Vegetable oils, which are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, vitamins and antioxidants, have a significant effect on the functioning and development of the body and contribute to health maintenance. They can be obtained from seeds, fruit stones, fruit, nuts or sprouts. This study discusses various species of plants that are sources of nut oils consumed in the daily diet and also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with infrared quartz cuvette (IQC) as spectral accessory method was developed to determine acid value (AV) of edible oils. The absorption peak at 5680 cm^–1/5487 cm^–1 ascribed to the C–H stretching band was a substitute for the peak of an internal standard. Partial least square (PLS) regression was used for AV calibration, and samples were validated by titrated method. Results showed dilution calibration was feasible for randomly dilution among 6–13:1 (CCl₄: oils, v/v). PLS calibration was optimal by a spectral wavenumber (3603 cm^–1–3250 cm^–1) as the first derivative treatment. Correlation coefficient and root mean square error of calibration were 0.9967 and 0.135, respectively. Calibrated validation, blind sample validation and precision analysis presented a good correlation between IQC-FTIR and titrated methods. Based on the dilution calibration, randomly diluted oil samples can be employed by IQC-FTIR.

Properties, crystallization behavior and oxidative stabilities of enzymatically catalyzed interesterified fats were investigated in this study. Interesterified fats were catalyzed by Lipase Lipozyme RM IM, through reaction from beef tallow (BT), palm stearin (PS) and camellia oil (CO)under the mass ratio of 7.55: 2.45: 4 (BT: CO: PS) using 3.65% (w/w) of Lipozyme RM IM at 72.6°C for 3.85 h. After reaction, interesterified fats with 36.8°C sliding melting point (SMP) was obtained. Physicochemical properties (fatty acid profile, triacylglycerol profile, solid fat content (SFC), melting and crystallization curve, polymorphic forms) of interesterified fats were characterized. Results proved that interesterified fats blends after interesterification were improved with desirable β’ type crystals and preferable SFC. Triacylglycerol constituent of interesterified fats displayed a decrease in OOO, PSS/SPS, LLL, SSS and increased in PSO/POS/SPO, POO/OPO, POP/PPO, PLO/PLP/PPL by comparison of physical blends without interesterification. Additionally, it is estimated that interesterified fats have a moderate antioxidative stability about 352 days-shelf life at 20°C through the traditional accelerated oxidation test. In conclusion, interesterified fats with desirable properties could be suitable for plastic fats use.

Alaska pollack protein (APP) was previously shown to reduce serum triacylglycerol and the atherogenic index and significantly increase gastrocnemius muscle mass in rats. To determine which myofibers are involved in this observed hypertrophy, we stained the gastrocnemius muscle with fast and slow fiber-specific antibodies and measured the muscle fiber diameter. We observed muscle hypertrophy in both the fast and slow fibers of APP-fed rats. Although muscle hypertrophy leads to drastic lipid changes, the amount of lipids did not differ significantly between casein-fed and APP-fed rats. To determine the lipid changes at the molecular species level and their localization, we performed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging to visualize lipids in the gastrocnemius muscles. We determined that lipid molecules were significantly changed due to APP feeding. Thus, APP feeding changes muscle lipid metabolism, and these metabolic changes might be related to hypertrophy.

Lipid rafts are microdomains present in the plasma membrane, which are enriched in sphingolipids and cholesterol. Certain kinases and adaptor proteins, which are important for cellular signaling, are also concentrated in lipid rafts. Several immunoreceptors are known to translocate into lipid rafts upon binding with their ligands to efficiently induce the signaling pathways, and hence, receptor translocation could be the new target for pleiotropic suppression of inflammatory responses. In this study, we evaluated the effects of carotenoids on ligand-induced lipid raft translocation of the receptors using B cell receptors (BCRs) as a model. Since all lipid raft-translocated BCRs were clustered at one pole of the cell, called capping, in our experimental condition, we screened the carotenoids for their inhibitory effect on lipid raft translocation of receptors using BCR capping as a parameter. Eleven out of twenty carotenoids significantly inhibited anti-IgM-induced BCR capping without cytotoxicity. Having no polar groups or a keto group at the C-8 position might be an important factor for inhibition. Treatment with lycopene, a non-polar carotenoid, and fucoxanthinol, a C-8-keto carotenoid, also suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced translocation of Toll-like receptor 4 into lipid rafts, and subsequent nitric oxide production in RAW264 macrophages. These results indicated that some carotenoids, but not all, can modulate inflammatory responses via suppression of ligand-induced lipid raft translocation of immunoreceptors, and also showed that our assay using BCR capping has the potential for screening compounds that inhibit lipid raft translocation of receptors.

High-purity trilinolein and triolein were prepared by Novozym 435-catalyzed esterification reaction combined with column chromatography purification in this study. Firstly, linoleic acid and oleic acid were respectively extracted from safflower seed oil and camellia seed oil by urea adduct method. Secondly, trilinolein and triolein were synthesized through Novozym 435 catalyzed esterification of glycerol and fatty acids. The best synthesis conditions were obtained as follows: reaction temperature 100°C, residual pressure 0.9 kPa, enzyme dosage 6%, molar ratio of glycerol to linoleic acid 1:3 and reaction time 8 h. Crude trilinolein and triolein were further purified by silica gel column chromatography. Finally, highpurity trilinolein (95.43±0.97%) and triolein (93.07±1.05%) were obtained.

