omega-3 PUFAs are renoprotective. We investigated the early stages of renal insufficiency to determine whether PUFA supplementation altered the magnitude of hypercholesterolemia or glomerular hemodynamics. Two months after 11/12 nephrectomy, dogs were randomly divided into three groups of 6 animals each. Each group of dogs was then fed a low-fat basal diet supplemented with one of three sources of lipid to achieve a final concentration of 15% added fat. Fat sources were rich in omega-3 PUFAs (menhaden fish oil, group FO), omega-6 PUFAs (safflower oil, group SO), or saturated fatty acids (beef tallow, group C). Early in renal insufficiency, before significant kidney damage, group FO had a lower (P<.05) serum cholesterol concentration and tended to have a lower urinary prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane A2 (TxA2) excretion than group C. In contrast, group SO had a higher mean glomerular capillary pressure (P<.05) and more glomerular enlargement (P<.05) and tended to have higher eicosanoid excretion rates than group C. These differences in lipid metabolism, glomerular hypertension and hypertrophy, and urinary eicosanoid metabolism could explain, in part, the beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFAs and the detrimental effects of omega-6 PUFAs when administered on a long-term basis in this model of renal insufficiency.     

The concentration and origins of carboxylic acid groups in oil paint

Although the concentration of carboxylic acid (COOH) groups is crucial to understand oil paint chemistry, analytical challenges hindered COOH quantification in complex polymerised oil samples thus far. The concentration of COOH groups is important in understanding oil paint degradation because it drives the breakdown of reactive inorganic pigments to dissolve in the oil network and form metal carboxylates. The metal ions in such an ionomeric polymer network can exchange with saturated fatty acids to form crystalline metal soaps (metal complexes of saturated fatty acids), leading to serious problems in many paintings worldwide. We developed two methods based on ATR-FTIR spectroscopy to accurately estimate the COOH concentration in artificially aged oil paint models. Using tailored model systems composed of linseed oil, ZnO and inert filler pigments, these dried oil paints were found to contain one COOH group per triacylglycerol unit. Model systems based on a mixture of long chain alcohols showed that the calculated COOH concentration originates from side chain autoxidation at low relative humidity (RH). The influence of increasing RH and ZnO concentration on COOH formation was studied and high relative humidity conditions were shown to promote the formation of COOH groups. No significant ester hydrolysis was found under the conditions studied. Our results show the potential of quantitative analysis of oil paint model systems for aiding careful (re)evaluation of conservation strategies.

Zinc complexation can be used to quantify the concentration of carboxylic acid groups in an oil painting.     

Adsorption activity of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) cake dietary fibers: effect of acidic treatment,cellulase hydrolysis,particle size and pH

The effects of acidic treatment, cellulase hydrolysis, particle size distribution and pH on the adsorption capacity of defatted coconut cake dietary fibers (DCCDF) were studied. The results demonstrated that cellulase hydrolysis could significantly improve the soluble dietary fiber content, water holding ability and adsorption ability of DCCDF on cholesterol, bile and nitrite ions. Acidic treatment enhanced the oil holding capacity and adsorption ability in cholesterol and nitrite ions. Moreover, the adsorption ability of DFs in cholesterol, nitrite and bile all increased with reduced particle size (250 to 167 μm), and DCCDF demonstrated a higher adsorption capacity at pH 2.0 than at pH 7.0. The change in adsorption capacity of DCCDF might be suitable for application in the food industry as a low-calorie and cholesterol lowering functional ingredient.

This paper provides valuable information on the effects of cellulase hydrolysis, acidic treatment, particle size distribution and pH on the adsorption activity of coconut cake dietary fibers.     

Fast and simple transesterification of epoxidized soybean oil to prepare epoxy methyl esters at room temperature

Epoxidized soybean oil methyl esters were prepared via transesterification of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) with methanol catalyzed by cheap and stable sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The transesterification could be completed in only 5 min at room temperature (25 °C) without loss of the epoxide function and the transesterification rate was promoted significantly while the utilization of 5% acetone as co-solvent. The afforded products epoxidized methyl esters represent a renewable substrate that is readily converted into surfactants, fuel additives and other valuable industrial products.

A sustainable method has been developed for fast transesterification of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) to prepare epoxy methyl esters (ESBOME) at 25 °C with NaOH as catalyst.     

Experimental study of dust deposition in dynamic granular filters

The aim of the present study is to investigate the process of dust deposition and its effects on the filtration performance of dynamic granular filters. We proposed a new theoretical explanation about the model for dust cake formation and growth, especially for the compression model at higher filtration superficial velocities in dynamic granular filters. The thickness and porosity of dust cakes can be estimated by formulas. Then, the effects of cake formation and growth on filtration performance were examined. It is found that there is an optimum thickness of the cake at which the dynamic granular filter achieves excellent collection efficiency with low system resistance. Moreover, an increasing pattern of pressure drop with cake thickness under different filtration superficial velocities was observed. Experimental results show that the pressure drops across the filter system and dust cake increase exponentially with increasing filtration superficial velocity. An appropriate filtration superficial velocity should be considered to achieve optimum filtration performance in dynamic granular filters. It is expected that the results of this study could provide useful information on designing dynamic granular filters for removal of dust particulates in Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) and Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Combustion (PFBC).

A theoretical explanation and experimental study of dust cake formation and growth in a novel dynamic granular filter are presented.     

Baseline fatty acids,food groups,a diet score and 50-year all-cause mortality rates. An ecological analysis of the Seven Countries Study

Objectives: This analysis deals with the ecologic relationships of dietary fatty acids, food groups and the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI, derived from 15 food groups) with 50-year all-cause mortality rates in 16 cohorts of the Seven Countries Study.

Material and methods: A dietary survey was conducted at baseline in cohorts subsamples including chemical analysis of food samples representing average consumptions. Ecologic correlations of dietary variables were computed across cohorts with 50-year all-cause mortality rates, where 97% of men had died.

Results: There was a 12-year average age at death population difference between extreme cohorts. In the 1960s the average population intake of saturated (S) and trans (T) fatty acids and hard fats was high in the northern European cohorts while monounsaturated (M), polyunsaturated (P) fatty acids and vegetable oils were high in the Mediterranean areas and total fat was low in Japan. The 50-year all-cause mortality rates correlated (r=??0.51 to ?0.64) ecologically inversely with the ratios M/S, (M?+?P)/(S?+?T) and vegetable foods and the ratio hard fats/vegetable oils. Adjustment for high socio-economic status strengthened (r=??0.62 to ?0.77) these associations including MAI diet score.

Conclusion: The protective fatty acids and vegetable oils are indicators of the low risk traditional Mediterranean style diets.

• KEY MESSAGES

• We aimed at studying the ecologic relationships of dietary fatty acids, food groups and the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI, derived from 15 food groups) with 50-year all-cause mortality rates in the Seven Countries Study.

• The 50-year all-cause mortality rates correlated (r?=??0.51 to ?0.64) ecologically inversely with the ratios M/S [monounsaturated (M)?+?polyunsaturated (P)]/[saturated (S)?+?trans (T)] fatty acids and vegetable foods and the ratio hard fats/vegetable oils. After adjustment for high socio-economic status, associations with the ratios strengthened (r?=??0.62 to ?0.77) including also the MAI diet score.

• The protective fatty acids and vegetable oils are indicators of the low risk traditional Mediterranean style diets.