Cellulase production and oil palm empty fruit bunch saccharification by a new isolate of Trichoderma koningii D-64

A new strain Trichoderma koningii D-64 was isolated from Singapore soil samples. It produced cellulase, xylanase, and laccase on a variety of carbon sources. Enzyme activities of 3.8 ± 0.3, 40.3 ± 5.1, 6.6 ± 0.3 and 98.8 ± 10.3 U/mL were respectively obtained for FPase, CMCase, β-glucosidase and xylanase in a mixture of 1% cellulose and 2% wheat bran. About 70–95% saccharification efficiency of oil palm empty fruit bunch was obtained using T. koningii D-64 enzymes alone without the supplement of any other commercial enzymes. Strain T. koningii D-64 is therefore a potential cellulase producer for the efficient lignocellulosic biomass conversion to fermentable sugars.     

High-loading oil palm empty fruit bunch saccharification using cellulases from Trichoderma koningii MF6

Strain Trichoderma koningii D-64 was improved for enhanced cellulase production. A potential mutant MF6 was obtained and its enzymes contained filter paper cellulase (FPase), carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), β-glucosidase and xylanase with respective activities of 2.0, 1.3, 2.0 and 3.0 folds of those for the parental strain. MF6 cellulases showed enhanced hydrolysis performance for the treated lignocellulosic biomass. Hydrolysis of treated oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB), horticulture wastes (HW) and wood chips (WC) resulted in cellulose to glucose conversion of 96.3 ± 2.2%, 98.2 ± 3.0% and 81.9 ± 1.4%, respectively. The corresponding conversions of xylan to xylose were 96.9 ± 1.5%, 95.0 ± 2.2% and 76.1 ± 3.1%. Consistently, high sugar yield of 770–844 mg/g biomass was obtained for high-loading (10–16%, w/v) of OPEFB hydrolysis and sugar titer of 135.1 g/L was obtained for 16% (w/v) OPEFB loading at 96 h. In addition, MF6 enzymes alone performed equally well for high-loading OPEFB hydrolysis compared to the enzyme mixture of β-glucosidase from Aspergillus niger and cellulase from T. reesei Rut C30.     

Unwrapping the hydrolytic system of the phytopathogenic fungus Phoma exigua by secretome analysis

The present work describes the secretome profiling of a phytopathogenic fungus, Phoma exigua by liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) based proteomics approach to highlight the suites of enzymes responsible for biomass hydrolysis. Mass spectrometry identified 33 proteins in the Phoma secretome when grown on α-cellulose as the sole carbon source. The functional classification revealed a unique extracellular enzyme system mainly belonging to the family of glycosyl hydrolase proteins (52%). This hydrolytic system consisted of cellulases (endo-1,4-β-glucanase, cellobiohydrolase I, exoglucanase, and β-glucosidase), hemicellulases (1,4-β-xylosidase and endo-1,4-β-xylanase) and other hypothetical proteins including GH3, GH5, GH6, GH7, GH11, GH20, GH32 and GH54. The synergistic action of this enzyme cocktail was assessed by the saccharification of alkali treated wheat straw. Since the Phoma secretome has limited β-glucosidase activity, it was supplemented with commercial β-glucosidase. After supplementation, this enzyme complex resulted in high yields of glucose (177.2 ± 1.0 mg/gds), xylose (209.2 ± 1.5 mg/gds) and arabinose (25.2 ± 0.3 mg/gds). The secretome analysis and biomass hydrolysis by P. exigua revealed its unique potential as a source of hydrolytic enzymes for lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis.     

Comparison of lipopeptide biosurfactants production by Bacillus subtilis strains in submerged and solid state fermentation systems using a cheap carbon source: Some industrial applications of biosurfactants

Biosurfactants, in general has the potential to aid in the recovery of subsurface organic contaminants (environmental remediation) or crude oils (oil recovery). However, high production and purification costs limit its use in these high-volume applications. In the present study, the efficiency of two Bacillus subtilis strains viz., DM-03 and DM-04 for the production of biosurfactants in two fermentation systems viz., solid state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF) was compared. Both the B. subtilis strains produced appreciable and equal amount of crude lipopeptide biosurfactants (B. subtilis DM-03: 80.0 ± 9 mg/gds in SmF and 67.0 ± 6 mg/gds in SSF; B. subtilis DM-04: 23.0 ± 5.0 mg/gds in SmF and 20.0 ± 2.5 mg/gds in SSF) in the two different fermentation systems using potato peels as cheap carbon source. These thermostable lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by B. subtilis strains either in SSF or in SmF, exhibited strong emulsifying property and could release appreciable amount of oil from saturated sand pack column. Further, it was shown by biochemical analysis, RP-HPLC profile and IR spectra that there is no qualitative and qualitative differences in the composition of crude biosurfactants produced either in SmF or in SSF system.     

