Refining Vegetable Oils: Chemical and Physical Refining

This review presents recent technologies involved in vegetable oil refining as well as quality attributes of crude oils obtained by mechanical and solvent extraction. Usually, apart from virgin oils, crude oils cannot be consumed directly or incorporated into various food applications without technological treatments (refining). Indeed, crude oils like soybean, rapeseed, palm, corn, and sunflower oils must be purified or refined before consumption. The objective of such treatments (chemical and physical refining) is to get a better quality, a more acceptable aspect (limpidity), a lighter odor and color, longer stability, and good safety through the elimination of pollutants while minimizing oil loss during processing. However, the problem is that refining removes some essential nutrients and often generates other undesirable compounds such as 3-MCPD-esters and trans-fatty acids. These compounds directly influence the safety level of refined oil. Advantages and drawbacks of both chemical and physical refining were discussed in the light of recent literature. Physical refining has several advantages over chemical one.

Investigating the influence of pinhão manso (Jatropha curcas) seed endocarp on the acidity index of the extracted oil

Biodiesel is a clean and cyclical energy resource that is derived from animal and/or vegetable fat. As it blends well with petrodiesel, biodiesel is added to Brazilian commercial diesel. The main raw materials used to produce biodiesel in Brazil include soybean, corn, and sunflower oils. However, these are also used for human consumption and hence, have a high market value. Therefore, pinhão manso oil, which exhibits high productivity at low cost, is a promising alternative. However, the high acidity index of this oil results in a low transesterification yield and the produced biofuel does not meet the requirements imposed by the ANP. Thus, this study intends to demonstrate that a large part of the free fatty acids in pinion oil are present in the seed endocarp. For the development of the project, the oil was extracted by hot solvent, using the soxhlet equipment and the hexane solvent, to determine the acidity index, the titration technique was used, the titrant used was sodium hydroxide. So the acidity index of the oil extracted from the seed with its shell is 10.9 mgKOH/g, while the lipid obtained without the shell exhibits a value of 0.95 mgKOH/g, proving the influence of the endocarp.

Performance of Olive-Pomace Oils in Discontinuous and Continuous Frying. Comparative Behavior with Sunflower Oils and High-Oleic Sunflower Oils

Frying performance of olive-pomace oils (OPOs) as compared to sunflower oils (SOs) and high-oleic sunflower oils (HOSOs) was studied in discontinuous frying (DF) and continuous frying (CF) for the first time. DF is used in household, restaurants and frying outlets, while CF is used in the food industry. Oil alteration during frying was determined by measurements of polar compounds (PC) and polymers. Fried potatoes were analyzed for oil absorption and alteration, color, and evaluated in an acceptability test. Results for DF showed that all SOs reached 25% PC at the 9th frying operation (FO), whereas HOSOs did between the 17–18th FO and variable results were found for OPOs since initial levels of diacylglycerols were different. Rates of formation of PC or polymers were the lowest for OPOs, thus showing the best performance in DF. Specifically for PC, relative rates of formation were 1.00–1.11, 2.46–2.71 and 1.37–1.41 for OPOs, SOs and HOSOs respectively. In CF, OPOs and HOSOs behaved similarly and better than SOs, although none reached 25% PC after 40 FO. The good performance of OPOs can be attributed to the high monounsaturated-to-polyunsaturated ratio, in common with HOSOs, and the additional positive effect of minor compounds, especially β-sitosterol and squalene.

Rosemary Essential Oils as a Promising Source of Bioactive Compounds: Chemical Composition, Thermal Properties, Biological Activity, and Gastronomical Perspectives

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a plant worldwide cultivated mainly for essential oils, extracts, and as a spice. Up-to-date results showed diversity in composition of the essential oils, which may influence their quality, biological activity, and thermal properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and thermal properties of the rosemary essential oils originating from Serbia and Russia. Additionally, oils were added to the sunflower oils in order to investigate possible antioxidant activity during the frying. Investigation of the chemical profile marked α-pinene, eucalyptol, and camphor as the most abundant compounds in both oils. However, overall composition influenced in such manner that Russian oil showed significantly higher antimicrobial activity, while Serbian oil proved to be better antioxidant agent in case of frying of sunflower oil. This would significantly influence possible application of the oils, which could be used as an antioxidant agent for extension of the food shelf life, or antimicrobial agent for protection against different microbial strains.

