Journal of oleo science最新文献

The beneficial effects of a formulated supplement of plasmalogen and elastin on the memory function in healthy elderly subjects were investigated by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group analysis. Plasmalogen has been shown to exert beneficial effects on cognitive function in animal models and human clinical trials, while elastin improves vascular elasticity and increases blood flow. The levels of plasmalogen and elastin decreases with aging. The supplement containing Ascidiacea (Halocynthia-roretzi)-derived plasmalogen (0.5 mg) and Tuna-derived elastin (100 mg) was administered to elderly Japanese subjects once a day for 16 weeks. The Japanese version of Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test (RBMT) was used as a primary evaluation item for the assessment of memory. Data from a protocolmatched population (per protocol set) (n=123) were analyzed. A comparison of mean difference between the baseline and evaluation points in cognition function in RBMT showed significantly higher scores for the categories of "first name" and "face recognition" in the test group than in the placebo group. In the stratified analysis of subjects ≧ 75 years, the test group scored significantly higher than the placebo group for the categories of "belonging", "face recognition and picture recognition". The stratified analysis of female subjects showed a significantly higher scores for categories of "first and second names" and "belonging" of RBMT in the test group. Also, the score of "physical functioning" was significantly higher in the test group. These results indicate that formulated supplement of plasmalogen and elastin may be beneficial for improving memory dysfunction in healthy elderly subjects.

We investigated the effects of a single and simultaneous intake of allitol and d-allulose on body fat accumulation and cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and accurately assessed the contribution of rare sugars to body fat in rats fed a high-fat diet that led to obesity. Thirty-two male 3-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, allitol, d-allulose, and allitol + d-allulose. The rats were fed experimental diets and water ad libitum for 11 weeks. High doses of allitol or d-allulose can induce diarrhea in rat; hence, each group of rats was acclimated to 1-5% allitol and d-allulose incrementally for the initial 20 days. After the feeding period, all rats were euthanized and collected tissues. Perirenal, mesenteric, and total intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights were significantly reduced by dietary d-allulose, whereas dietary allitol tended to decrease these adipose tissue weights. Both allitol and d-allulose significantly decreased carcass and total body fat mass. We confirmed that both dietary allitol and d-allulose inhibited body fat accumulation; however, d-allulose did not inhibit hepatic lipogenesis and no synergy was observed between dietary allitol and d-allulose in terms of anti-obesity effects. Dietary allitol significantly increased cecal SCFA levels and these effects were more potent than those of dietary d-allulose. The antiobesity effect of allitol may be due to the action of SCFAs, especially butyric acid, produced by the gut microbiota. Many of the effects of allitol as an alternative sweetener remain unknown, and further research is required.

Effects of tetrahydrofuran (THF) concentration on the mixed methane hydrate formation, dissociation, and stability were investigated. The experiment was conducted at 286.2 K and 6 MPa in a quiescent reactor. The presence of THF below 2.5 mol% did not show the evidence of hydrate formation. However, the concentration above 2.5 mol% enhanced the methane formation rate and the methane consumption. Increasing the THF concentration decreased the induction time as the result of the decrease in the surface tension. Moreover, the methane uptake and formation rate increased with the THF concentration due to the higher degree of hydrate nucleation. The methane recovery after the dissociation experiment showed up to 96%. Furthermore, the hydrate stability increased, and the hydrate dissociation kinetics decreased with the increase in the THF concentration. The optimum THF concentration to enhance and improve the hydrate formation kinetics and stability is its stoichiometric concentration.

Surfactants are amphiphilic substances that induce surface tension reduction, washing, and emulsification and are used for various purposes. Recently, biosurfactants manufactured from renewable resources and with high biocompatibility have gained increasing attention. Sophorolipid (SL), a type of biosurfactant derived from Starmerella bombicola, possesses detergency and emulsification properties, making it suitable for household and personal care applications. However, there are limited toxicological data on SLs. In this study, we conducted cytotoxicity and skin-irritation tests using SLs, revealing that cytotoxicity and skin irritation induced by SLs were extremely low (logIC ₅₀ = 4.76 mg/L) and equivalent to those of solvents and oils used in personal care products.

Many in vitro studies have revealed the toxic effects of oxidized phytosterols (OPSs); however, their effects on lipid metabolism are not well understood in vivo. Therefore, we examined the bioavailability of OPS and compared the effects of dietary phytosterols (PSs) or OPS on lipid metabolism in rats. OPS was detected in the plasma and liver of rats administered 50 mg of OPS for 3 days. Rats were fed the AIN76 diet (C group), basal diet plus 0.25% PS (P group), or 0.25% OPS (O group) for 4 weeks. Dietary OPS but not PS reduced hepatic fatty acid synthase activity. Liver triacylglycerol (TG) levels tended to be lower in the P group than in the C group and were significantly lower in the O group. The mRNA expression level of HMG-CoA reductase in the liver was the lowest in the O group, whereas that of CYP27A1 was the highest in the O group. The mRNA expression levels of NPC1L1 in the intestinal mucosa were significantly lower in the P and O groups than in the C group. Consistent with these modulations, plasma total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-C levels were similar between the C and P groups but tended to be higher or significantly higher in the O group. Liver TC levels were significantly lower in the P and O groups than in the C group. Moreover, fecal neutral and acidic steroid levels were the highest in the O group. The mRNA expression level of Δ6 desaturase in the liver was significantly higher in both the P and the O groups than in the C group. The Δ6 desaturation indices of fatty acids in the total liver lipids were the highest in the O group. Thus, dietary OPS may modulate lipid metabolism in the liver.