A novel medium for the production of cephamycin C by Nocardia lactamdurans using solid-state fermentation

In this study, Nocardia lactamdurans NRRL 3802 was explored for the first time for production of cephamycin C by using solid-state fermentation. The effects of various substrates, moisture content, inoculum size, initial pH of culture medium, additional nitrogen source and amino acids were investigated for the maximum production of cephamycin C by N. lactamdurans NRRL 3802 in solid-state fermentation. Subsequently, selected fermentation parameters were further optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The soybean flour as a substrate with moisture content of 65%, initial pH of culture medium of 6.5 and inoculum size of 10⁹ CFU/ml (2 × 10⁸ CFU/gds) at 28 ± 2 °C after 4 days gave maximum production of 15.75 ± 0.27 mg/gds of cephamycin C as compared to 8.37 ± 0.23 mg/gds before optimization. Effect of 1,3-diaminopropane on cephamycin C production was further studied, which further increased the yield to 27.64 ± 0.33 mg/gds.     

Feruloyl esterase production by Aspergillus terreus CECT 2808 and subsequent application to enzymatic hydrolysis

Ferulic acid esterases (FAE) were produced by Aspergillus terreus CECT 2808 from vine trimming shoots (VTS) and corn cob. Later, the fungal extracts thus obtained were used to enzymatically release ferulic acid (FA) from both substrates. Our findings showed a higher FAE activity in the enzymatic extracts produced on corn cob (0.070 ± 0.004 U/mL). Nevertheless, the enzymatic extracts produced on VTS demonstrated a better performance for FA release from both corn cob (2.05 ± 0.01 mg/g) and VTS (0.19 ± 0.003 mg/g). This result was probably because of the higher xylanase/FAE ratio determined in VTS extract. Therefore, an additional assay was carried out by supplementing corn cob extract with a commercial xylanase to test the influence of FAE/xylanase ratio in FA release. The results revealed the relevance of the FAE/xylanase ratio for an optimal FA release.     

A novel thermostable cellulase free xylanase stable in broad range of pH from Streptomyces sp. CS428

A cellulase free thermostable xylanase from Streptomyces sp. CS428 was isolated from a Korean soil sample, purified by single-step chromatography, and biochemically characterized. The extracellular xylanase was purified 26 fold with a 55% yield by CM Trisacryl cation exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of the enzyme (Xyn428) was approximately 37 kDa. Xyn428 was found to be stable over a broad pH range (4 to ～13.6) and to 50 °C and have an optimum temperature of 80 °C. Xyn428 had K_m and V_max values of 102.3 ± 1.2 mg/mL and 3225.4 ± 15 mmol/min mg, respectively, when beechwood xylan was used as substrate. N-terminal sequence of Xyn428 was INRTDHNENSYLEIHNNEAR. CS428 was grown on different agro waste xylan and produced 4197.1 U/mL of xylanase activity in 36 h of cultivation in wheat bran without supplements. Xyn428 activity was inhibited by Tris salt at concentrations above 20 mM, and produced xylose and xylobiose as major products. It was found to degrade agro waste materials by small unit of enzyme (20 U/g) as shown by electron microscopy. As being simple in purification, thermo tolerant, pH stability in broad range and ability to produce xylooligosaccharides show that Xyn428 has potential applications in industries as a biobleaching agent and for xylooligosaccharides production.     

Use of Saccharum spontaneum (wild sugarcane) as biomaterial for cell immobilization and modulated ethanol production by thermotolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae VS3

