Challenges of utilizing healthy fats in foods

The gelation characteristics of Torreya grandis wax in diacylglycerol and its preparation of oleogel substitution for shortening

Torreya grandis wax (TGW), a new nut wax and by-product of refined Torreya grandis oil, lacks sufficient research and application. In this study, the gelling behavior in diacylglycerol (DAG) and chemical compositions of TGW were investigated. Compared with four typical natural waxes, TGW exhibited the lowest critical gelling concentration (Cg, 1 %wt) in DAG. The results performed that TGW-DAG oleogels at Cg possessed the highest G'LVR and G″, highest critical stress, good thermal stability, moderate viscosity recovery, and osc. yields stress, indicating strong gel. The microstructure and correlation analysis revealed that excellent gelling behaviors of TGW-DAG oleogels were due to the solid three-dimensional network formed by rod-like TGW crystal, and the higher hydrocarbon compound (HC) content and HC/wax ester in TGW. Formulation optimization suggested that oleogel containing 3.2 % TGW and 1.0 % diosgenin (DSG) better mimicked the characteristics of shortening in terms of hardness, adhesiveness, spreadability. The bread prepared with TGW/DSG-DAG oleogel owned uniform and dense pores, the best moisture retention capability, and soft and firm taste, demonstrating that TGW/DSG-DAG oleogel was a good shortening substitute. Therefore, this study provides the systematically fundamental knowledge of TGW and develops DSG-TGW-DAG oleogels as promising shortening substitutions.

Optimizing niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica) oil quality: A comprehensive analysis of infrared-heat induced changes in bioactive profile, physiochemical attributes, and oxidative stability

Infrared heating (IRH) at 140, 160, and 180°C for varying durations (5, 10, and 15 min) was employed for improving the niger (Guizotia abyssinica) seed oil (NSO) quality for diverse food applications. The study explored changes in phenolic profile, oxidative stability index (OSI), tocopherols, phytosterols, fatty acid profiles, and physicochemical attributes of NSO. Upon IRH at 180°C for 10 min, the oil yield, total phenolic, and flavonoid contents increased from 33.09% to 40.56%, 6.67 to 173.62 mg GAE/kg, and 24.76 to 120.64 mg QE/kg, respectively. The viscosity, chlorophylls, carotenoids, radical scavenging activity, OSI, caffeic, protocatechuic, vanillic, and syringic acids were highest upon IRH at 180°C for 15 min. The tocopherols and phytosterols initially augmented while decremented upon raising IRH conditions. The infrared spectra indicated no adverse impact of IRH on NSO quality. The appropriate IRH conditions can be considered for improving NSO quality and making it valuable for various edible products.

Oleogels as a Promising Alternative to Animal Fat in Saturated Fat-Reduced Meat Products: A Review

The surge in chronic diseases is closely linked to heightened levels of saturated and trans fatty acids in processed foods, particularly meat products. Addressing this concern, various strategies have been employed to alleviate the impact of these detrimental fats. Among these, oleogels have emerged as a novel and promising approach in the food industry. As restructured fat systems, oleogels offer a unique opportunity to enhance the nutritional profile of meat products while providing distinct health and environmental advantages. This comprehensive review explores the transformative role of oleogels as innovative substitutes for traditional animal fats in a variety of meat products. Utilizing materials such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), sterols, beeswax, γ-oryzanol, β-sitosterol, and others, oleogels have been investigated in diverse studies. The examination encompasses their impact on the textural, nutritional, and oxidative dimensions of meat patties, pork patties, pork liver pâtés, beef heart patties, and meat batters. An in-depth exploration is undertaken into the influence of various elements, including the type of oil, gelling agents, and processing methods, on the stability and physicochemical attributes of oleogels. Additionally, the paper scrutinizes the potential effects of oleogels on sensory attributes, texture, and the shelf life of meat products. In conclusion, this collective body of research emphasizes the versatility and efficacy of oleogels as viable replacements for traditional animal fats across a spectrum of meat products. The documented improvements in nutritional quality, oxidative stability, and sensory attributes pave the way for the development of healthier and more sustainable formulations in the meat industry.

