Lipid molarity affects liquid/liquid aroma partitioning and its dynamic release from oil/water emulsions

Extra virgin olive oil aroma release after interaction with human saliva from individuals with different body mass index

BACKGROUND

The interindividual variability observed in saliva characteristics raises the question of its relationship with variability in fat sensory perception, particularly in aroma compounds. In the present study, which aimed to measure aroma release from different individuals, eleven key aroma compounds of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) were monitored and quantified in dynamic headspace after an in vitro interaction between EVOO and human saliva. Therefore, 60 individuals were studied from those who were normal weight (NW), overweight (OW) and obese (O).

RESULTS

OW and O demonstrate a higher release of C₆ compounds compared to NW. By contrast, NW have a higher release of C₅ compounds. Pentanal and hexanal also increased after saliva interaction in a refined olive oil that is free from volatiles. Among the saliva samples with a higher release in NW individuals, only pentanal was different. However, the low levels of these lipid oxidation end-products do not appear to be very important with respect to increasing odorous fat sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in the present study demonstrate the important role of saliva in the aroma release of EVOO, indicating that humans can perceive it differently in relation to their body mass index. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Colonial seabird's paralytic perfume slows lice down: an opportunity for parasite-mediated selection?

Selection for chemical signals in birds could be influenced by parasitism as has been previously suggested for visual and acoustic displays. Crested auklets (Aethia cristatella), colonial seabirds from Alaska and Siberia, offer an example of how this might occur. Crested auklets secrete lipids in plumage, possibly as an indicator of status and attractiveness. Prominent among these secretions are aldehydes, which are noticeable as a pungent citrus-like odour. Octanal and hexanal, the most abundant aldehydes in the plumage of crested auklets, are potent invertebrate repellents, reported from the chemical defenses of heteropteran insects. These aldehydes occur at high concentrations within specialized secretory structures. Experiments presented here show that these compounds can paralyse lice. Lice obtained from auklets were paralysed or killed within seconds after exposure to volatiles from nicks in the integument of a crested auklet. Chemical analysis demonstrated the presence of aldehydes in the area of integument used for this experiment. Lice exposed to control tissues in the same manner were not affected. A synthetic blend of crested auklet odourant constituents caused a sequence of impaired behaviours in auklet lice comparable to the effects of neuroactive insecticides. The time until onset of effects was dependent on dose, suggesting that the rate of molecular diffusion into louse spiracles was the explanatory factor. Impairment was evident even at very low concentrations that can occur in crested auklet plumage during winter. The same aqueous emulsions were present in both experimental and control treatments but lice in controls experiments were not affected. Crested auklets inhabit crowded social neighbourhoods with larger social groups, closer interindividual spacing and higher rates of contact than sympatric least auklets (Aethia pusilla). This could help to explain why crested auklets can have higher louse abundances. Lice are spread through direct contact between hosts and louse-infected mates could transmit lice to offspring. Large differences in the louse loads on crested auklet fledglings suggest differences in the parental transmission of lice to offspring.

Stability and antimicrobial activity of allyl isothiocyanate during long-term storage in an oil-in-water emulsion

This study investigated the stability and antimicrobial activity of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) in medium chain triglyceride (MCT) or soybean oil (SBO) dispersed in an oil-in-water (o/w) system during long-term storage. Oil type, content, and oxidative stability affect the stability and antimicrobial activity of AITC during storage. High oil content is favorable for AITC stability in the emulsion. Notably, AITC with MCT is more stable than AITC with SBO with the same oil content. Consequently, AITC with MCT is more effective than AITC with SBO in inhibiting G(-) bacteria (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and G(+) bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes).