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Effect of refining and fractionation processes on minor components, fatty acids, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of shea butter
Shea butter is becoming increasingly popular in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. This work aims to study the effect of the refining process on the quality and stability of fractionated and mixed shea butters. Crude shea butter, refined shea stearin, olein and their mixture (1:1 w/w) were analyzed for fatty acids, triacylglycerol composition, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acids (FFA), phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), unsaponifiable matter (USM), tocopherol and phytosterol content. Additionally, the oxidative stability, radical scavenging activity (RSA), antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated. The two main fatty acids in the shea butter samples were stearic and oleic. The refined shea stearin showed lower PV, FFA, USM, TPC, TFC, RSA, tocopherol and sterol content than crude shea butter. A higher EC50 was observed, but antibacterial activity was much lower. The refined olein fraction was characterized by lower PV, FFA and TFC in comparison with crude shea butter, but USM, TPC, RSA, EC50, tocopherol and sterol content was unchanged. The antibacterial activity was higher, but the antifungal activity was lower than those of crude shea butter. When both fractions were mixed, their fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition were similar to those of crude shea butter, but other parameters were different.
Effect of Adverse Storage Conditions on Oil Quality and Tocochromanol Content in Yellow‐Seeded Breeding Lines of Brassica napus L.
ABSTRACTThis study evaluated the contents of tocopherols and plastochromanol‐8, as well as the acid values, in oils extracted from yellow‐seeded Brassica napus L. lines stored under adverse post‐harvest conditions. Seeds were stored at temperatures of 25°C and 30°C, with adjusted seed moisture contents of 10.5%, 12.5%, and 15.5%, corresponding to relative humidity levels of 81%, 85%, and 91%, respectively. A statistically significant reduction in total tocopherol content—up to 22% (p < 0.05)—was observed in seeds with the highest moisture content (15.5%) stored at 30°C. In contrast, seeds with 12.5% moisture stored at 25°C exhibited a smaller but still significant decrease of 11%–14% (p < 0.05). The lowest tocopherol degradation (2%–5%) occurred in seeds with 10.5% moisture stored at 25°C. Additionally, degradation rates differed between tocopherol homologues: α‐tocopherol decreased more rapidly than γ‐tocopherol, as evidenced by a significant decline in the α‐T/γ‐T ratio under high‐moisture and high‐temperature conditions. The most pronounced reduction in this ratio was recorded in seeds stored with 15.5% moisture at 30°C. Plastochromanol‐8 was also highly sensitive to storage parameters, exhibiting an even more pronounced reduction than tocopherols under high‐moisture conditions (p < 0.05). A significant increase in acid value was also observed under high temperature and moisture conditions, exceeding the acceptable threshold of 3.0 mg KOH/g in some cases, indicating advanced lipid hydrolysis during storage.
The Effect of High-Temperature Heating on Amounts of Bioactive Compounds and Antiradical Properties of Refined Rapeseed Oil Blended with Rapeseed, Coriander and Apricot Cold-Pressed Oils
Cold-pressed oils are rich sources of bioactive substances, which may protect triacylglycerols from degradation during frying. Nevertheless, these substances may decompose under high temperature. This work considers the content of bioactive substances in blends and their changes during high-temperature heating. Blends of refined rapeseed oil with 5% or 25% in one of three cold-pressed oils (rapeseed, coriander and apricot) were heated at 170 or 200 °C in a thin layer on a pan. All non-heated blends and cold-pressed oils were tested for fatty acid profile, content and composition of phytosterols, tocochromanols, chlorophyll and radical scavenging activity (RSA) analyzed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Moreover, the stability of phytosterols, tocochromanols, DPPH and ABTS values was determined in heated blends. All tocochromanols were lost during the heating process, in particular, at 200 °C. However, there were some differences between homologues. α-Tocopherol and δ-tocopherol were the most thermolabile and the most stable, respectively. Phytosterols were characterized by very high stability at both temperatures. We observed relationships between ABTS and DPPH values and contents of total tocochromanols and α-tocopherol. The obtained results may be useful in designing a new type of fried food with improved health properties and it may be the basis for further research on this topic.