Nanocellulose from Cocoa Shell in Pickering Emulsions of Cocoa Butter in Water: Effect of Isolation and Concentration on Its Stability and Rheological Properties

There is a growing interest in developing new strategies to completely or partially replace cocoa butter in food and cosmetic products due to its cost and health effects. One of these alternatives is to develop stable emulsions of cocoa butter in water. However, incorporating cocoa butter is challenging as it solidifies and forms crystals, destabilizing the emulsion through arrested coalescence. Prevention against this destabilization mechanism is significantly lower than against coalescence. In this research, the rheological properties of nanocellulose from cocoa shell, a by-product of the chocolate industry, were controlled through isolation treatments to produce nanocellulose with a higher degree of polymerization (DP) and a stronger three-dimensional network. This nanocellulose was used at concentrations of 0.7 and 1.0 wt %, to develop cocoa butter in-water Pickering emulsion using a high shear mixing technique. The emulsions remained stable for more than 15 days. Nanocellulose was characterized using attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), hot water and organic extractives, atomic force microscopy (AFM), degree of polymerization (DP), and rheological analysis. Subsequently, the emulsions were characterized on days 1 and 15 after their preparation through photographs to assess their physical stability. Fluorescent and electronic microscopy, as well as rheological analysis, were used to understand the physical properties of emulsions.

Hazelnut Skin Waste as a Functional Ingredient to Nutritionally Improve a Classic Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Hazelnut skin (HS) is a byproduct of hazelnut processing (2.5% of total kernel) and becomes a food waste despite its high content of antioxidants, unsaturated fats, and fibers. Classic shortbread cookies have a large worldwide market, even if their nutritional composition does not meet nutritional guidelines due to the high content of saturated fats. In the present study, after the nutritional evaluation of four different HS varieties, 5% and 10% ratios of HS of the Tonda Gentile Romana variety were integrated into a classic shortbread cookie recipe, proportionally replacing the butter amount with the unsaturated fats naturally present in HS. The 10% HS addition determined a 20% increase in the monounsaturated oleic acid and a 15.7% decrease in the saturated palmitic acid, in addition to a significant ash increase. The sensory analysis revealed higher consumer acceptance of the 5% formulation, with scores comparable to the control. Although the 10% formulation obtained lower scores for consumer acceptance, 35% of the interviewed population said they would purchase it, indicating that this product, beyond the ethical dimension of using a food waste matrix to promote the circular economy, can attract the commercial interest of part of the population.

Designing healthier plant-based foods: Fortification, digestion, and bioavailability

Many consumers are incorporating more plant-based foods into their diets as a result of concerns about the environmental, ethical, and health impacts of animal sourced foods like meat, seafood, egg, and dairy products. Foods derived from animals negatively impact the environment by increasing greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. The livestock industry confines and slaughters billions of livestock animals each year. There are concerns about the negative impacts of some animal sourced foods, such as red meat and processed meat, on human health. The livestock industry is a major user of antibiotics, which is leading to a rise in the resistance of several pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics. It is often assumed that a plant-based diet is healthier than one containing more animal sourced foods, but this is not necessarily the case. Eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grain cereals has been linked to improved health outcomes but it is unclear whether next-generation plant-based foods, such as meat, seafood, egg, and dairy analogs are healthier than the products they are designed to replace. Many of these new products are highly processed foods that contain high levels of saturated fat, sugar, starch, and salt, and low levels of micronutrients, nutraceuticals, and dietary fibers. Moreover, they are often rapidly digested in the gastrointestinal tract because processing disrupts plant tissues and releases the macronutrients. Consequently, it is important to formulate plant-based foods to reduce the levels of nutrients linked to adverse health effects and increase the levels linked to beneficial health effects. Moreover, it is important to design the food matrix so that the macronutrients are not digested and absorbed too quickly, but the micronutrients are highly bioavailable. In this article, we discuss how next-generation plant-based foods can be made healthier by controlling their nutrient profile, digestibility, and bioavailability.

Antioxidants in Oak (Quercus sp.): Potential Application to Reduce Oxidative Rancidity in Foods

This review explores the antioxidant properties of oak (Quercus sp.) extracts and their potential application in preventing oxidative rancidity in food products. Oxidative rancidity negatively impacts food quality, causing changes in color, odor, and flavor and reducing the shelf life of products. The use of natural antioxidants from plant sources, such as oak extracts, has gained increasing interest due to potential health concerns associated with synthetic antioxidants. Oak extracts contain various antioxidant compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, which contribute to their antioxidative capacity. This review discusses the chemical composition of oak extracts, their antioxidative activity in different food systems, and the safety and potential challenges related to their application in food preservation. The potential benefits and limitations of using oak extracts as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants are highlighted, and future research directions to optimize their application and determine their safety for human consumption are suggested.

Kaniwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule)'s Nutritional Composition and Its Applicability as an Elder-Friendly Food with Gelling Agents

(1) Background: This study attempted to develop an elder-friendly food suitable to the Korean Industrial Standard (KS) after identifying the nutritional characteristics of Kaniwa; (2) Methods: The nutrient composition and physiological activity of Kaniwa were analyzed, and the concentration of the gelling agent (guar gum, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum) to be added to Kaniwa mousse was derived through regression analysis to suit KS hardness level 1 to 3; (3) Results: It was found that Kaniwa not only had a good fatty acid composition but also had good antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Moreover, it was found that in order to have the hardness to chew Kaniwa mousse with the tongue, it was necessary to add less than 1.97% guar gum, 4.03% locust bean gum, and 8.59% xanthan gum. In order to have a hardness that can be chewed with the gum, it was found that 2.17~4.97% guar gum, 4.45~10.28% locust bean gum, and 9.48~21.96% xanthan gum should be added; (4) Conclusions: As the aging rate and life expectancy increase, support for developmental research related to the elder-friendly industry should be continuously expanded in preparation for the upcoming super-aging society.

Characterization of the Quality and Oxidative Stability of Hemp-Oil-Based Oleogels as an Animal Fat Substitute for Meat Patties

The effect of the incorporation of rice bran wax (5%; 7%) or candelilla wax (3%; 7%) for production of hemp-oil-based oleogels was analyzed in this study. The experiment was carried out to replace between 0 and 100% of animal fat in meat patties with oleogels. Free fatty acids (FFAs), acid value (AV), oxidative stability index (OSI), conjugated diene value, malondialdehyde value, physicochemical properties, and the sensory properties of oleogels and meat patties were studied. The results indicated that hemp oil had more polyunsaturated fatty acids and lower oxidative stability when compared to oleogels. The OSI for oil was 3.1 h, while for oleogels it was 3.4-3.6 (candelilla case) or 3.7-3.9 (rice bran). Oleogels were able to match pork fat texture properties such as spreadability and adhesiveness in meat patties. However, sensory data for cooked meat patties with animal fat fully replaced by oleogels revealed that samples with 100% pork fat had higher juiciness and taste intensity. Our results showed that a wax-based oleogel had a higher oxidative stability and nutritional profile, but further investigations to mimic pork fat properties in meat patties are necessary.

Shelf-Life Prediction and Thermodynamic Properties of No Added Sugar Chocolate Spread Fortified with Multiple Micronutrients

The development of fortified healthy pleasant foods, in which saturated fats are replaced with unsaturated ones, poses a challenge for the food industry due to their susceptibility to oxidative rancidity, which decreases product shelf-life, causes the destruction of health-promoting molecules, and forms potentially toxic compounds. A comparative study applying the Arrhenius model was carried out to investigate the oxidative stability and predict the shelf-life of a newly developed no added sugar chocolate spread formulated with sunflower oil, and fortified with vitamin D, Mg, and Ca checked against two commercially available spreads: No Palm and a well-known commercially available product (RB). The results obtained from the accelerated shelf-life testing for peroxide value (PV) showed relatively higher activation energy (Ea, 14.48 kJ/mol K) for RB, whereas lower Ea (11.31–12.78 kJ/mol K) was obtained for No Palm and all the experimental spread chocolates. Q10 values were comparable (1.202–1.154), indicating a similar catalytic effect of the temperature upon the oxidation rate across all the investigated samples. The positive Gibbs free energies ranged from 75.014 to 83.550 kJ/mol and pointed out that the lipid oxidation reaction in the chocolate spread was an endergonic process. The predicted shelf-life at 293.15 K was 8.57 months (RB), 7 months (No Palm), and 6.8 months for all the experimental spreadable chocolate. However, the higher production of hydroperoxides was observed in chocolate fortified with magnesium-calcium carbonate nanoparticles and stored at 313.15 and 323.15 K, suggesting these particles may enhance lipid oxidation.

