Recent progress of immunologic aspects of liposomes for medical applications are reviewed. Liposomal application for immunoassay, targeting and adjuvant activity for vaccination are discussed. Development of complement dependent liposome immune lysis assay enabled to measure small amount of serum proteins, such as cancer markers, and extended to various microbial toxins. New technology of targeting for malignant tumors have been developed. The use of liposomes as an safe, versatile, universal adjuvant that can induce humoral and cellmediated immunity to antigen have been investigateted increasingly.

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The state of dissolved water in triglycerides (TG) such as tristearin, triolein, trilinolein, and trilinolenin, was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared and near infrared spectroscopy at 20°C, and compared with that of water. Water was revealed to be mainly composed of polymers larger than dimer clusters at 20°C, and of monomers and dimer clusters at 120°C.
In TG, the state showed considerable variation from monomer to polymer clusters. The distribution ratios of the water clusters observed in TG depended on the kinds of fatty acids of TG. The water state was noted to change due to interactions between unsaturated bonds and dissolved water. With increase in the number of unsaturated bonds of TG, the ratio of monomer water decreased, and clusters larger than those of the original water increased.

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The contents of α-tocopherol, chlorophyll, carotenes and squalene in the lipid extract of palm leaflets from fronds of different frond numbers and palm ages were determined. The results showed the average contents (%, dry basis) of α-tocopherol, carotenes and squalene in the leaflets of the same frond number as obtained from palms of different ages to increase with frond number. The average contents were 0.02 %, 0. 21 % and 0. 40% for α-tocopherol, 0. 05%, 0. 13% and 0. 22% for carotenes, and 0. 006%, 0.1 % and 0. 2% for squalene in frond numbers 1, 17 and 33, respectively. In the case of total chlorophyll, the average content appeared to be maximum at a frond number 17, and were 0. 48%, 0. 62 % and 0. 53 % in leaflets at frond numbers 1, 17 and 33, respectively. Since oil frond (frond number >33) is available in abundance from frond pruning in oil palm plantation, these materials should be usable for the extraction of α-tocopherol, carotenes and squalene. The fatty acid composition of lipids was also determined.

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Emulsion stability was studied by measurements of coalescence rates of small single drops of water or decane from either side of a plane n-decane/water interface, following Cockbain's multi-drop method. The mechanisms of viscous drainage and strength of interfacial film are discussed based on the distribution of lifetime of drops at the interface. The distribution curve expressing the relation between number of drops N and drop life t generally consists of a flat induction part with lifetime below τ and a successive decaying part where lnN decreases linearly with increase with lifetime above τ. The coalescence rate (k) is obtained from the slope of the plot of the decaying part. k and τ were found to have essentially the same values for both decane and water drops in the absence of a surfactant, whereas they differed considerably from each other. The activation energies for coalescence as determined from the temperature dependence of τ and k are compared and the mechanism of coalescence is discussed.

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A method for the separation and determination of the components of a sulfonate type anionic surfactant mixture including 2-sulfonatofatty acid methyl ester (α-SF) was developed. It is quite difficult to isolate linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS), α-olefin sulfonate (AOS), alkane sulfonate (SAS) and α-SF from mixture of these compounds. However, when converted to their sulfonic acid methyl ester derivatives, separation is possible by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The methyl sulfonate mixture was separated into α-SF, AOS, and (LAS and SAS) by normal phase HPLC, and the content of each was determined from the peak area. The eluents were collected into flasks and subject to reversed phase HPLC analysis of alkyl homologue distribution. The ratio of LAS to SAS was determined by means of NMR spectroscopy. Mixtures of α-SF, LAS, AOS, and SAS with definite composition were analyzed by this method. The results for alkyl homologue distribution agreed well with those for raw materials of fatty acid such as methyl ester, linear alkylbenzene, α-olefin or n-paraffin.

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The lipids of seven species of Basidiomycotina (Lepista sordida, Amanita pantherina, Russula emetica, Russula nigricans, Lactarius vellereus, Clavulina cristata and Polyporus squmosus) and three species of Ascomycotina (Morchella esculenta, Morchella elata and Pezia vesiculosa) were studied for determination of total lipid, neutral lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid content and fatty acid composition. The major fatty acid components of all samples were 16 : 0, 18 : 1 and 18 : 2, but 18 : 0 was found in L. vellereus in considerable amounts. Two unusual fatty acids cis-9, trans-11, trans-13, cis-15-octadecatetraenoic acid and cis-9, cis-14-, octadecadien-, 12-ynoic acid were also detected as fatty acid components of C. cristata. Their structures were assigned based on chromatographic and UV and GC-MS spectrometric data as well as a comparison with the authentic samples.

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Commercial margarines, cooking fat and lard in Germany were assessed for quality, using 16 brands of margarine (including 4 of high linoleic type), 9 of low fat spread (including 4 of high linoleic type), 4 of dairy spread (compound type, 2 ; low fat butter, 2), 11 of cooking fat and 8 of lard, totaling 48.
1) Lipid and water content averaged 80.0 and 19.4% in margarine, while 39.5 and 56.8% in low fat spread, respectively. The latter had about half calories of the former. Sorbic acid and stabilizers of emulsion were added to the low fat spread.
2) Almost all margarine samples were fortified with vitamins A and D₃, and vitamin B₆, was also found in some cases. To all high linoleic products, α-tocopherol was added, and tocotrienols were detected in 6 brands of margarine, indicating blending palm oil to possibly be present.
3) Cholesterol was detected only as a trace in products labelled vegetable oil on tha package, but Δ⁷-stigmastenol and avenasterol were detected in greater amounts in high linoleic products than in others.
4) Since high linoleic margarines comprised of 64.351. 1% (57.7% in average) of c, c-18 : 2 fatty acid, and contained less trans fatty acids, they were considered “zero-trans” products. The ratios of α-tocopherol (mg) /polyunsaturated fatty acids (g) in these ranged from 1.45 to 0.63 (1.00 in average), indicating α-tocopherol to be sufficiently present.
5) Various types of composition were present in cooking fat, most lard product were characteristically present in addition to onion and spices.
6) SFC curves indicated the high linolleic type of margarines to be softer than others in the low temperature region. The dairy spread showed more SFC in the low temperature region, but less SFC in the higher region than margarines. SFC in cooking fat varied considerably according to type, and lard showed a SFC curve with a unique feature of a wide melting range.

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