A novel methodology for direct esterification of olives optimized through design of experiments

A novel methodology was proposed, and optimized using the Design Expert software, aiming to enable characterization of the fatty acid profile of olives whilst abolishing the lipid extraction step. Furthermore, the proposed method was proven more efficient whereas requiring less time, and sample and solvent amounts, consequently improving process yield. Optimum conditions obtained after experimental design were as follows: sonication temperature and time of 60 ºC and 8 minutes, respectively, and concentrations for alkaline and acid reactions of 0.70 and 1.5 mol L-1, respectively. Total fatty acid content for olive sample was 172.0 mg g-1, the predicted value was and is in the coefficient of variation range of 11.52%

Effect of concentration of DHA nutrient-enhanced Artemia on the growth and physiology of the ridgetail white prawn, Exopalaemon carinicauda (Decapoda, Caridea, Palaemonidae)

Prawns of the species Exopalaemon carinicauda were fed with Artemia that had been enriched by either 1, or 3, or 5 g/l DHA powder. The feeding dose of Artemia offered to E. carinicauda was calculated according to the water volume, and maintained at 1-3 individuals/ml. After nutritional enrichment, the ratio of DHA content to total fatty acid content in Artemia was the highest (3.32%) after being fed 3 g/l DHA powder. The ratio of DHA content to total fatty acid content in the muscle tissue of E. carinicauda prawns fed with Artemia enhanced with 3 g/l DHA powder was also the highest (4.40%) achieved. Furthermore, when the concentration of fish oil DHA powder was 3 g/l, the survival rate of the prawns was significantly higher than in the control group, with the specific growth rate and weight gain reaching 11.39%/day, and 95.74%, respectively. In addition, the DHA-enhanced Artemia, at different concentrations, increased the non-specific immunity of individuals. The enzyme activity of T-AOC, SOD and AKP in the respective feeding groups of prawns was significantly higher, compared to the control group. Thus, Artemia enriched by 3 g/l DHA powder is proposed as an optimal choice for the offspring breeding of E. carinicauda.

Fatty Acid Composition in Blubber, Liver, and Muscle of Marine Mammals in the Southern Baltic Sea

To date, only limited results on the fatty composition in different tissues of the top predators in the Baltic Sea are available. In the current study, tissue samples of blubber, skeletal muscle, and liver from 8 harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and 17 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea off Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were included in the investigation. While the total fatty acid content in liver and blubber tissue revealed no differences between both species, the total fatty acid content of muscle tissue was significantly differentand showed higher concentrations in harbour porpoise muscle compared with grey seals. The most abundant fatty acids in the blubber of grey seals and harbour porpoises (18:1cis-9, 16:1cis-9, 16:0 and 22:6n-3) were present in similar quantities and ratios to each other as known from other marine top predators. If future studies can show that differences in tissue fatty acid content are caused by variation in the nutritional status, and this may lead to the development of a more objective assessment of body condition in seals and porpoises recovered via stranding schemes.

The Chemical Compositions of the Lipid Extracted from Fermented Mycelium of Grifola frondosa

The lipids from fermented mycelium of G. frondosa were extracted using supercritical flow CO2 and analyzed by GC-MS. There were 24 compounds detected in the lipids and the main compositions were octadecadienoic acid, eicosadienoic acid and hexadecanoic acid, with a little terpenoid compounds of cedrene, caryophyllene, isopropenylcarene, squalene, and some ergosterol. The total fatty acid content of the lipid was 89.18%, in which, the unsaturated fatty acid was 71.09%. The main compositions of saturated fatty acid were hexadecanoic acid and the main compositions of unsaturated fatty acid were linoleic acid and eicosadienoic acid (EDA). The contents of linoleic acid and EDA in the lipid from G. frondosa mycelium were 48.65% and 29.91% respectively.