No abstract

Medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCTs) were synthesized from rapeseed oil (RO), one kind of commonly used edible long-chain triacylglycerols (TGs), and then delivered to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Compared with RO, MLCT consumption exhibited more potent effects on reducing body and tissue weight gains, plasma TG, and total cholesterol (TC) levels and on improving hepatic TG, TC, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and lipoprteinlipase contents. Meanwhile, lower amounts of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and endotoxin in plasma, lower levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α, and higher levels of interleukin-10 in both livers and white adipose tissues were detected in MLCT-fed rats. MLCT intake also remarkably suppressed the size of adipocytes and the number of macrophages. In conclusion, our study suggested that the interesterified MLCT was more efficacious in improving the lipid metabolism and inflammation in HFD-induced obese rats than RO.

Genipin blue is a pigment prepared from the reaction of genipin with amino acid. We describe herein a new method used to prepare genipin blue, water-soluble blue pigments, through the reaction of hen egg protein with genipin. The effects of reaction time, reaction temperature, the pH value of the solution and the mass ratio of the reactants on the preparation are studied. One part of genipin reacted with eight parts of hen egg protein (w/w) in water (pH value of reaction system 7.5) at 60°C for 96 h and gave blue pigments with the maximum colour value of 146.2. The blue pigments showed identical absorption activity in UV spectroscopy (λ(max )= 584 nm) to that of gardenia blue pigments, which were prepared from the reaction of genipin with amino acid.