A retention index calculator simplifies identification of plant volatile organic compounds

INTRODUCTION

Plant volatiles (PVOCs) are important targets for studies in natural products, chemotaxonomy and biochemical ecology. The complexity of PVOC profiles often limits research to studies targeting only easily identified compounds. With the availability of mass spectral libraries and recent growth of retention index (RI) libraries, PVOC identification can be achieved using only gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GCMS). However, RI library searching is not typically automated, and until recently, RI libraries were both limited in scope and costly to obtain.

OBJECTIVE

To automate RI calculation and lookup functions commonly utilised in PVOC analysis.

METHODOLOGY

Formulae required for calculating retention indices from retention time data were placed in a spreadsheet along with lookup functions and a retention index library. Retention times obtained from GCMS analysis of alkane standards and Koeberlinia spinosa essential oil were entered into the spreadsheet to determine retention indices. Indices were used in combination with mass spectral analysis to identify compounds contained in Koeberlinia spinosa essential oil.

RESULTS

Eighteen compounds were positively identified. Total oil yield was low, with only 5 ppm in purple berries. The most abundant compounds were octen-3-ol and methyl salicylate. The spreadsheet accurately calculated RIs of the detected compounds.

CONCLUSION

The downloadable spreadsheet tool developed for this study provides a calculator and RI library that works in conjuction with GCMS or other analytical techniques to identify PVOCs in plant extracts.

The gene MT3-B can differentiate palm oil from other oil samples

The practice of blending cheap palm oil with more expensive oils is currently rampant owing to the increased global price of oil and the price gap between types of oils. This adulteration poses a serious threat to the trade of edible oil and negatively affects consumers. The aim of this study was to identify the presence of palm oil as an additive in more expensive oils using a PCR-based technique. A taxon-specific gene, MT3-B, was found by searching the GenBank database. MT3-B showed high oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) specificity, low intraspecies variability, and a low copy number. On the basis of the MT3-B sequence, conventional and real-time PCR assays were established to detect palm oil contamination by amplifying an amplicon of 109 bp. The lowest copy number that the conventional PCR method could detect was five haploid copies; the limit of detection (LOD) for the real-time PCR assay was estimated to be five haploid copies. Experimental results demonstrated that the PCR-based methods were specific, sensitive, and reliable and could successfully detect the palm oil component of mixed oil samples.

[Rapid determination of the components in ternary blended edible oil using near infrared transmission spectroscopy]

The FT-NIR transmission spectra of ternary blended edible oil samples were collected over 10 000-4 200 cm(-1). After being pretreated with different methods, the calibration models of quantitative analysis of soybean oil, peanut oil and corn oil contents in ternary blended edible oil were established using partial least square (PLS) regression. The accuracy and precision of the models for the predicted sample set were examined to make sure of the practicability of the models. After being pretreated with first derivative and multiplicative signal correction (FD+MSC), the optimal soybean oil NIR model was built over 5 450.1-4 597.7 cm(-1). The best prediction model for peanut oil was established between 7 521.3 and 6 098.1 cm(-1) after using first derivative with straight line subtraction (FD+SLS) preprocess method. The best pretreated method and the best spectrum range for corn oil content model were first derivative (FD) and 9 993.7-7 498.2 cm(-1), respectively. The best correlation coefficients (R2) of the three prediction models were 99.89%, 99.88% and 99.76%, respectively. The RMSEP of the soybean oil content model was 1.09%, while the peanut oil prediction model's RMSEP was 1.17%, and 1.48% for the corn oil prediction model. The values of the t-test were between 0.007 9 and 0.371 9, and all values of the relative standard deviation (RSD) were less than 1.50%. The results showed that NIR could be an ideal tool for fast determination of the soybean oil, peanut oil and corn oil contents in ternary blended edible oil.

Rosewood oil induces sedation and inhibits compound action potential in rodents

AIM OF THE STUDY

Aniba rosaeodora is an aromatic plant which has been used in Brazil folk medicine due to its sedative effect. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the sedative effect of linalool-rich rosewood oil in mice. In addition we sought to investigate the linalool-rich oil effects on the isolated nerve using the single sucrose-gap technique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sedative effect was determined by measuring the potentiation of the pentobarbital-induced sleeping time. The compound action potential amplitude was evaluated as a way to detect changes in excitability of the isolated nerve.