Saccharum spontaneum is a wasteland weed consists of 45.10 ± 0.35% cellulose and 22.75 ± 0.28% of hemicellulose on dry solid (DS) basis. Aqueous ammonia delignified S. spontaneum yielded total reducing sugars, 53.91 ± 0.44 g/L (539.10 ± 0.55 mg/g of substrate) with a hydrolytic efficiency of 77.85 ± 0.45%. The enzymes required for hydrolysis were prepared from culture supernatants of Aspergillus oryzae MTCC 1846. A maximum of 0.85 ± 0.07 IU/mL of filter paperase (FPase), 1.25 ± 0.04 IU/mL of carboxy methyl cellulase (CMCase) and 55.56 ± 0.52 IU/mL of xylanase activity was obtained after 7 days of incubation at 28 ± 0.5 °C using delignified S. spontaneum as carbon source under submerged fermentation conditions. Enzymatic hydrolysate of S. spontaneum was then tested for ethanol production under batch and repeated batch production system using “in-situ” entrapped Saccharomyces cerevisiae VS₃ cells in S. spontaneum stalks (1 cm × 1 cm) size. Immobilization was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Batch fermentation of VS₃ free cells and immobilized cells showed ethanol production, 19.45 ± 0.55 g/L (yield, 0.410 ± 0.010 g/g) and 21.66 ± 0.62 g/L (yield, 0.434 ± 0.021 g/g), respectively. Immobilized VS₃ cells showed maximum ethanol production (22.85 ± 0.44 g/L, yield, 0.45 ± 0.04 g/g) up to 8th cycle during repeated batch fermentation followed by a gradual reduction in subsequent cycles of fermentation.     

Production of cellulases and xylanase by Aspergillus fumigatus SK1 using untreated oil palm trunk through solid state fermentation

Direct utilization of untreated oil palm trunk (OPT) for cellulases and xylanase production by Aspergillus fumigatus SK1 was conducted under solid-state fermentation (SSF). The highest activities of extracellular cellulases and xylanases were produced at 80% moisture level, initial pH 5.0, 1 × 10⁸ spore/g (inoculum) with 125 μm of OPT as sole carbon source. The cellulases and xylanase activities obtained were 54.27, 3.36, 4.54 and 418.70 U/g substrates for endoglucanase (CMCase), exoglucanase (FPase), β-glucosidase and xylanase respectively. The crude cellulases and xylanase required acidic condition to retain their optimum activities (pH 4.0). Crude cellulases and xylanase were more stable at 40 °C compared to their optimum activities conditions (60 °C for FPase and 70 °C for CMCase, β-glucosidase and xylanase). SDS-PAGE and zymogram analysis showed that Aspergillus fumigatus SK1 could secrete cellulases (endoglucanase, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase), xylanase and protease. Enzymatic degradation of alkaline treated OPT with concentrated crude cellulases and xylanases resulted in producing polyoses.     

Purification and partial characterisation of a thermostable xylanase from salt-tolerant Thermobifida halotolerans YIM 90462T

ThxynA, an extracellular xylanase of T. halotolerans YIM 90462^T, was purified to homogeneity from a fermentation broth by ultra-filtration, ammonium sulphate precipitation, hydrophobic chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. The purified xylanase has a molecular mass of 24 kDa and is optimally active at 80 °C and pH 6.0. The enzyme is stable over a broad pH range (pH 6.0–10.0) and shows good thermal stability when incubated at 70 °C for 1 h. The K_m and V_max values of the enzyme are 11.6 mg/mL and 434 μmol mg^?1 min^?1, respectively, using oat spelt xylan as a substrate. Moreover, the enzyme seemingly has both xylanase activity and cellulase activity. These unique properties suggest that it may be useful for industrial applications.     

Effect of enzymatic and hydrothermal treatments of rapeseeds on quality of the pressed rapeseed oils: Part I: Antioxidant capacity and antioxidant content

Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the quantitative effects of three independent variables: rapeseed moisture content, concentration of the added enzymes and conditioning temperature, on the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic, tocopherol, and phospholipid contents in the enzyme-treated rapeseed oils. The highest antioxidant capacity (1220.0, 964.8 μmol TE/100 g) total phenolic (83.3, 74.0 mg SA/100 g) and phospholipid (12,532, 12,376 mg/kg) contents reveal two rapeseed oils extruded from seeds contained 11% moisture, treated with cellulolytic and pectolytic enzymes (0.05%), respectively, and heated at 120 °C. However, the highest content of total tocopherols was determined in rapeseed oils pressed from seeds with 7% moisture, after addition of cellulolytic (0.05%) and pectolytic (0.1%) enzymes, heated at 90 and 105 °C, respectively. Total phenolic and phospholipid contents in the enzyme-treated rapeseed oils correlated significantly (p < 0.0000001) with antioxidant capacities of oils (R² = 0.8710 and 0.6581, respectively). Experimental results of the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, tocopherol and phospholipid contents were close to the predicted values calculated from the polynomial response surface models equations (R² = 0.9727, 0.9870, 0.8390 and 0.9706 for the cellulolytic enzyme-assisted rapeseed oils and R² = 0.9148, 0.9489, 0.9426 and 0.9479 for the pectolytic enzyme-assisted rapeseed oils). The optimum rapeseed moisture content, enzyme concentration and conditioning temperature for the cellulolytic and pectolytic enzyme-treated rapeseed oils were 11% and 9.7%, 0.08% and 0.1%, and 120 °C, respectively.     