The combination of monoglycerides, wax and hardfat on oleogels structuration

Abstract This study aimed to develop multicomponent oleogels to achieve desirable technological properties, affordability, and enhanced sensory acceptance for future food applications. Two Central Composite Rotatable Designs (CCRD) were performed with three independent variables, monoacylglycerols (MG), candelilla wax (CLX), and hardfat (HF). One design used soybean oil oleogels (SB) and the other used high oleic sunflower oil oleogels (SF). The variable responses evaluated were hardness (N), oil loss (%), thermal stability, and visual strength. For SB oleogels, CLX was related to the variable that was superior concerning all technological properties as >2 N in hardness, no oil loss, and higher stability to thermal treatment. For SF oleogels, the MG and the interactions of MG, CLX, and HF showed significant technological properties, indicating that the three oleogelators can co-crystallize better together in this oil, thus obtaining the same results as CLX alone in higher amounts.

Nutrition and physical activity: An Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Clinical Practice Statement 2022

Background

This Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) on Nutrition and Physical Activity provides clinicians an overview of nutrition and physical activity principles applicable to the care of patients with increased body fat, especially those with adverse fat mass and adiposopathic metabolic consequences.

Methods

The scientific information and clinical guidance is based upon referenced evidence and derived from the clinical perspectives of the authors.

Results

This OMA CPS on Nutrition and Physical Activity provides basic clinical information regarding carbohydrates, proteins, fats (including trans fats, saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats), general principles of healthful nutrition, nutritional factors associated with improved health outcomes, and food labels. Included are the clinical implications of isocaloric substitution of refined carbohydrates with saturated fats and vice-versa, as well as definitions of low-calorie, very low-calorie, carbohydrate-restricted, and fat-restricted dietary intakes. Specific dietary plans discussed include carbohydrate-restricted diets, fat-restricted diets, very low-calorie diets, the Mediterranean diet, Therapeutic Lifestyle diet, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), ketogenic (modified Atkins) diet, Ornish diet, Paleo diet, vegetarian or vegan diet (whole food/plant-based), intermittent fasting/time restricted feeding, and commercial diet programs. This clinical practice statement also examines the health benefits of physical activity and provides practical pre-exercise medical evaluation guidance as well as suggestions regarding types and recommended amounts of dynamic (aerobic) training, resistance (anaerobic) training, leisure time physical activity, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Additional guidance is provided regarding muscle physiology, exercise prescription, metabolic equivalent tasks (METS), and methods to track physical activity progress.

Conclusion

This Obesity Medicine Association Clinical Practice Statement on Nutrition and Physical Activity provides clinicians an overview of nutrition and physical activity. Implementation of appropriate nutrition and physical activity in patients with pre-obesity and/or obesity may improve the health of patients, especially those with adverse fat mass and adiposopathic metabolic consequences.

Trans fatty acids in food: A review on dietary intake, health impact, regulations and alternatives

Trans fats are desired by the edible oil industry as they impart firmness, plasticity, and oxidative stability to oil. However, clinical trials have demonstrated the adverse effects of trans fats in food on human health and nutrition. Regulatory actions have been taken up by government and non-government bodies worldwide to eliminate the presence of trans fats in the food supply. The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a "REPLACE" action plan to eliminate trans-fat from the global food industry by 2023. A few enabling technologies are developed to mitigate trans fats namely, trait-enhanced oils, modification in the hydrogenation process, interesterification, fractionation, blending, and oleogelation. Some of them have the drawback of replacing trans-fat with saturated fats. Interesterification and oleogelation are in-trend techniques with excellent potential in replacing trans fats without compromising the desired functionality and nutritional quality attributes. This review presents an overview of trans fatty acid for example, its dietary intake in food products, possible adverse health impact, regulations, and approaches to reduce the usage of trans fats for food application. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The requirement for the replacement of trans fatty acids (TFAs) in food supply globally has challenged the food industry to find a novel substitute for trans fats without compromising the desired functionality and nutritional property. This review presents detailed background on trans fats, their health impacts and current trends of reformulation of oils and fats to mitigate their presence in food supply chains. Information compiled in this paper will help food scientists and technologists, chemists, food processors, and retailers as there is an urgent need to find novel technologies and substitutes to replace trans fats in processed foods.

