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Effects of Drying Conditions on the Content of Biologically Active Compounds in Winter Camelina Sativa Seeds
AbstractThe moisture content of Camelina sativa seeds has to be maintained at 7–12% during storage in order to preserve their quality. If seeds with higher moisture contents are to be stored, they first need to be dried. This study presents the effects of high‐temperature drying (at 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 °C) of C. sativa seeds on the technological usefulness (expressed as the acid value) and bioactive compound content (as polyenoic fatty acid, vitamin‐E active compounds, and phytosterols). It is shown that drying temperature significantly affects levels of bioactive compounds. Losses of phytosterols reached a maximum of 24% (for temperatures in the 80–140 °C range), while losses of tocopherols range from 2–11%, depending on cultivar. A change in the percentage composition of polyenoic acids is observed upon air drying at 100–140 °C. It is recommended not to exceed 60 °C when drying C. sativa seeds, in order to guarantee that high‐quality cold‐pressed oil with high levels of bioactive compounds is obtained.Practical application: The seeds of Camelina sativa, like other oilseeds, require appropriate storage after harvesting in order to maintain continuity of production. Maintaining the high seed quality during storage requires drying them after harvesting to a moisture content of 7–12%. Drying conditions have a significant effect on seed quality, expressed as acid number, and also affect the levels of bioactive compounds (such as polyene fatty acids, tocopherols, plastochromanol‐8, and phytosterols) in the oil. Information on optimum drying conditions will contribute to the availability of high‐quality camelina oils produced by small local manufacturers.
Profiling of the lipophilic components of seed oil obtained from two medicinal plants Corchorus capsularis L. and Hibiscus sabdariffa L.
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.