Experimental and theoretical analysis of a novel deep-bed solid-state bioreactor for cellulolytic enzymes production

A novel deep-bed solid-state bioreactor was designed and fabricated for cellulolytic enzymes production using mixed fungal cultures. Better temperature and moisture control was achieved through a unique bioreactor design comprising an outer wire-mesh frame with internal air distribution along with near-saturation conditions within the cabinet. Without airflow through the internal distributors, maximum temperatures of 48 °C and 52 °C were observed during half- and full-capacity operation. These were reduced to 44 °C and 43 °C on resumption of airflow. In terms of cellulolytic enzyme production, no significant differences occurred in filter paper activity with depth in half-capacity operation; however, in full-capacity operation, top-level filter paper activity (5.39 FPU/g-solids) was significantly different from middle- and bottom-level activity. Top level beta-glucosidase, endocellulase, and xylanase activities were significantly (P < 0.05) different from middle and bottom levels in both half- and full-capacity operation. A two-phase coupled heat and mass transfer model was developed that predicted the experimental trends reasonably well. Model predictions confirmed that cabinet temperature of 30 °C and distributor airflow rate of 3.42 kg h⁻¹ during operation enabled effective temperature control.     

Nutrient control for stationary phase cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei Rut C-30

This work describes the use of nutrient limitations with Trichoderma reesei Rut C-30 to obtain a prolonged stationary phase cellulase production. This period of non-growth may allow for dependable cellulase production, extended fermentation periods, and the possibility to use pellet morphology for easy product separation. Phosphorus limitation was successful in halting growth and had a corresponding specific cellulase production of 5 ± 2 FPU/g-h. Combined with the addition of Triton X-100 for fungal pellet formation and low shear conditions, a stationary phase cellulase production period in excess of 300 h was achieved, with a constant enzyme production rate of 7 ± 1 FPU/g-h. While nitrogen limitation was also effective as a growth limiter, it, however, also prevented cellulase production.     

The effect of glucose and maltose concentrations on pyruvate and ascorbate production,antioxidant enzyme activities and LPO levels in Fusarium equiseti

Changes in pyruvate and ascorbate production and antioxidant enzyme activities together with lipid peroxidation levels in Fusarium equiseti were investigated in relation to changes in the concentrations of glucose and maltose as carbon sources in the range of 5–25 g/l in Armstrong Fusarium Medium (AFM). The highest pyruvate concentration obtained at 20 g/l maltose was 67.5 ± 0.69 μg/ml while ascorbic acid reached a maximum value at 25 g/l glucose of 1866±26.1 μg/ml The maximum superoxide dismutas (SOD) activities related to increased pyruvate production were determined in AFM medium containing 20 g/l glucose as 41.49±0.65 and maltose as 61.12±0.8 IU/mg. Catalase (CAT) activity variations showed coherence with SOD activity in a medium containing maltose and reached 219.11±2.8 IU/mg while they were decreased with increasing glucose concentration. glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in F. equiseti did not change significantly with glucose and maltose concentration and were determined to be 1.21±0.22 and 1.67±0.15 IU/mg, respectively. Minimum lipid peroxidation levels for each carbon source were determined in both 20 g/l maltose and glucose concentrations as 0.9 and 1.62 nmol MDA/g wet weight.     

Production of endoxylanase with enhanced thermostability by a novel polyextremophilic Bacillus halodurans TSEV1 and its applicability in waste paper deinking

The screening and selection of the culture variables followed by optimization using statistical approaches led to a 23-fold enhancement in thermo-alkali-stable xylanase production by the polyextremophilic Bacillus halodurans TSEV1. The optimization of crucial parameters involved in the extraction of xylanase from the bacterial bran led to a high enzyme recovery. The purified xylanase produced in submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid state fermentation (SSF) was visualized as a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 40 kDa. The SSF-xylanase is optimally active at 78 °C and pH 9.0 and stable in the pH range between 7.0 and 12.0 with a T_1/2 of 65 min at 90 °C, which is higher than that of SmF-xylanase. The higher activation energy, enthalpy of deactivation (ΔH*), free energy change of deactivation (ΔG*) and T_1/2 of SSF-xylanase than these of SmF xylanase further confirmed higher thermostability of the former than the latter. The combination of commercial cellulase and TSEV1 xylanase was highly effective in deinking of waste paper at alkaline pH and elevated temperatures.     