RESULTS

The results showed that administration of rosewood oil at the doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg significantly decreased latency and increased the duration of sleeping time. On the other hand, the dose of 100 mg/kg potentiated significantly the pentobarbital action decreasing pentobarbital latency time and increasing pentobarbital sleeping time. In addition, the effect of linalool-rich rosewood oil on the isolated nerve of the rat was also investigated through the single sucrose-gap technique. The amplitude of the action potential decreased almost 100% when it was incubated for 30 min at 100 microg/ml.

CONCLUSIONS

From this study, it is suggested a sedative effect of linalool-rich rosewood oil that could, at least in part, be explained by the reduction in action potential amplitude that provokes a decrease in neuronal excitability.

Characteristics of grains and oils of four different oats (Avena sativaL.) cultivars growing in Turkey

Some physical and chemical properties of four oat (Avena sativa L.) varieties (BDMY-6, BDMY-7, Che-Chois and Y-2330) harvested from Konya in Turkey were investigated. The weight of the grain, moisture, crude protein, crude ash, crude fibre, crude energy, crude oil and water-soluble extract contents of all oat variety grains were analysed. Contents of aluminium, calcium, cadmium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, lead, potassium and manganese were also determined in the oat grains. The specific gravity, refractive index, free fatty acids, peroxide value, saponification number and unsaponifiable matter were determined in the grain oil. Tocopherol contents of these four oat grain oils were measured. Palmitic acid (15.72%), oleic acid (33.97-51.26%) and linoleic acid (22.80-35.90%) were found to be rich in protein, oil, fibre, unsaturated fatty acids and minerals, suggesting that they may be valuable for food uses. Due to high nutritive values, it is recommended to process for healthy food products.

Estimation of catechin in Ayurvedic oil formulations containing Acacia catechu

A sensitive, simple, rapid, and efficient HPTLC method was developed and validated for the analysis of catechin in marketed Ayurvedic oil formulations containing Acacia catechu. Chromatography of methanolic-0.1% formic acid (7:3, v/v) extracts of these formulations was performed on silica gel 60 F254 aluminum-backed TLC plates of 0.2 mm layer thickness. The plate was developed up to 85 mm with the ternary-mobile phase chloroform-acetone-0.1% formic acid (7.7 + 1.5 + 0.8%, v/v/v) at 22 +/- 2 degrees C with 20 min of chamber saturation. The system produced compact spots of catechin at an Rf value of 0.36. The marker, catechin, was quantified at its maximum absorbance of 296 nm. The limit of detection and quantitation values were 6 and 20 ng/spot, respectively. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plot showed a good linear relationship with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993 in the concentration range of 200-1200 ng/spot for catechin with respect to peak area. Repeatability of the method was 0.88% RSD. Recovery values from 97 to 102% indicate excellent accuracy of the method. The developed HPTLC method is accurate, precise, and cost-effective, and it can be successfully applied for the determination of catechin in marketed Ayurvedic oil formulations containing Acacia catechu.

Vitamin E profile as a reliable authenticity discrimination factor between chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivars

In this study, the profile of tocopherols and tocotrienols in chestnut ( Castanea sativa Mill.) kernel oil was evaluated. Four Portuguese chestnut varieties were selected: Aveleira, Boaventura, Judia, and Longal. The vitamin E determination had already been applied to similar matrices, but, to the authors' knowledge, it is the first time that chestnut kernel oil has been evaluated. The prevalent vitamer was gamma-tocopherol, often present in trace amounts in other natural products. Due to the high commercial value of chestnut, a statistical analysis of the obtained results was also conducted to define the tocopherol and tocotrienol profile as a reliable indicator of a specific chestnut variety. To achieve this objective, an analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the method as well as the uniformity of results for each variety. A discriminant analysis was also carried out revealing quite satisfactory results. Four varieties were clustered in four individual groups through the definition of two discriminant analysis dimensions.