Lipid Nutrition in Asthma

Asthma is a heterogeneous pulmonary disease that has constantly increased in prevalence over the past several decades. Primary symptoms include airway constriction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway remodeling with additional symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Allergic asthma involves chronic inflammation of the lungs, and the rise in its yearly diagnosis is potentially associated with the increased global consumption of foods similar to the western diet. Thus, there is growing interest into the link between diet and asthma symptoms, with mounting evidence for an important modulatory role for dietary lipids. Lipids can act as biological mediators in both a proinflammatory and proresolution capacity. Fatty acids play key roles in signaling and in the production of mediators in the allergic and inflammatory pathways. The western diet leads to a disproportionate ω-6:ω-3 ratio, with drastically increased ω-6 levels. To counteract this, consumption of fish and fish oil and the use of dietary oils with anti-inflammatory properties such as olive and sesame oil can increase ω-3 and decrease ω-6 levels. Increasing vitamin intake, lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and limiting consumption of oxidized lipids can help reduce the risk of asthma and the exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms. These dietary changes can be achieved by increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, oily fish, seeds, animal-related foods (eggs, liver), cheeses, grains, oats, and seeds, and decreasing consumption of fried foods (especially fried in reused oils), fast foods, and heavily processed foods.

The Effects of Hydrocolloids-Protein Mixture as a Fat Replacer on Physicochemical Characteristics of Sugar-Free Muffin Cake: Modeling and Optimization

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hydrocolloids-protein mixture as a fat replacer in sugar-free low-fat muffin cakes. In this study, a hydrocolloids mixture including konjac and guar gums and soy protein isolate (SPI) was applied to the cake. The combination of gums and SPI was named as mixture of stabilizers (MOS), and the treatments were designed using Design-Expert software and the response surface methodology (RSM) in order to optimize and reduce the oil content of muffin cakes by replacing it with MOS. Evaluation of treatments characteristics were investigated on days 1 and 15 of their production. The dependent variables were moisture content, water activity, specific volume, porosity, hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, chewiness and crumb color of cakes. The results show that increasing the percentage of MOS has positive effects on the final products in comparison to oil. In other words, an increase in the MOS content resulted in an increase in the moisture content, water activity, specific volume, height, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and L* (lightness) values, but negative effect on hardness, a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values. As a result of optimizing using RSM, the usage of 4.08% oil and 0.31% MOS resulted in a 62.9% reduction in oil content in comparison with the control sample. The panelists assigned the lowest score to hardness and crumb color and the highest score to overall acceptability and cohesiveness to the optimized muffin.

Phenolic compounds as antioxidants to improve oxidative stability of menhaden oil-based structured lipid as butterfat analog

Phenolic compounds, including propyl gallate, 1-o-galloylglycerol, ferulic, gallic, caffeic, rosmarinic, and carnosic acids, tocopherols, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), were investigated as antioxidants to improve the oxidative stability of a structured lipid (SL) produced by the enzymatic acidolysis of menhaden oil with caprylic and stearic acids. SL had similar physical properties to butterfat but was more susceptible to oxidation. The above phenolic compounds were each added to SL as antioxidants. SL with 1-o-galloylglycerol, rosmarinic acid, or BHT showed the highest oxidative stability during an accelerated oxidation test with the total oxidation (TOTOX) value around 250 after 18 days. Oxidation induction time (OIT) using differential scanning calorimetry showed a good correlation with the accelerated oxidation test. A mixture of 1-o-galloylglycerol and tocopherols at 50:50 ppm had the strongest protective effect on SL (OIT = 115.1 min) compared to the other tested compounds or combinations at the same concentration (OIT < 100 min).

Safety Factors of Oils Marketed in Iran and Applicable Strategies in Control of Food Derived Cardiovascular Diseases

Background:

The proposed criteria for a healthy daily diet play a drastic role in the prevention of non-communicable disease. Several cases of acute and chronic diseases occurred due to the presence of toxic and unsafe agents in the body. Trans and some saturated fatty acids as an example of these unfavorable components, could pose some dangerous effects on human health such as cardiovascular disease.

Objective:

In the current study, health criteria were undertaken to evaluate the safety of collected edible oils samples from Iranian market, and then some of the approaches for elimination and control of arisen health concerns were discussed.

Methods:

Totally 18 edible oil samples including cooking oil (n=5), frying oil (n=9) and table margarine (n=4) were collected from Tehran local market and were analyzed in 2016. The fatty acid profile was determined by using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector. Furthermore, the stability of frying oil was also measured by the Rancimat method.

Results:

All samples contained the trans and saturated fats in concentrations lower than the maximum recommended values (1%, 2% and 4% of trans for cooking oils, frying oils and table margarines, and 30% and 48% of saturation in frying oils and table margarines, respectively). The frying oils demonstrated the desired stability against high temperatures. Optimization of stability was done mainly by the addition of palm oil to the formula in the past. However, based on the fact of the high saturation of palm oil and its carcinogenicity under uncontrolled consumption, a risk assessment conducted in Iran led to the limited import of palm oil. This approach resulted in the production of healthier alternatives in the country.

