Phospholipids from natural sources can delay liquid-liquid phase separation and improve supersaturation for active pharmaceutical ingredients with poor water-solubility in aqueous media. Researchers have developed oral films containing phospholipids to enhance the dissolution efficiency of hydrophobic pharmaceutical ingredients. Phospholipid-based oral films provide an alternative approach for compounding pharmacies to formulate drugs with poor water solubility.
The Brazilian rainforest is a rich source of exotic fats. The physical and chemical properties of such fats are not well-known. This article looks at the physicochemical characterization of two fats from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest: licuri oil and ucuuba butter.
Mucosal membranes act as a network that provides a connection between the gut and vital organs, like the lungs or the brain, but presumably the entire body. Short-chain fatty acids are formed in the colon through the fermentation of soluble fiber, and researchers are interested in finding out more about their role as signaling compounds. More research is needed to decisively say that one diet is better for the microbiome over another.
Contamination by mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) affects all types of food and feed due to the ubiquitous presence of these compounds. Technical lubricants used in edible oil supply chains can be a source of contamination. This article describes a new method developed for the quick detection and identification of the presence of lubricants in crude coconut oil that can serve as an extra control step in identifying the source of contamination and preventing MOH migration.
Mineral oils are widespread food contaminants, and edible oils, like many other foodstuffs, are often contaminated. The lack of robust analytical methods and proper toxicological evaluation make it difficult to set a tolerance level. • The best way to avoid mineral oil contamination is to prevent it by complying with good manufacturing practices, and the best solution to reducing mineral oil contamination in edible oils is through refining, especially during deodorization. This paper gives an overview of contamination sources, levels in some edible oils, regulatory aspects, analytical methods, and strategies for mitigation during refining.
A meta-analysis of clinical trials comparing the effects of coconut oil consumption with other fats focused only on controlled clinical trials performed on human adults with a duration exceeding two weeks (long enough to let blood lipid concentrations stabilize).coconut oil consumption significantly increased total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol concentrations compared with non-tropical vegetable oils and significantly increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations compared with palm oil.
Conventional phospholipid (PL) recovery and purification techniques use large volumes of fresh water, organic solvent, and alcohols. Due to diminishing fresh water resources and concerns about the use of organic solvents, the development of more environmentally benign processing techniques is vital to the sustainability of PL production.This article considers three greener alternatives to conventional processing technologies.
Surfactants are widely used in the petroleum industry during many stages of oil recovery, refining and spill cleanup. Because these processes release surfactants directly into the environment, much research has been done on the potential for replacing the more commonly used synthetic surfactants with more eco-friendly biosurfactants.This article highlights some recent studies of the effectiveness of biosurfactants applied to various aspects of the petroleum industry.
The progressive reduction of the permitted content of 1,4-dioxane in ethoxy sulphates presents an increased challenge for surfactant producers. This article discusses technical solutions that can be put in place based on the chemistry of the 1,4-dioxane molecule and its formation mechanism during surfactant production. Desmet Ballestra’s “ultra-low dioxane technology” is discussed in detail, with emphasis on the technical features, advantages, and achievable quality. Technologies for 1,4-dioxane degradation and disposal into water effluent streams are also illustrated.
How cow nutrition affects milk composition is a well understood phenomenon. Farming and feeding practices differ around the world based on factors like land availability and climate. Due to these different feeding methods, dairy scientists have observed that the composition of milk—particularly the fatty acid (FA) composition of milk fat—varies depending on a cow’s intake.
Sales of plant-based foods are booming. The growing popularity of non-animal protein sources has led to their increased presence in grocery stores and fast-food restaurants. Even while venture capital investments declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, start-ups focused on plant-based ingredients raised millions (https://tinyurl.com/plantbasedinvestments). In the Netherlands alone, there are more than 60 companies dedicated to the development of plant-based proteins (https:// tinyurl.com/netherlandsplantbased). With so much lucrative potential in plant-based ingredients, some companies are trying to capitalize on algae as a unique source of protein and fatty acids. © 2021, American Oil Chemists Society. All rights reserved.