Effects of two low phytic acid mutations on seed quality and nutritional traits in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr)

Reduction of phytic acid in soybean seeds has the potential to improve the nutritional value of soybean meal and lessen phosphorus pollution in large scale animal farming. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of two new low phytic acid (LPA) mutations on seed quality and nutritional traits. Multilocation/season comparative analyses showed that the two mutations did not affect the concentration of crude protein, any of the individual amino acids, crude oil, and individual saturated fatty acids. Among other traits, Gm-lpa-TW75-1 had consistently higher sucrose contents (+47.4-86.1%) and lower raffinose contents (-74.2 to -84.3%) than those of wild type (WT) parent Taiwan 75; Gm-lpa-ZC-2 had higher total isoflavone contents (3038.8-4305.4 microg/g) than its parent Zhechun # 3 (1583.6-2644.9 microg/g) in all environments. Further tests of homozygous F(3) progenies of the cross Gm-lpa-ZC-2 x Wuxing # 4 (WT variety) showed that LPA lines had a mean content of total isoflavone significantly higher than WT lines. This study demonstrated that two LPA mutant genes have no negative effects on seed quality and nutritional traits; they instead have the potential to improve a few other properties. Therefore, these two mutant genes are valuable genetic resources for breeding high quality soybean varieties.

Ambient mass spectrometry employing direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source for olive oil quality and authenticity assessment

A novel approach for the authentication of olive oil samples representing different quality grades has been developed. A new type of ion source, direct analysis in real time (DART), coupled to a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) was employed for the comprehensive profiling of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and/or polar compounds extracted with a methanol-water mixture. The main parameters influencing the ionization efficiency of TAGs were the type of sample solvent, degree of sample dilution, ion beam temperature, and presence of a dopant (ammonia vapors). The ionization yield of polar compounds depended mainly on a content of water in the extract and ion beam temperature. Using DART-TOFMS, not only differentiation among extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), olive pomace oil (OPO) and olive oil (OO) could be easily achieved, but also EVOO adulteration with commonly used adulterant, hazelnut oil (HO), was feasible. Based on the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the introduced method allowed detection of HO addition of 6 and 15% (v/v) when assessing DART-TOFMS mass profiles of polar compounds and TAGs, respectively.

Dependence of fatty-acid composition of edible oils on their enrichment in olive phenols

Olive phenol extracts from waste from olive-oil production (alperujo) have been obtained by microwave-assisted extraction and used for edible oil enrichment. The extracts as such or after extractant removal were used to enrich edible oils of different fatty acid composition by liquid-liquid or solid-liquid extraction, respectively. The distribution ratios of the phenols in the different oils [olive-orujo (the waste of milled olives from which low-quality oil is obtained), sunflower, high oleic-acid content sunflower, coconut, and linseed] showed a given order as a function of phenol polarity and molecular weight, with higher distribution factors for more polar and lower molecular-weight phenols. Concerning oil composition, those oils with higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids yielded higher phenol distribution factors; oils with higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids yielded lower distribution factors.

Coast and year effect on H, O and C stable isotope ratios of Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Italian olive oils

The paper discusses the (2)H/(1)H, (18)O/(16)O and (13)C/(12)C ratios of 196 authentic Italian extra-virgin olive oils produced in 3 years on the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. The (2)H/(1)H and (18)O/(16)O ratios were linearly and positively correlated. The year of production influenced mainly (18)O/(16)O in relation to the amount of rainfall and the atmospheric humidity in the period of oil accumulation in the olives. The (2)H/(1)H ratio significantly distinguished the olive oils produced on the Adriatic coast from those on the Tyrrhenian coast in each year. This coast effect is a consequence of the different sources and isotopic compositions of the rainfall and the different climatic conditions on the two coasts. The paper contributes towards understanding the influence of climatic factors on isotopic variability and towards improving the traceability of the geographical origin of olive oils, using (2)H/(1)H as a more innovative parameter.

