The effects of high power ultrasound treatment (20 kHz) on some components of refined sunflower oil were studied in order to verify if and to what extent modifications in the lipidic fraction can occur. Traditional parameters including free acidity, total polar compounds, peroxide value, and conjugated dienes concentration were determined in refined sunflower oil samples before, immediately after the ultrasonic treatment and during storage. Differences between treated and untreated samples were detected only for peroxide values (PV). The PV increased from 5.38 meq. O2/kg oil for untreated oil to 6.33 meq. O2/kg oil for sunflower oil sonicated (20 kHz; 150 W; 2 min). The fatty acid composition was obtained by high resolution gas chromatography. No significant changes were observed regarding the decrease in fatty acid composition before and immediately after the treatment. Regarding the volatile fraction, some off-flavour compounds for example hexanal and limonene resulting from the ultrasonic degradation of sunflower oil were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

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In an effort to identify new potent and selective inhibitors of chikungunya virus and HIV-1 and HIV-2 virus replication, the endemic Mascarene species Stillingia lineata was investigated. LC/MS and bioassay-guided purification of the EtOAc leaf extract using a chikungunya virus-cell-based assay led to the isolation of six new (4-9) and three known (1-3) tonantzitlolones possessing the rare C20-flexibilane skeleton, along with tonantzitloic acid (10), a new linear diterpenoid, and three new (11, 13, and 15) and two known (12 and 14) tigliane-type diterpenoids. The planar structures of the new compounds and their relative configurations were determined by spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were determined through comparison with literature data and from biogenetic considerations. These compounds were investigated for selective antiviral activity against chikungunya virus (CHIKV), Semliki Forest virus, Sindbis virus, and, for compounds 11-15, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 viruses. Compounds 12-15 were found to be the most potent and are selective inhibitors of CHIKV, HIV-1, and HIV-2 replication. In particular, compound 14 inhibited CHIKV replication with an EC50 value of 1.2 μM on CHIKV and a selectivity index of >240, while compound 15 inhibited HIV-1 and HIV-2 with EC50 values of 0.043 and 0.018 μM, respectively. It was demonstrated further that potency and selectivity are sensitive to the substitution pattern on the tigliane skeleton. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-10 were evaluated against the HCT-116, MCF-7, and PC3 cancer cell lines.

During food emulsification and processing of sunflower oil (most used edible oil), a metallic and rancid odour has been detected only for insonated oil and foods. Some off-flavour compounds (hexanal and hept-2-enal) resulting from the sono-degradation of sunflower oil have been identified. A wide variety of analytical techniques (GC determination of fatty acids, UV spectroscopy, free fatty acids and GC/MS) were used to follow the quality of insonated sunflower oil and emulsion. Different edible oils (olive, sunflower, soybean, em leader ) show significant changes in their composition (chemical and flavour) due to ultrasound treatment.

BackgroundSugarcane distillery waste water (SDW) or vinasse is the residual liquid waste generated during sugarcane molasses fermentation and alcohol distillation. Worldwide, this effluent is responsible for serious environmental issues. In Reunion Island, between 100 and 200 thousand tons of SDW are produced each year by the three local distilleries. In this study, the potential of Aspergillus niger to reduce the pollution load of SDW and to produce interesting metabolites has been investigated.ResultsThe fungal biomass yield was 35 g L−1 corresponding to a yield of 0.47 g of biomass/g of vinasse without nutrient complementation. Analysis of sugar consumption indicated that mono-carbohydrates were initially released from residual polysaccharides and then gradually consumed until complete exhaustion. The high biomass yield likely arises from polysaccharides that are hydrolysed prior to be assimilated as monosaccharides and from organic acids and other complex compounds that provided additional C-sources for growth. Comparison of the size exclusion chromatography profiles of raw and pre-treated vinasse confirmed the conversion of humic- and/or phenolic-like molecules into protein-like metabolites. As a consequence, chemical oxygen demand of vinasse decreased by 53%. Interestingly, analysis of intracellular lipids of the biomass revealed high content in oleic acid and physical properties relevant for biodiesel application.ConclusionsThe soft-rot fungus A. niger demonstrated a great ability to grow on vinasse and to degrade this complex and hostile medium. The high biomass production is accompanied by a utilization of carbon sources like residual carbohydrates, organic acids and more complex molecules such as melanoidins. We also showed that intracellular lipids from fungal biomass can efficiently be exploited into biodiesel.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40694-018-0045-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.