After the completion of a draft human genome sequence, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium has proceeded to finish and annotate each of the 24 chromosomes comprising the human genome. Here we describe the sequencing and analysis of human chromosome 3, one of the largest human chromosomes. Chromosome 3 comprises just four contigs, one of which currently represents the longest unbroken stretch of finished DNA sequence known so far. The chromosome is remarkable in having the lowest rate of segmental duplication in the genome. It also includes a chemokine receptor gene cluster as well as numerous loci involved in multiple human cancers such as the gene encoding FHIT, which contains the most common constitutive fragile site in the genome, FRA3B. Using genomic sequence from chimpanzee and rhesus macaque, we were able to characterize the breakpoints defining a large pericentric inversion that occurred some time after the split of Homininae from Ponginae, and propose an evolutionary history of the inversion.

This study presented a refining process and reported on fatty acid composition and the physicochemical properties of the oil from black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). Crude larvae oil was purified through four steps consisting of degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization. Optimum degumming conditions that give the highest phospholipid weight and oil consisted of water concentration of 7% (v/v), followed by addition of H2SO4 at a concentration of 0.5% (v/v). Optimum conditions for saponification that maximize saponification value and free fatty acid (FFA) value were 0.4 mg NaOH/100 g oil, 1 hour, and 80 °C of NaOH quantity, reaction time, and temperature, respectively. The oil was then dehydrated using 10 mg Na2SO4/g oil. The bleaching process that gives maximum oil yield consisted of activated carbon at concentration of 5% (w/w), followed by centrifugation at a speed of 5000 rpm (radius = 86 mm) for 30 min. The contents of lauric acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid in purified oil were 28.8%, 11.1%, and 0.4%, respectively. Physicochemical properties of the refined oil included viscosity of 96 ± 0.14 cP (measured at 20 °C), FFA value of 0.45 ± 0.017%, acid value of 0.9 ± 0.043 mg KOH g−1, saponification value of 215.78 mg KOH g−1, iodine value of 53.7 gI2/100 g, and peroxide index of 133 mEq kg−1.

In this study, essential oils (EO) of Ocimum gratissimum L., Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) originated in Vietnam were extracted by using steam distillation method. GC/MS analysis indicated that the major components in O. gratissimum EO: Eugenol (68.7 %), cis-β-Ocimene (8.2 %), D-Germacrene (11.7 %) and others. O. basilicum EO: Estragole (84.8 %), trans-α-Bergamotene (2.7 %), Linalool (1.9 %) and Rosemarinus officinalis EO: D-α-Pinene (22.1 %), Eucalyptol (17.0 %) and Verbenone (14.9 %). The results showed that the antioxidant ability of O. gratissimum EO by DPPH method and ABTS method have the highest value of IC50. In DPPH method, IC50 of O. gratissimum EO is 5.1 (µg/ml), IC50 of O. basilicum EO is 18.2 (µg/ml), IC50 of Rosemarinus officinalis EO is 42.0 (µg/ml), which are lower than that of Vitamin C (IC50 = 4.8 (µg/ml) as control sample. In ABTS method, IC50 of O. gratissimum EO = 2.9 (µg/ml), IC50 of O. Basil EO = 10.4 (µg/ml), IC50 of Rosemary EO = 42.8 (µg/ml), which are lower than that of Vitamin C (IC50 = 2.3 (µg/ml)) as control sample.

Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum L.) oil is a non-food oil used in traditional medicine, and with potential applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. However, this oil, obtained by pressing the nuts, is being used as crude oil, in spite of a variable but large amount of non-lipids (called resin) being entrained. Although these should not be seen as impurities owing to their known bioactivity in many fields, not only they are responsible for the poisonous nature impeding human consumption in addition to bad smell, but they contribute to the poor oil quality, especially low stability and associated short shelf life. The present study aimed at purifying a crude tamanu oil sample through a combination of simple steps: deresination with ethanol, degumming using hot water, neutralization (KOH), bleaching with activated carbon, and deodorization. Ethanol 96% was more efficient for deresinating, compared to methanol, resulting in the extraction of 44–46% w/w of resin within 10 min (temperature 40 °C; oil:ethanol 1:1.5 w/v). Oil quality was checked in the industrial crude sample and in the fully refined product. The applied process strongly improved the color from dark brown to light golden yellow, decreased the acid value (62 down to 0.11 mgKOH/g of oil), and the viscosity (181 to 130 mPa.s). The saponification value was lowered from 206 to 180 mgKOH/g oil. The peroxide value was only slightly lowered from 85 to 55 mgO2/kg oil, thus pointing out the peculiar chemical nature of tamanu oil. Improving this important quality parameter would require additional research work, together with fine-tuned optimization of experimental conditions for a panel of crude oil samples; this was out of the scope of present work. This preliminary study shows that refining steps widely applied at industrial scale could help improving the quality of tamanu oil – an underused natural feedstock – for enhanced application in health and cosmetic fields.