Lippia javanica (Burm F) Spreng: its general constituents and bioactivity on mosquitoes

Mosquito repellent plants are used in the rural areas of Zimbabwe despite the fact that very few of them have been biologically evaluated. Leaves of the plant Lippia javanica, were collected from Mumurwi village, Zimbabwe and evaluated for repellency against laboratory reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Major plant compounds were identified using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Mass Spectrometry (MS). Fraction 'A' contained coumarins, flavonoids and essential oils and offered a protection time of 8 and 5.5hrs in choice and non-choice experiments respectively. Fraction 'B1' contained flavonoids with a protection time of 1 and 0.5hrs in choice and non choice experiments respectively. Fraction 'B2' contained coumarins and essential oils and offered a protection time of 2hrs in either test. No major compounds were identified from the following fractions: 'C1', 'C2', 'D1', 'E1', 'E2', 'F1' and 'F2' and all of them failed to give 100% repellence. The 'C1' supernatant fraction contained coumarins and provided protection from mosquito bites for 1 and 0.5 hrs in choice and non-choice experiments respectively. Fraction 'C2' did not have the major compounds but gave a protection time of 1 hr in either experiment. Fraction 'D2' contained essential oils only and it provided a protection time of 2.5hrs in choice experiments. Analysis by MS showed the presence of alpha pinene, 1,3-5 cycloheptatriene, beta phellandrene, (+)-2-carene, 3-carene, eucalyptol and caryophyllene oxide. L. javanica offered protection from mosquito bites for 8hrs (choice) and 5.5hrs (non choice experiments). The combined presence of coumarins, flavonoids and essential oils have an additive effect compared with individual plant fractions.

Confirmation of food origin claims by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics: extra virgin olive oil from Liguria

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and various chemometric tools for confirming the geographic origin of olive oil from Liguria (northern Italy). Authentic extra virgin olive oil samples (n = 913) from three harvests (2004-2007) were collected from Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Turkeyapproximately one-fourth of all samples originated in Liguria. Attenuated total reflectance spectra were recorded at room temperature; the analytical challenge was to confirm that an oil which claimed to be from Liguria originated there. Derivative and standard normal variate data pretreatments were applied to the recorded spectra, which were subsequently analyzed by a number of multivariate proceduresprincipal component analysis, factorial discriminant analysis, and partial least-squares regression analysis. Prediction models created using samples from all three harvests had sensitivities and selectivities of approximately 0.80.

[The oil, fatty acid and squalene content of varieties of raw and processed amaranth grain]

The oil, fatty acid and squalene content of varieties of raw and processed grain amaranth. Six amaranth grain varieties were processed to yield a nixtamalized flour, one cooked in water, one expanded, a malted one and a laminate samples after a thermic treatment. The chemical values of the raw samples contained from 14.5% to 15.1% protein, 5.9 to 6.7% ether extract and from 2.3% to 3.2% ash on a dry weight basis. The flours from the different processes yield products with a fat content which varied from 6.4% to 7.0% for the 6 varieties. The flours coming from dry heat processing contained higher oil levels than those flours coming from wet processes. The oil from only 3 varieties and from 4 processes were analyzed from its fatty acid composition. The oil contained on the average 17.85% of C16:0, 68.1% of stearic, olic and linoleic acids, 3.86% of C18:3, 5.1% of C20:0 and small amounts of C20:1 and C22:0. The squalene content in the oil of the processed flours varied from 7.0 to 9.6 g/100 g for the raw flour, 8.1 -12.6 g/100 g for the flour from wet cooking in water, 9.0 -12.7g/ 100 g for the flour from the nixtamalization process, 10.1-12.8g/ 100 g for the expanded grain flour, 9.0 to 11.2 g/100 g for the malted flour and 6.0-9.5 g/100 g for the laminated grain flour. The squalene averages per process showed statistical significant differences.

[Nondestructive identification of different oil content maize kernels by near-infrared spectra]

Using 220 maize single kernels, containing 75 common maize single kernels, 72 high-oil maize single kernels and 73 super high-oil maize single kernels as study materials, BPANN identification model was set up for maize single kernel with different oil content based on principal components of near infrared (NIR) spectra. Four fifths of the samples were randomly selected as training set and the other samples as prediction set. Fourteen principal components from the second to the fifteenth were selected as nets input and -1, 0, 1 as nets output. Ten models were set up like this and the accurate identification rate of all the training sets can reach 100%. For prediction sets, fifteen common corn grain samples had an average accurate identification rate of 99.33%, fourteen high-oil corn grain samples had an average accurate identification rate of 97.88%, fourteen super high-oil corn grain samples had an average accurate identification rate of 91.43%, and total maize grains in prediction set had an average accurate identification rate of over 95%. Results showed that NIR spectroscopy combined with BP-ANN technology could identify maize kernels fast and nondestructively according to oil content, which offered a very useful classification method for maize seed breeding. The effect of different principal component on BPANN models was also studied. Results told us that the first principal component with over 99% of variance contribution had negative effect on the identification model. The predictive ability of identification models set up by different principal component was discriminatory, although the learning accurate identification rates were all 100%. So it is necessary to choose correlative principal component to set up identification model.

