This study aimed to find relationships between the properties of beeswax-based oleogels and the type of oil used. The influence of linseed, sunflower, olive, and fish oils was studied. For these oils, the fatty acid composition, the content of total polar components, and the iodine value were characterized. Textural and thermodynamic properties were determined for oleogels, the oil-binding capacity was estimated, and the morphology of crystals was studied. The concentration of beeswax in all oleogels was 6.0% w/w. It was shown that the type of oil has a significant influence on all characteristics of the oleogels. The use of different oils at the same technological treatment leads to the formation of crystals of diverse morphology—from platelets to spherulites. At the same time, it was revealed that some characteristics of oils have a varying contribution to the properties of oleogels. The content of total polar materials in oils is associated with a decrease in strength parameters (yield value and elastic modulus) and the oil-binding capacity of oleogels. In its turn, the iodine value of oils has a close positive correlation with the melting and crystallization temperatures of oleogels. The results obtained in this article indicate that the properties of beeswax-based oleogels can be directed by changing the oil composition.

Альтернативные источники пищевого белка: концентрат из бактерий Methylococcus capsulatus, характеристика состава и биологическая ценность

The high biological activity of cultivated and wild purslane offers broad possibilities for utilizing this plant in medicine and human nutrition. To assess the prospects of obtaining new functional food products based on the wild form of P. oleracea L., foliar biofortification of this species with sodium selenate (VI) was carried out, and the changes in leaf and seed biochemical characteristics were investigated. Selenium significantly enhanced plant yield, photosynthetic pigments and the ascorbic acid content, and showed a tendency to seed productivity increase. The application of selenium augmented quinic acid content in leaves by 1.7 times but did not affect the oxalic acid content. Oxalic acid prevailed in wild purslane and quinic acid in cultivated purslane (cv. Makovey). Seed oil in Se-enriched purslane was characterized by a two-fold decrease in saturated fatty acids and squalene and 2.3-fold decrease in malonic dialdehyde content, along with a 1.4-fold increase in ascorbic acid. Selenium supplementation resulted in an increase in total lipids and mono- and di-unsaturated fatty acids and did not affect the concentration of ω-3 fatty acids and sterol accumulation. Among the identified sterols, only the minor ones (fucosterol, 7-stigmasterol and ∆7-avenosterol) showed a slight decrease upon Se supply. Compared to seeds of cv. Makovey, wild purslane seeds had higher levels of antioxidant activity by a factor of 2 and of polyphenols by a factor of 3.2 but did not differ significantly in oil fatty acid composition. The results indicate the importance of wild purslane leaves/seeds both fortified and not fortified with Se in human nutrition and medicine.

Deodorisation remains a beneficial aspect of the processing of edible oils and fats and is required during the first refining and after transportation, storage, and/or further processing, such as interesterification. While there is awareness among the scientific community that repeated deodorisation may negatively impact product quality, according to some technical and processing requirements, oils, fats, and their blends can still be treated with up to 3–4 cycles of deodorisation. However, the precise changes caused by sequential deodorising processes remain unknown. This study analysed fatty acid compositions, peroxide values, anisidine values, volatile profiles, and monochloropropanediol (MCPDEs) and glycidyl (GEs) fatty acid ester contents in pressed and repeatedly deodorised sunflower oils (SFOs). The latter had higher levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs); monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs); and trans fatty acids (TFAs); as well as volatile aldehydes, such as pentanal, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, and (E)-2-heptenal, and MCPDE contents with each successive deodorisation. Most of these compounds have the potential to cause harmful health effects. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the number of edible oil deodorisation cycles in order to maintain their quality and safety.