Research Highlights: Lipid Technology 5/2014

Abstract

Prof. M. Eskin (/me) can be contacted at eskin@cc.umanitoba.ca Mr. P. Clough (/pc) can be contacted at peter.clough@cobdenresearch.com Dr. Gary List (/gl) can be contacted at grlist@telstar-online.net Droplet size and composition of nutraceutical nanoemulsions influences bioavailability of long chain fatty acids and Coenzyme Q10The effect of droplet size and oil digestibility on the bioavailability of a long chain fatty acid (heptadecanoic acid) and a nutraceutical (Coenzyme Q10) were studied in a rat feeding model using three droplet sizes (d 32 = 0.21, 0.70 or 2.2 μm) and comparing corn oil versus mineral oil. Small droplets were digested more rapidly than large droplets, ascribed to the greater surface area of lipid exposed to intestinal juices. Emulsified corn oil was found to digestible while emulsified mineral oil was not. The study, which is relevant to the development of nanoemulsion based nutraceuticals, demonstrated that bioavailability of active ingredients was maximised when encapsulated in the smallest digestible oil droplets. /pc Cho, H. T. et al., Food Chem. 2014, 156, 117-122. Non-destructive determination of high oleic acid content in single soybean seeds by near infrared reflectance spectroscopyIn recent years soybean genotypes with oleic acid contest >70% for improved oxidative stability have been developed. The associated breeding programmes would benefit from quick and effective identification of high oleic acid genotypes. This study developed a calibration equation for non destructive near infrared reflectance (NIR) determination of high oleic acid content on single soybean seeds. 600 intact seeds were scanned by NIR and spectral data collected between 400 and 2500 nm at 2 nm intervals. It demonstrated that the equations for determining total oleic acid and >50% oleic acid had high predictive ability (r 2 = 0.91 and r 2 = 0.99, respectively). To validate the equations seeds from different genetic backgrounds were tested and again high oleic acid content was accurately predicted from single seeds. /pc Han, S.-I. et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 2014, 91, 229-234.