Extinction thresholds and negative responses of Afrotropical ant-following birds to forest cover loss in oil palm and agroforestry landscapes

Afrotropical ant-following birds are vulnerable to forest loss and disturbance, but critical habitat thresholds regarding their abundance and species richness in human-dominated landscapes, including industrial oil palm plantations, have never been assessed. We measured forest cover through Landsat imagery and recorded species richness and relative abundance of 20 ant-following birds in 48 plots of 1-km², covering three landscapes of Southwest Cameroon: Korup National Park, smallholder agroforestry areas (with farms embedded in forest), and an industrial oil palm plantation. We evaluated differences in encounter frequency and species richness among landscapes, and the presence of critical thresholds through enhanced adaptive regression through hinges. All species were detected in Korup National Park and the agroforestry landscape, which had similar forest cover (>85%). Only nine species were found in the oil palm plantation (forest cover = 10.3 ± 3.3%). At the 1-km² scale, the number of species and bird encounters were comparable in agroforests and the protected area: mean species richness ranged from 12.2 ± 0.6 in the park and 12.2 ± 0.6 in the agroforestry matrix to 1.0 ± 0.4 in the industrial oil palm plantation; whereas encounters decreased from 34.4 ± 3.2 to 26.1 ± 2.9 and 1.3 ± 0.4, respectively. Bird encounters decreased linearly with decreasing forest cover, down to an extinction threshold identified at 24% forest cover. Species richness declined linearly by ca. one species per 7.4% forest cover lost. We identified an extinction threshold at 52% forest cover for the most sensitive species (Criniger chloronotus, Dicrurus atripennis, and Neocossyphus poensis). Our results show that substantial proportions of forests are required to sustain complete ant-following bird assemblages in Afrotropical landscapes and confirm the high sensitivity of this bird guild to deforestation after industrial oil palm development. Securing both forest biodiversity and food production in an Afrotropical production landscape may be best attained through a combination of protected areas and wildlife-friendly agroforestry.     

Serum sialic acid changes in non-insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients following bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and rosiglitazone (Avandia) treatment

Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increase in sialic acid concentration along with other complications. Sialic acid changes in NIDDM patients were investigated following bitter melon (55 ml/24 h) and rosiglitazone (4 mg/24 h) treatment. A total of 25 patients of both sexes were used in each experimental group. Patients following bitter melon treatment showed no significant difference of serum sialic acid (57.95±4.90 vs. 57.6±5.56 mg/dl, p=0.17) and serum glucose concentration (93.7±9.63 vs. 88.35±6.31 mg/dl, p=0.78) as compared to control subjects. However, the concentration of total cholesterol was significantly high in these patients as compared to control subjects (192±14.23 vs. 170.6±15.1 mg/dl, p<0.03) but within normal range (160–200 mg/dl), suggesting the significant hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering properties of bitter melon. The patients following rosiglitazone treatment showed a significant increase of serum sialic acid concentration (60.2±5.80 vs. 57.6±5.56 mg/dl, p=0.01) along with glucose (112±6.2 vs. 88.35±6.31 mg/dl, p<0.04) and total cholesterol concentration (216.45±20.2 vs. 170.6±15.1 mg/dl, p<0.01) as compared to control subjects. In addition six of the patients had retinopathy, two of whom were suffering also from myocardial infarction and they still had a higher serum sialic acid (61.05±1.20 mg/dl), glucose (187±2.11 mg/dl), total cholesterol (239.10±5.04 mg/dl) and triglyceride (183±4.14 mg/dl) concentration, indicating a poor response of these patients to rosiglitazone. Comparison of serum sialic acid concentration of patients, following bitter melon and rosiglitazone treatment revealed no significant difference but the study showed that bitter melon could be more effective in the management of diabetes and its related complications as compared to rosiglitazone.     

