Oxygen is one of the most important molecules on Earth mainly because of the biochemical symmetry of oxygenic photosynthesis and aerobic respiration that can maintain homeostasis within our planet's biosphere. Oxygen can also produce toxic molecules, reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS play a dual role in biological systems, since they can be either harmful or beneficial to living systems. They can be considered a double-edged sword because at moderate concentrations, nitric oxide (NO•), superoxide anion, and related reactive oxygen species play an important role as regulatory mediators in signalling processes. Many of the ROS-mediated responses actually protect the cells against oxidative stress and re-establish "redox homeostasis". On the other hand, overproduction of ROS has the potential to cause damage. In the recent decades, ROS has become a focus of interest in most biomedical disciplines and many types of clinical research. Increasing evidence from research on several diseases shows that oxidative stress is associated with the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, ischaemia/reperfusion injury, obstructive sleep apnea, neurodegenerative disorders, hypertension and ageing.

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A study of free radical chemistry: their role and pathophysiological significance.

Glandless cottonseed: A review of the first 25 years of processing and utilization research

Technological Innovations in Major World Oil Crops, Volume 1

Biotechnology is the application of single or multicellular organisms and of associated or derived enzyme systems to the production of desirable products. Particular discussion has been made of the derivation of fats and oils from animals, plants and microorganisms. General consideration has been given to methods, primarily plant breeding and agronomic practices for the improvement of the quantity and quality of oil produced by soybean, rapeseed, palm and sunflower. The possible importance of yeasts, fungi and algae as sources of single cell oil has been examined. A particular role of these systems in the production of specialty oils has been suggested. Enzyme systems, either associated with the intact cell or in isolation, can be used to varying degrees of success in either a free or immobilized form. Particular reference has been made to application of these systems to reactions including specific hydrolysis of triacylglycerols, acylation of glycerol, interesterification of triacylglycerols, wax ester formation and steroid transformations. Consideration has been given to particular plants and microorganisms as sources of new fats and oils. The major impact of biotechnology on the industry is believed to be associated with the production of high value specialty products including cocoa butter substitutes, biosurfactants, waxes and various prostaglandin derivatives. General consideration has been given to the possible relative importance of plant and microbial systems, engineering and scale-up problems, and overall economics of present biotechnological procedures.

Biotechnology and the fats and oils industry — An overview

Cottonseed remains a low-value by-product of lint production mainly due to the presence of toxic gossypol that makes it unfit for monogastrics. Ultra-low gossypol cottonseed (ULGCS) lines were developed using RNAi knockdown of δ-cadinene synthase gene(s) in Gossypium hirsutum. The purpose of the current study was to assess the stability and specificity of the ULGCS trait and evaluate the agronomic performance of the transgenic lines. Trials conducted over a period of 3 years show that the ULGCS trait was stable under field conditions and the foliage/floral organs of transgenic lines contained wild-type levels of gossypol and related terpenoids. Although it was a relatively small-scale study, we did not observe any negative effects on either the yield or quality of the fibre and seed in the transgenic lines compared with the nontransgenic parental plants. Compositional analysis was performed on the seeds obtained from plants grown in the field during 2009. As expected, the major difference between the ULGCS and wild-type cottonseeds was in terms of their gossypol levels. With the exception of oil content, the composition of ULGCS was similar to that of nontransgenic cottonseeds. Interestingly, the ULGCS had significantly higher (4%-8%) oil content compared with the seeds from the nontransgenic parent. Field trial results confirmed the stability and specificity of the ULGCS trait suggesting that this RNAi-based product has the potential to be commercially viable. Thus, it may be possible to enhance and expand the nutritional utility of the annual cottonseed output to fulfil the ever-increasing needs of humanity.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pbi.12013

RNAi‐mediated Ultra‐low gossypol cottonseed trait: performance of transgenic lines under field conditions

Industrial lecithin can be fractionated as phospholipids and glycolipids after neutral lipids and protein-containing contaminants are removed. The polar lipids are very reactive and are difficult to extract and purify from oilseeds. Their purity and special properties can be improved by a number of methods including solvent fractionation, hydrogenation, sulfonation, and ethoxylation. Studies are determining the role of the polar lipids of lecithin in (a) the synthesis of triglycerides in maturing seeds, (b) the structure of biological membranes, and (c) the molecular basis of the functionality of food ingredients. Lecithin, having both polar and nonpolar groups, has high surface activity and is reactive with both oil and protein, making it an excellent emulsifying agent in food systems; lecithin also slows autoxidation and enzyme hydrolysis of fats. Cottonseed lecithin is low in linolenic acid, prevents flavor deterioration of soybean oil and can be used to stabilize sunflower oil against color change during high temperature use. Gossypol binds to lecithin in oil from glanded cottonseed economically negating it as a commercial source of this product. New cultivars producing glandless, or gossypol-free cottonseed, may have potential as commercial sources of edible lecithin.

L. A. Jones

Papers

A Review of Lecithin Chemistry and Glandless Cottonseed as a Potential Commercial Source