Medicinal impact of oil pulling

Pulling oil involves actually pulling oil in your mouth for about 10 to 15 minutes around a tablespoon (one teaspoon for children). Traditionally, cocoa, vegetables, sesame, olives, rapeseed and sunflower oils are common options for oil. You pull and shake the oil between the teeth, when removing undesirable food particles, you also take dangerous bacteria with them, which can lead to the formation of plaques, caries and inflammations. This cleansing process is accomplished without disrupting the beneficial balance of the oral microbiome that is essential to a healthy mouth due to the non-aggressive nature of natural oils.

Characterization, Density and In Vitro Controlled Release Properties of Mimosa (Acacia mearnsii) Tannin Encapsulated in Palm and Sunflower Oils

Tannin has gained wider acceptance as a dietary supplement in contemporary animal nutrition investigations because of its potential to reduce enteric methane emission. However, a major drawback to dietary tannin intake is the bitter taste and instability in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The utilization of fats as coating materials will ensure appropriate masking of the tannin’s aversive taste and its delivery to the target site. The aims of this study were to encapsulate mimosa tannin with palm oil or sunflower oil, and to assess the microcapsules in terms of encapsulation efficiency, morphology, density, and in vitro release of tannin in media simulating the rumen (pH 5.6), abomasum (pH 2.9) and small intestine (pH 7.4). The microencapsulation of mimosa tannin in palm or sunflower oils was accomplished using a double emulsion technique. The results revealed that encapsulated mimosa tannins in palm oil (EMTP) and sunflower oil (EMTS) had high yields (59% vs. 58%) and encapsulation efficiencies (70% vs. 68%), respectively. Compared to unencapsulated mimosa tannin (UMT), the morphology showed that the encapsulated tannins were smaller in size and spherical in shape. The UMT had (p < 0.01) higher particle density (1.44 g/cm3) compared to 1.22 g/cm3 and 1.21 g/cm3 for the EMTS and EMTP, respectively. The proportion of tannins released by the UMT after 24 h in the rumen (94%), abomasum (92%) and small intestine (96%) simulated buffers, reduced (p < 0.01) to 24%, 21% and 19% for the EMTS and 18%, 20% and 16% for the EMTP in similar media and timeframe. The release kinetics for the encapsulated tannins was slow and steady, thus, best fitted by the Higuchi model while the UMT dissolved quickly, hence, only fitted to a First order model. Sequential tannin release also indicated that the EMTS and EMTP were stable across the GIT. It was concluded that the microencapsulation of mimosa tannin in palm or sunflower oils stabilized tannins release in the GIT simulated buffers with the potential to modify rumen fermentation. Further studies should be conducted on the palm and sunflower oils microcapsules’ lipid stability, fatty acid transfer rate in the GIT and antioxidant properties of the encapsulated tannins.

PSXV-6 The effect of ultrafine iron particles on the adaptation of the digestive system of cattle to fat diets

The aim of our study was to determine the possibility of using ultrafine Fe particles (2.2 mg/head/day) as modulators of metabolic activity when using vegetable soybean and sunflower oils in ruminant diets. The studies carried out on calves with external duodenal anastomosis (diet – grassland hay (2 kg), a mixture of concentrates (1.5 kg), corn silage (5 kg), wheat straw (1 kg), oil-3% of the dry matter of the diet). The digestibility of the nutritional components of the diet analyzed daily throughout the study period. The collection of pancreatic juice was carried out for 8 hours with an interval of 60 minutes on the 7th day, the determination of the amount and enzymatic activity of the juice carried out “incito.” Introduction of ultrafine Fe particles significantly increased the digestibility of organic matter by 38% (P ≤ 0.05) with the introduction of vegetable soybean oil, crude fat by 28.4% (P ≤ 0.05) with the introduction of sunflower oil. Additional introduction of ultrafine Fe particles significantly increased the level of pancreatic secretion when sunflower oil was introduced by 59.8%, soybean oil by 56% (P ≤ 0.05). Additional inclusion of ultrafine iron particles contributed to the decrease of lipase, protease and amylase activity by 86,8%, 37,4% and 33% (P ≤ 0,05) in the sunflower oil group, by 68,2% of lipase, by 24,6% of amylase in the soybean oil group (P ≤ 0,05). A significant increase in the level of NO-metabolites was recorded in the group receiving soybean oil by 37.5 % (P &lt; 0.05). This study shows the potential use of ultrafine Fe particles as a mineral supplement to regulate the functional activity of digestive and metabolic processes in ruminants, which may play a positive role in increasing the bioavailability of nutritional components of diets. This research performed with financial support from the project 0761-2019-0005.