Essential oil composition and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence variability of four South-Croatian Satureja species (Lamiaceae)

The purpose of this study was to compare the essential oil profiles of four South-Croatian Satureja species, as determined by GC/FID and GC/MS, with their DNA sequences for an internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. A phylogenetic analysis showed that S. montana and S. cuneifolia, characterized by a similar essential oil composition, rich in the monoterpene hydrocarbon carvacrol, clustered together with high and moderate bootstrap support. On the contrary, S. subspicata and S. visianii, characterized by quite unique essential oil compositions, clustered together with the moderate bootstrap support. All four Croatian Satureja species clustered in one clade, separately from Macaronesian S. hortensis, although it had essential oil composition similar to that of S. montana and S. cuneifolia. This is the first report on the comparison between the phytochemical and DNA sequence data in Satureja species and useful contribution to the better understanding of interspecies relationships in this genus.

Olive oil qualitative parameters after orchard irrigation with saline water

The effect of irrigation with saline water on oil quality was studied in the two olive ( Olea europaea L.) cultivars Koroneiki and Mastoidis, which are the main varieties grown extensively on the island of Crete. Plants (5 years old) were grown outdoors in containers, filled with freely drained light soil. Four treatments were applied, differing in the NaCl added to the irrigation water as follows: 0 (control) 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl. Drip irrigation was applied regularly, during the dry season (from April to October). Plants in all treatments were irrigated when the soil-water potential reached -40 kPa at a depth of 30 cm. Data showed that increased NaCl levels in irrigation water resulted in a decrease in oil content in the fruits and an increase in total phenols and their secoiridoid derivatives in olive oils from harvested fruits. Furthermore, changes also took place in the composition of fatty acids and triacylglycerol molecular species. The extent of alterations was different for the two varieties and greater in cv. Koroneiki. This fitted with agronomic evidence that cv. Koroneiki is less saline-tolerant than cv. Mastoidis.

Experimental investigation on regulated and unregulated emissions of a diesel engine fueled with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel blended with biodiesel from waste cooking oil

Experiments were conducted on a 4-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine using ultra-low sulfur diesel, bi oesel and their blends, to investigate the regulated and unregulated emissions of the engine under five engine loads at an engine speed of 1800 rev/min. Blended fuels containing 19.6%, 39.4%, 59.4% and 79.6% by volume of biodiesel, corresponding to 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% by mass of oxygen in the blended fuel, were used. Biodiesel used in this study was converted from waste cooking oil. The following results are obtained with an increase of biodiesel in the fuel. The brake specific fuel consumption and the brake thermal efficiency increase. The HC and CO emissions decrease while NO(x) and NO(2) emissions increase. The smoke opacity and particulate mass concentrations reduce significantly at high engine load. In addition, for submicron particles, the geometry mean diameter of the particles becomes smaller while the total number concentration increases. For the unregulated gaseous emissions, generally, the emissions of formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, toluene, xylene decrease, however, acetaldehyde and benzene emissions increase. The results indicate that the combination of ultra-low sulfur diesel and biodiesel from waste cooking oil gives similar results to those in the literature using higher sulfur diesel fuels and biodiesel from other sources.