Characterization of α-phosphoglucomutase isozymes from Toxoplasma gondii

The Toxoplasma gondii genome project has revealed two putative isoforms (TgPGM-I and TgPGM-II) of α-phosphoglucomutase (EC 5.4.2.2). We obtained recombinant proteins of these isoforms from the Beverley strain of T. gondii and characterized their properties, particularly the kinetic properties of these isoforms. The specific activities of TgPGM-I and TgPGM-II for α-d-glucose 1-phosphate were 338 ± 9 and 84 ± 6 μmol/min/mg protein, respectively, at 37 °C under optimal conditions. The Kcat and Km values of TgPGM-I were 398 ± 11/s and 0.19 ± 0.03 mM and those for TgPGM-II were 93 ± 7/s and 3.53 ± 0.91 mM, respectively, for α-d-glucose 1-phosphate. Magnesium ions were the most effective divalent cations for both the enzyme activities. The maximum activities of both the enzymes were obtained in the presence of more than 0.2 mM α-d-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate. Although both enzymes were attached to the α-phosphohexomutase superfamily, amino acid sequence homology between TgPGM-I and TgPGM-II showed very low overall identity (25%). No α-phosphomannomutase (EC 5.4.2.8) activity was detected for either enzyme. The data indicated that TgPGM-I, but not TgPGM-II, may play an important role in α-d-glucose 6-phosphate production.     

EPA,DHA, cholesterol and phospholipid content in Pagrus pagrus (cultured and wild), Trachinus draco and Trigla lyra from Mediterranean Sea

EPA, DHA, cholesterol and phospholipid content were determined in the Trachinus draco, Trigla lyra and (wild and cultured) Pagrus pagrus muscles.The EPA and DHA levels – as determined by GC-GC/MS – in the cultured P. pagrus muscles (233.20 ± 16.3 and 399.39 ± 31.1 mg/100 g of the wet tissue respectively) were found to be significantly higher compared to the ones in the wild P. pagrus, T. draco and T. lyra (26.31 ± 2.26, 158.24 ± 10.92 mg/100 g, 28.65 ± 1.68, 155.97 ± 2.63 mg/100 g 35.66 ± 0.66 and 102.52 ± 1.71 mg/100 g of the wet muscles respectively). The amounts of cholesterol (determined by GC on a capillary column) and phospholipids in the cultured P. pagrus muscles were significantly higher (149.3 mg/100 g and 0.80 g/100 g of the wet tissue respectively) compared to the ones in the wild P. pagrus (8.73 mg/100 g and 0.40 g/100 g), T. draco (41.72 mg/100 g and 0.59 g/100 g) and T. lyra muscles (38.63 mg/100 g and 0.40 g/100 g of the wet tissue respectively).The highest DHA/EPA and ω-3/ω-6 ratios were 6.00 and 5.93 in wild P. pagrus and T. draco muscles respectively, while the lowest in cultured P. pagrus (1.71 and 1.48 respectively).     

Phytochemical characterization of potential nutraceutical ingredients from Evening Primrose oil (Oenothera biennis L.)

Evening Primrose oil (EPO) is a natural product extracted by cold-pressed from Oenothera biennis L. seeds. EPO is widely used as a dietary supplement from which beneficial effects have been reported in rheumatic and arthritic conditions, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, premenstrual and menopausal syndrome, and diabetic neuropathy. The beneficial effects of EPO are thought to be due to its γ-linolenic acid content; in contrast, little effort has been expended to characterize the non-triglyceridic constituents of EPO. In order to evaluate its potential as source of functional food ingredients our aim in this work has been identified and quantified the different components of EPO by different techniques (GC–MS and HPLC). The lipid profile showed that oleic (7%), linoleic (74%) and γ-linolenic (9%) were the most abundance fatty acids. Unsaponifiable matter and subfractions were obtained by CEE/2568/91. Separation of the compounds under study was achieved giving a reasonable analysis time and good resolution. A yield (1.82–1.95%) of unsaponifiable matter was obtained and levels of saturated hydrocarbons (0.291.97 ± 14.85 mg) were noticed. β-Sitosterol (7952.00 ± 342.25 mg/kg oil) and campesterol (883.32 ± 0.45 mg/kg oil) were predominant in phytosterol fraction (9573 mg/kg oil), while tetracosanol (236.93 ± 2.32 mg/kg oil) and hexacosanol (289.92 ± 3.41 mg/kg oil) in linear aliphatic alcohol fraction (798.04 ± 5.66 mg/kg oil). In the phenolic fraction (55.49 ± 2.76 mg/kg oil), ferulic acid (25.23 ± 2.64 mg/kg oil) was the major component. From the results obtained, it can be suggested that the Evening Primrose oil can be considered an interesting alimentary source of substances of nutraceutical value.