In this study, physico-chemical properties, fatty acid composition, and tocopherol contents of several walnut kernel oils obtained through cold-press and Soxhlet extractions were investigated. The acidity, peroxide, and unsaponifiable matter of oil samples extracted in the Soxhlet system were found higher. Total phenol contents of the oils obtained in cold press and Soxhlet extraction systems were 121.9 mg GAE/100g (Kaman-2) and 154.6 mg GAE/ 100g (Büyükoba), and between 135.9 mg GAE/100g (Kaman-2) and 163.8 mg GAE/100g (Büyükoba), respectively (p < 0.05). In addition, antioxidant activity valuesof walnut oils obtained in cold press and Soxhlet extractions varied between 17.3% (Kaman-2) and 19.7% (Kaman-5), and between 18.4% (Kaman-2) and 23.8% (Büyükoba), respectively (p < 0.05). Linoleic acid contents of the oil samples extracted in cold-press varied between 55.19% (Kaman-5) and 56.71% (Kaman-2), while that extracted from Soxhlet extraction system varied between 54.47% (Kaman-2) and 55.93% (Büyükoba). ɣ-Tocopherol contents of walnut oils extracted in cold press and Soxhlet extraction ranged between 9.41 mg/100g (Büyükoba) and 10.83 mg/100g (Kaman-2), and 8.76 mg/100g (Kaman-5) and 9.33 mg/100g (Kaman-2), respectively, and were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Cosmetic standard poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) UV evaluation plates, i.e., roughened PMMA plates, are used in the EU and the US for the in vitro evaluation of UV protection abilities of sunscreen, such as in vitro UVA-PF and critical wavelength for the Broad-spectrum approval. In our previous studies, inhomogeneity in the thickness of a pseudo-sunscreen layer applied on a flat quartz plate was observed to alter UV transmission. Thus, the surface roughness of the standard plates should have a significant influence on the in vitro evaluation. In the present study, we have analyzed the surface structures of three cosmetic standard PMMA UV evaluation plates: Helioplates HD6 (Sa = 6 µm) and ISO plates (Ra = 2 and 5 µm). A decamethylcyclopentasiloxane and 2-propanol-mixed solvent solution of acrylsilicone resin was prepared, and the solution was added dropwise onto the plates. After the evaporation of the solvents, the plates were cut and the cross section was analyzed using SEM-EDS. The distribution of silicon atoms at the cross-section suggested that the maximum depth of penetrating of acrylsilicone resin was larger than Ra for all the standard plates, and the surface structure was significantly different for each standard plate. In addition, cracks into which the acrylsilicone resin deeply penetrated were observed on the surface of some plates. Clear-solution-type pseudo-sunscreen samples in which UV absorbers and acrylsilicone resin were dissolved were deposited on the standard roughened PMMA plates. It was observed that the addition of acrylsilicone resin drastically changed the net UV transmission. The degree to which the hollows of the roughened surface were filled with the pseudo-sunscreen samples determined the variation of UV transmittance.

Stress is a part of everyday life, but excessive stress can be related to diverse diseases. Recently, oral intake of a non-centrifuged cane sugar, Kokuto, was reported to produce potential anti-stress effects in humans. However, the molecular components associated with the anti-stress property of Kokuto remain mostly unknown. Therefore, we focused on the non-sugar component (NSC) fractions of Kokuto, and investigated how serum corticosterone level (used as a stress marker) and antioxidant activity were affected in restraint-stressed mice treated with NSC fractions obtained from the elusion on HP-20 resin with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% aqueous methanol (MeOH) solutions. Among the four NSC fractions, the 50% MeOH fraction showed a high content of phenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity. Moreover, oral administration of the 50% MeOH fraction suppressed both corticosterone secretion into the serum and reduction of antioxidant activity in serum and liver in restraint-stressed mice. Component analysis of the 50% MeOH fraction identified five antioxidative phenolic compounds: p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxyacetophenone, schaftoside, isoschaftoside, and p-coumaric acid. Phenolic compounds detected in the NSC fractions of Kokuto might contribute to the anti-stress property of Kokuto. In addition, this research provides more understanding of potential health benefits offered by the constituents of Kokuto.

Trans fatty acids (TFA) are considered risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, detailed information on total content of TFA and TFA isomers and distribution of trans-octadecenoic acid positional isomers in foods consumed in Japan is not available till date. In this study, 250 foods, 169 processed foods and 81 foods derived from ruminant meat or milk, were analyzed. According to the results, most foods contained less than 1.0 g TFA / 100 g food. However, almost all foods containing butter had more than 1.0 g TFA / 100 g food. TFA isomers in foods were classified into two categories, monoene-rich type and polyenerich type. We hypothesized that these differences were attributed to diverse TFA formation mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed that trans-10-18:1 was also the dominant trans-18:1 positional isomer in foods consumed in Japan. These results are valuable for future analysis of the role of TFA in epidemiological studies in Japan.