[Determination of lithium in the oil field water by flame atomic absorption spectrometry]

Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was applied to the determination of micro amount of lithium in the oil field water of certain area. In order to determine which method is more appropriate for the determination of lithium content in the oil field water, standard curve method and standard addition method were compared. The effects of dilution, coexistent ions, and deionizers on the determination were studied. For the determination of lithium content in the same diluted oil field water samples, there exist obvious differences between the results obtained from standard addition method and standard curve method. Standard addition method gives results with a larger error, whereas standard curve method gives more accurate results. It is difficult to eliminate the interferences when the standard addition method is used. The standard curve method is found to be more suitable for the determination of micro amount of lithium in the oil field water for its accuracy, simplicity, and feasibility. When the standard curve method is used, both the determined lithium concentration and the recovery change with the dilution extent of the oil field water. In order to get an accurate result, the oil field water sample should be diluted to 1/200 or less. In this case, the recovery by standard addition method ranges from 94.3% to 96.9%. When sodium phosphate or sodium chloride is used as the deionizer, the recovery by standard addition method ranges from 94.6% to 98.6%, or from 94.2% to 96.3%. In the determination of lithium content in oil field water, there are larger experimental errors without the addition of any deionizer. When the concentration of coexistent ions is within an allowed range, the addition of sodium phosphate as a deionizer can eliminate the interferences of the coexistent ions with the determination of the lithium content. If sodium chloride is used as a deionizer, a more accurate result can be obtained when the sodium content in the samples is near the sodium content in the standard solutions. In general, under suitable experimental conditions, sodium chloride can be used as the deionizer for the determination of lithium content in the oil field water.

[Measuring fatty acid concentration in maize grain by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy]

The fatty acid concentrations in maize grain were analyzed with a set of 294 samples including normal inbred lines, high-oil inbred lines and high-oil recombinant inbred lines (RIL). The method of partial least squares (PLS) regression with internal cross validation was employed to develop the measuring models of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for concentrations of four major fatty acids, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, as well as oil concentration in maize grain. The NIRS models were accurate for oleic acid, linoleic acid and oil concentrations. The determination coefficients of these models in cross validation were 0.89, 0.88 and 0.91, respectively; the determination coefficients in external validation were 0.86, 0.84 and 0.92, respectively; and the ratio of standard deviation (SD) to root mean square error of validation (RMSEV) in both calibration and external validation sets (RSC(P)) was higher than 2.5. But the models for palmitic and stearic acid concentrations were not accurate enough with determination coefficients in cross validation and external validation lower than 0.80, and RSC(P) lower than 2.5. Further practical validation showed that the predicted results by using NIRS models for oleic acid, linoleic acid and oil concentrations were accurate and reliable, which will be a useful approach to the measurement of a large number of breeding samples during genetic improvement of oil quality and quantity in maize.

Antioxidant activity and chemical characterization of essential oil of Bunium persicum

The search for natural antioxidants, especially of plant origin, has notably increased in recent years. Bunium persicum Boiss. is an economically important medicinal plant growing wild in the dry temperature regions in Iran. In this study, chemical constituents of the essential oil of the seed from Bunium persicum Boiss. have been studied by GC/MS technique. The major components were caryophyllene (27.81%), gamma-terpinene (15.19%), cuminyl acetate (14.67%). Individual antioxidant assays such as, DPPH* scavenging activity and beta-carotene bleaching have been carried out. In DPPH* system, the EC(50) value of essential oil was determined as 0.88 mg/mL. In beta-carotene bleaching antioxidant activity of essential oil (0.45%) was almost equal to BHT at 0.01%. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated in crude soybean oil by monitoring peroxide and thiobarbituric acid values of the oil substrate. The results showed that the Bunium persicum essential oil (BPEO) was able to reduce the oxidation rate of the soybean oil in the accelerated condition at 60 degrees C (oven test). The essential oil at 0.06% showed the same effect of BHA at 0.02%. Hence, BPEO could be used as an additive in food after screening.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in spanish olive oils: relationship between benzo(a)pyrene and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content

Samples of Spanish virgin olive oils (VOOs) from different categories, origins, varieties, and commercial brands were analyzed by HPLC with a programmable fluorescence detector to determine the content of nine heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(e)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i)perilene, and indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene. Samples of olive pomace and crude olive pomace oils were also investigated. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations were below the allowed limit in the European Union (2 microg/kg) in 97% of the VOO samples. Only those samples coming from contaminated olive fruits or obtained in oil mills with highly polluted environments exceeded this value. High correlation coefficients (<0.99) were obtained between the contents of benzo(a)pyrene and the sum of the nine PAHs for all of the analyzed categories, suggesting that benzo(a)pyrene could be used as a marker of the content of these nine PAHs in olive oils.