Scallop oil (SCO) prepared from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and phospholipids (PL). It was previously shown that SCO consumption improves cholesterol and triacylglycerols (TG) contents in mice. The present study demonstrated the effects of daily SCO consumption (1.2 g/day, containing 376 mg of EPA, 63 mg of DHA, and 150 mg of PL) for 12 weeks in human subjects. In this randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled, parallel group comparison study, 70 Japanese subjects with serum TG levels ≥120 but < 200 mg/dL were recruited and randomly assigned to the SCO or placebo group. All subjects ingested six capsules per day for 12 weeks. We conducted medical interviews, body composition measurements, vital sign examinations, and blood sampling at weeks 0 (baseline), 4, 8, and 12, and measured peripheral blood flow at weeks 0 and 12. In the case of subjects with higher serum TG levels, SCO consumption decreased the changes in serum TG and malondialdehyde-low density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) levels compared with the placebo group. Safety assessment revealed no medically significant changes due to continuous SCO consumption. The findings indicate that 1.2 g/day of SCO consumption may be beneficial for reducing serum TG and MDA-LDL levels in persons with higher TG levels.

This study aimed to better understand the association between the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely, linoleic acid (LA) and linolenic acid (LNA), and the increases in the peroxide value that results from storing interesterified fats, which are used as sources of solid fats in edible oil and fat products, at high temperatures. Six interesterified fats with different LA and LNA contents were prepared and oxidized at 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, and 80°C under Rancimat test conditions. The oxidation rate increased with LA and LNA contents and increasing temperature. The oxidation kinetic analysis during the early oxidation stages demonstrated that when LA and LNA exceeded 8% and 2% respectively, the oxidative stability decreased as expected. However, the total LA and LNA contents had a higher correlation with the reaction rate constant [k (meq kg^-1 h^-1 )] than each amount of LA and LNA contained therein. In other words, the oxidation stability of the interesterified fats used in this study depended on the total LA and LNA contents.

Shape-controlled nanocrystals, such as nanoflowers, are expected to serve as innovative nanocatalysts with high catalytic activity. It is well-established that these nanocrystals can be readily synthesized with specific shapes using colloidal methods in solutions containing capping agents. However, these capping agents tend to reduce the catalytic activity of nanocatalysts. Therefore, it is imperative to remove these agents without altering the morphology to enhance catalytic efficiency. In this study, we developed a method for eliminating melamine, a common capping agent, from supported Au nanoflowers using water extraction and ultraviolet-ozone treatment. This process significantly enhances the catalytic performance, particularly for alcohol oxidation reactions such as the conversion of 1-phenylethyl alcohol to acetophenone.

Growing evidence indicates that the intake of trans fatty acids (TFAs) increases the risk of numerous diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. Recently, our group found that certain natural sulfur compounds (allyl isothiocyanate [AITC] and diallyl disulfide [DADS]) promote cis to trans isomerization of fatty acid esters during heat treatment. However, little information is available on the fatty acid isomerization with them. In this study, we investigated the effects of oxygen and α-tocopherol (antioxidant) on isomerization of oleic acid (18:1) methyl ester (OA-ME) in the presence of AITC and DADS. Furthermore, the effect of the simultaneous use of AITC and DADS was evaluated. Our results indicate that oxygen enhances the AITC-induced trans isomerization, and DADS was found to promote trans isomerization but inhibit AITC-induced trans isomerization during heating. Both AITC- and DADS-induced trans isomerization were inhibited by α-tocopherol. These results indicate that the trans isomerization of fatty acids induced by sulfur compounds can be controlled by devising a cooking process and the food ingredients used together.

Recent global scientific attention has been directed towards eco-friendly synthesis and versatile applications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) due to their effectiveness against specific cells and tissues. This study aimed to develop a green synthesis method for AgNPs using ethanolic extract from Salvia sclarea aerial parts, and to assess their protective efficacy against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats. Additionally, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis studies were conducted to understand their mode of action. Characterization via ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of ethanol extract of Salvia sclarea silver nanoparticles (EESS AgNPs), with a distinctive absorption peak at 400 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed predominantly spherical and quasi-spherical shapes of the synthesized nanoparticles. The treatment procedure spanned for a period of 12 weeks in diabetic rats and were evaluated for inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, antioxidant markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione (GSH) and apoptosis markers (Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved-caspase-3). Results demonstrated that treatment with EESS AgNPs significantly reduced blood glucose levels compared to the diabetic group. Additionally, EESS AgNPs treatment led to a significant decrease in levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and PKC-ꞵ in renal cells. Furthermore, EESS AgNPs effectively modulated antioxidant enzyme concentrations, including GSH, SOD, GPx, and CAT, bringing them to acceptable levels. Administration of EESS AgNPs also resulted in a significant decrease in protein levels of Bax and activated caspase-3, while increasing expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in renal cells of STZ-induced diabetic rats. In conclusion, EESS AgNPs demonstrate potent anti-hyperglycemic effects, potentially mitigating diabetic nephropathy by suppressing hyperglycemiainduced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in renal cells of diabetic rats.