The effects of adding palmitic acid (PA) and linoleic acid (LA) on the performance of tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), in inhibiting the autoxidation of palm olein was studied. These fatty acids were employed to test their effectiveness on antioxidant performance, experimentally and theoretically. In experimental studies, palm olein added with fatty acids at four different concentrations in the presence or in the absence of TBHQ were heated in the oven at 60°C for 15 days and collected after 0, 1, 3, 6, 10 and 15 days for peroxide values analysis. In the theoretical study, a quantum mechanical at the theoretical level of DFT B3LYP/ 6-31G (d,p) was used in optimising the molecular structures of single species and complexes, and then tested for physical parameters (dipole moment, stabilisation energy, and bond indexes). It was found in the presence of TBHQ, synergistic behaviour was found between fatty acid and antioxidants. The addition of PA, which is the same as the main component of palm olein, significantly decreased oxidation and peroxide formation, thus gave less effect to the degradation of triacylglycerides. Based on the theoretical calculations, the interaction energy is shown as the major contributor to the performance of the antioxidant.

Nowadays, major pollutions present in the environment are produced by non-degradable substances. Eventually, the use of non-degradable products will increase carbon footprint in the atmosphere. In this study, modifications of five vegetable oils into biobased epoxides are reported. The oils used in this study were commercial palm oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil. The vegetable oils were refluxed using formic acid and hydrogen peroxide at temperature ranges of 45 to 50˚C and 60 to 65˚C for seven hours in order to change the chemical structure of carboncarbon double bonds into oxirane rings. The mixture was then processed by liquid-liquid extraction to separate epoxide oil from liquid that was present during the reflux process. The obtained oils were then analyzed using ATR-FTIR and the presence of oxirane rings were observed at the wavelength ν=1080.79 cm -1 and 836.10 cm -1 for epoxidized palm oil, ν =1107.14 cm -1 and 841.11 cm -1 for epoxidized rice bran oil, ν =1050.13 cm -1 and 850.35 cm -1 for epoxidized canola oil, ν =1083.99 cm -1 and 825.03 cm -1 for epoxidized soybean oil and ν =1095.57 cm -1 and 820.16 cm -1 for epoxidized sunflower oil, respectively. Additionally, an absorption band at ν=1462 cm -1 was observed in all oil samples, indicating the presence of C-C oxirane. In future, these epoxidized oils can serve as a great potential as new starting materials for the synthesis of lipid biopolymers.

Abstract:Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease. Adipocytes arise from pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which are also capable of differentiation into bone, muscle, or cartilage. Adipogenesis involves lineage commitment, mitotic clonal expansion, and terminal differentiation. Understanding these mechanisms, as well as when and how to turn them on or off, may allow development of new therapeutic approaches to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The most abundant non-lipid component of olive plant is the polyphenol oleuropein (Ole). We found that Ole modulates adipocyte differentiation, fat accumulation and adipogenic gene expression in human MSCs (hMSC). Ole blocks adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. Using RT-PCR to monitor gene expression, we found that Ole down-regulates the expression of adipogenic genes PPARγ2, LPL (lipoprotein lipase), and aP2 (lipid binding protein), while it upregulates PPARδ expression. In addition, in the presence of Ole, we were able to achieve transdifferentiation and dedifferentiation, allowing fat cells to assume other fates. These results demonstrate the potential utility of Ole for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and related disorders, which are associated with increased fat mass. Because it modulates adipocyte differentaion, Ole may also be useful for the treatment of cachexia and lipodystrophy.

Nowadays, major pollutions present in the environment are produced by non-degradable substances. Eventually, the use of non-degradable products will increase carbon footprint in the atmosphere. In this study, modifications of five vegetable oils into biobased epoxides are reported. The oils used in this study were commercial palm oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil. The vegetable oils were refluxed using formic acid and hydrogen peroxide at temperature ranges of 45 to 50˚C and 60 to 65˚C for seven hours in order to change the chemical structure of carbon-carbon double bonds into oxirane rings. The mixture was then processed by liquid-liquid extraction to separate epoxide oil from liquid that was present during the reflux process. The obtained oils were then analyzed using ATR-FTIR and the presence of oxirane rings were observed at the wavelength ν=1080.79 cm-1 and 836.10 cm-1 for epoxidized palm oil, ν =1107.14 cm-1 and 841.11 cm-1 for epoxidized rice bran oil, ν =1050.13 cm-1 and 850.35 cm-1 for epoxidized canola oil, ν =1083.99 cm-1 and 825.03 cm-1 for epoxidized soybean oil and ν =1095.57 cm-1 and 820.16 cm-1 for epoxidized sunflower oil, respectively. Additionally, an absorption band at ν=1462 cm-1 was observed in all oil samples, indicating the presence of C-C oxirane. In future, these epoxidized oils can serve as a great potential as new starting materials for the synthesis of lipid biopolymers.

The aim of this research project is to study the effect of para-substituents on the physical properties of 2,6-ditert-butyl phenol derivatives as a vegetable oil chain-breaking radical scavenger. In this theoretical studies, Gaussian 09 quantum mechanical software package at the theoretical level of DFT B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) were employed to evaluate the optimized geometry at the local minimum of total potential energy structures. The physical parameters such as the total electronic energy, the strength and the length of hydrogen bonding, the O-H antioxidants parameters(bond length, bond strength, Wiberg bond index), and the dipole moment of the molecules involved were assessed at the same theoretical level by using Natural Bond Orbital method. The para-substituents in consideration were -H, -CH 3 , -OH, -OCH 3 and propyl ester (COOCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 ). Results showed that hydroxyl (-OH) para derivative formed the strongest transition-state complex (24.5 kJ/mol) with C9-hydroperoxyl radical of methyl linoleate followed by -OCH 3 (23.7 kJ/mol), -CH 3 (21.8 kJ/mol), -H (21.4 kJ/mol), and -COOCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 (20.7 kJ/mol). However, the para-derivative of propyl ester (-COOCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 ) has the lowest Wiberg bond index of O-H bond (0.653) compared to the other derivatives of the 2,6-ditert-butyl phenol [-H (0.661), -CH 3 (0.663), -OCH 3 (0.664), -OH (0.665)]. This means that the derivatives with hydroxyl or propyl ester group at para-position should be more effective as an antioxidant for high-linoleic vegetable oil rather than the available commercial BHT where the substituent is methyl group.