Quantitative identification of pesticides as target compounds and unknowns by spectral deconvolution of gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric data

The results of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (MS), with Ion Signature Technology, Inc. (North Smithfield, RI) quantitative deconvolution software, are discussed for pesticides identified both as target compounds by using retention and MS data and as unknowns by using only mass spectra. Target compound analysis of 32 pesticides, surrogates, and an internal standard added to lemon oil over a wide concentration range produced precision and accuracy that are well within the acceptable criteria of 25 and 50% for complex samples. When 112 pesticides were added to orange oil and searched as unknowns, 110 of the 112 compounds were correctly identified, with an average pesticide recovery of 101 +/- 19%. The injection volume of the orange oil fortified with pesticides was selected so that 4 ng per compound was injected on column. No false negatives were found, because ion signals for the 2 unidentified pesticides were not acquired by the instrument in either the standard mixture or the oil. No false positives were detected, although >750 widely different compounds were included in the library search.

Particle size distribution of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and relationships to compositional and color properties

Eleven distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), processed from yellow corn, were collected from different ethanol processing plants in the US Midwest area. Particle size distribution (PSD) by mass of each sample was determined using a series of six selected US standard sieves: Nos. 8, 12, 18, 35, 60, and 100, and a pan. The original sample and sieve sized fractions were measured for surface color and contents of moisture, protein, oil, ash, and starch. Total carbohydrate (CHO) and total non-starch CHO were also calculated. Results show that there was a great variation in composition and color among DDGS from different plants. Surprisingly, a few DDGS samples contained unusually high amounts of residual starch (11.1-17.6%, dry matter basis, vs. about 5% of the rest), presumably resulting from modified processing methods. Particle size of DDGS varied greatly within a sample and PSD varied greatly among samples. The 11 samples had a mean value of 0.660mm for the geometric mean diameter (dgw) of particles and a mean value of 0.440mm for the geometric standard deviation (Sgw) of particle diameters by mass. The majority had a unimodal PSD, with a mode in the size class between 0.5 and 1.0mm. Although PSD and color parameters had little correlation with composition of whole DDGS samples, distribution of nutrients as well as color attributes correlated well with PSD. In sieved fractions, protein content, L and a color values negatively while contents of oil and total CHO positively correlated with particle size. It is highly feasible to fractionate DDGS for compositional enrichment based on particle size, while the extent of PSD can serve as an index for potential of DDGS fractionation. The above information should be a vital addition to quality and baseline data of DDGS.

Quantification of seed oil from species with varying oil content using supercritical fluid extraction

INTRODUCTION

The quantity and composition of seed oil affects seed viability and storability and hence the value of a species as a resource for nutrition and plant conservation. Supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2) offers a rapid, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional solvent extraction.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a method using SFE-CO2 to quantify the seed oil content in a broad range of species with high to low oil contents.

METHODOLOGY

Seed oil was extracted using SFE-CO2 from four crop species representing high, medium and low oil content: Helianthus annuus, Asteraceae, with ca. 55% oil; Brassica napus, Brassicaceae, with ca. 50% oil; Glycine max, Fabaceae, with ca. 20% oil; and Pisum sativum, Fabaceae, with ca. 2% oil. Extraction pressures of 5000, 6000 and 7500 psi and temperatures of 40, 60 and 80 degrees C were examined and a second step using 15% ethanol as a modifier included. Oil yields were compared with that achieved from Smalley Butt extraction. The optimised SFE-CO2 method was validated on six species from taxonomically distant families and with varying oil contents: Swietenia humilis (Meliaceae), Stenocereus thurberi (Cactaceae), Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae), Robinia pseudoacacia (Fabaceae), Poa pratensis (Poaceae) and Trachycarpus fortunei (Arecaceae).

RESULTS

The two-step extraction at 6000 psi and 80 degrees C produced oil yields equivalent to or higher than Smalley Butt extraction for all species, including challenging species from the Brassicaceae family.

CONCLUSION

SFE-CO2 enables the rapid analysis of seed oils across a broad range of seed oil contents.