Conclusion:

The usage of applicable approaches such as inter-esterification, fractionation and blending by more stable oils fractions is suggested to achieve healthier products.

Exclusive olive oil consumption was favorably associated with metabolic indices and lifestyle factors in schoolchildren

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Olive oil consumption has been suggested to favorably impact children's health. The present study aimed to identify possible associations between exclusive olive oil consumption and metabolic indices and lifestyle factors.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Cross-sectional, observational study. Population data derived from a health survey on a sample of 177 091 children aged 8-17 years. Olive oil consumption and dietary habits were evaluated using questionnaires (KIDMED index). Anthropometric and physical fitness measurements were obtained by trained investigators. Physical activity (PA) status, screen time and sleeping habits were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. Exclusive olive oil consumption decreased the odds of obesity and increased the odds of healthy cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) by 15% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75-0.95) and 13% (95% CI: 1.04-1.22), respectively, after adjusting for several covariates. Moreover, exclusive olive oil consumption was associated with increased odds of having sufficient dietary habits (average/optimal adherence to the Mediterranean Diet) by almost four times (95% CI: 3.65-4.45) and decreased odds of insufficient sleep (<8-9 h/d) and increased screen time (>2 h/d) by 20% (95% CI: 0.73-0.87) and 40% (95% CI: 0.48-0.72), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Exclusive olive oil consumption was associated with metabolic indices such as obesity and CRF and a healthy lifestyle profile. The exclusive consumption of olive oil as part of a balanced MD does seem to provide favorable health benefits and should be further promoted.

Interesterification of Soybean Oil with Propylene Glycol in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Analysis by NMR Spectroscopy

The time course study of high monoester mixtures from soybean oil (HMMS) synthesis, as healthier alternatives to trans food products, in a supercritical CO₂ (SCCO₂) medium with and without enzyme, was investigated. Phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P-NMR) was used to quantify the absolute amount of partially esterified acylglycerols (PEGs). Carbon NMR was utilized to determine the type and position of the fatty acids (FAs) of HMMS. Enzyme and time significantly influenced the synthesis of 1-monoglycerides (1-MGs), 2-MGs, and 1,2-diglycerides (1,2-DGs) in this alcoholysis of soybean oil with 1,2-propanediol, based on high catalytic activity and operational stability of Novozym 435 in SCCO₂ during short reaction time. Results suggest that 4 h is a suitable reaction time for this lipase-catalyzed interesterification (LIE) system for the synthesis of 2-MGs with a yield of 20%. The highest polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (65%) in the triglyceride (TG) of HMMS was produced after 4 h of reaction. After 6 h of reaction, a high level (20%) of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) was found in the TGs of HMMS, which were distributed between the sn-2 (5%) and sn-1, 3 (15%) positions.

The Effect of Exclusive Olive Oil Consumption on Successful Aging: A Combined Analysis of the ATTICA and MEDIS Epidemiological Studies

The consumption of dietary fats, which occur naturally in various foods, poses important impacts on health. The aim of this study was to elucidate the association of exclusive use of olive oil for culinary purposes with successful aging in adults aged >50 years old and residing in Greece. Use of olive oil in food preparation and bio-clinical characteristics of the Greek participants enrolled in the ATTICA (n = 1128 adults from Athens metropolitan area) and the MEDiterranean Islands Study (MEDIS) (n = 2221 adults from various Greek islands and Mani) studies, were investigated in relation to successful aging (SA). Participants were divided into the following three categories: (a) no olive oil consumption; (b) combined consumption of olive oil and other dietary fats; and (c) exclusive olive oil consumption. The SA was measured using the previously validated successful aging index (SAI). After adjusting for age, sex, and smoking habits, combined consumption of olive oil and other fats (vs. no olive oil use) was not significantly associated with SAI levels (p = 0.114). However, exclusive olive oil intake (vs. no use of olive oil) was significantly associated with SAI (p = 0.001), particularly among those aged older than 70 years. Therefore, the exclusive consumption of olive oil, as opposed to either combined or no olive oil consumption, beneficially impacts successful aging, particularly among individuals over 70 years of age. Primary public health prevention strategies should seek to encourage the enhanced adoption of such dietary practices in order to promote healthy aging and longevity.