Oléagineux, Corps gras, Lipides 

About: Oléagineux, Corps gras, Lipides is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Polyunsaturated fatty acid & Unsaturated fatty acid. Over the lifetime, 769 publications have been published receiving 4087 citations.

The omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio: health implications

Abstract: Today, Western diets are characterized by a higher omega-6 and a lower omega-3 fatty acid intake, whereas during the Paleolithic period when human's genetic profile was established, there was a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Their balance is an important determinant for brain development and in decreasing the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and other autoimmune and possibly neurodegenerative diseases. Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influence gene expression. Because of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in their metabolic pathways, blood levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are determined by both en- dogenous metabolism and dietary intake making the need of balanced dietary intake essential for health and disease prevention. Whether an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 3:1 to 4:1 could prevent the pathogenesis of many diseases induced by today's Western diets (AFSSA, 2010), a target of 1:1 to 2:1 appears to be consistent with studies on evolutionary aspects of diet, neurodevelopment, and genetics. A target of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 appears to be consistent with studies on evolutionary aspects of diet, neurodevelopment and genetics. A balanced ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is important for health and in the prevention of CHD and possibly other chronic diseases.

The road half traveled: agricultural market reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract: This article reviews the extensive evidence on agricultural market reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa and summarises the impact reforms have had on market performance, agricultural production, use of modern inputs, and poverty. It offers eight recommendations for completing the reform process and developing a new agenda for agricultural markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. The reform experience in Sub-Saharan Africa has varied widely across countries and crop subsectors. The available evidence shows clear progress in some areas and mixed results in others. Most reforms were only partially implemented and policy reversal was common. Once implemented, however, reforms have increased competition and reduced marketing margins, benefiting both producers and consumers. Reforms have also boosted export crop production. On the other hand, food crop production has stagnated and yields have not improved. Further expansion of private trade is constrained by lack of access to credit, uncertainty about the government’s commitment to reform, and high transaction costs.

Yeast: A new oil producer?

Abstract: The increasing demand of plant oils or animal fat for biodiesel and specific lipid derivatives for the oleochemical field (such as lubricants, adhesives or plastics) have created price imbalance in both the alimentary and energy field. Moreover, the lack of non-edible oil feedstock has given rise to concerns on land-use practices and on oil production strategies. Recently, much attention has been paid to the exploitation of microbial oils. Most of them present lipid profiles similar in type and composition to plants and could therefore have many advantages as are no competitive with food, have short process cycles and their cultivation is independent of climate factors. Among microorganisms, yeasts seem to be very promising as they can be easily genetically enhanced, are suitable for large-scale fermentation and are devoid of endotoxins. This review will focus on the recent understanding of yeasts lipid metabolism, the succeeding genetic engineering of the lipid pathways and the recent developments on fermentation techniques that pointed out yeasts as promising alternative producers for oil or plastic.

Oils of insects and larvae consumed in Africa: potential sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to present the beneficial aspects of some insects consumed in sub-Saharan Africa, based on examples of insects consumed in Cameroon, to present their potential as sources of lipids and essential fatty acids In Africa, termites, larvae of raphia weevil, caterpillars, crickets, bees, maggots, butterflies, weevil, etc are significant sources of food These insects belong mainly to the orders of : Isoptera, Orthoptera, Dictyoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera Depending on the species, insects are rich in proteins, minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Zn, P, Fe) and/or vitamins (thiamine/B1, riboflavine/B2, pyridoxine/B6, acid pantothenic, niacin) The composition of oils extracted from the following six insects consumed in Cameroon was investigated : larvaes of raphia weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis), crickets (Homorocoryphus nitidulus), grasshopper (Zonocerus variegates), termites (Macrotermes sp), a variety of caterpillars (Imbrasia sp) and an unidentified caterpillar from the forest (UI carterpillar) The extraction yields of oil were 5375%, 6725%, 912%, 4935%, 2444% and 2017% respectively for raphia weevil larvae, crickets, devastating crickets, termites, Imbrasia and UI caterpillar The oil from raphia weevil mainly contains 3760% of palmitoleic acid and 4546% of linoleic acid The oil from crickets is principally made up of palmitoleic acid (2759%), linoleic acid (4563%) and α-linolenic acid (1619%) The oil from grasshoppers is composed of palmitoleic acid (2383%), oleic acid (1071%), linoleic acid (2107%), α-linolenic acid (1476%) and γ-linolenic acid (2254%) The main components of termite oil are : palmitic acid (3047%), oleic acid (4752%) and linoleic acid (879%) Palmitic acid (3608%) and linolenic acid (3801%) are the two dominant fatty acids of Imbrasia oil As Imbrasia oil, UI caterpillar oil is composed of palmitic acid (3080%) and linolenic acid (4179%) Stearic acid (704%), oleic acid (856%) and linoleic acid (659%) are also present These results show that these insects are considerable sources of fat Their oils are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, of which essential fatty acids are linoleic and linolenic acids The ratio PUFA/SFA, in the majority of cases is higher than 08, associated with desirable levels of cholesterol

Phytosterols: natural compounds with established and emerging health benefits

Abstract: Phytosterols (plant sterols and stanols) are naturally occurring compounds which are found in all foods of plant origin. The term phytosterols refers to more than 200 different compounds. The most abundant ones in the human diet are sitosterol and campesterol. Their saturated counterparts, sitostanol and campestanol, are found in much lower amounts. Good food sources of phytosterols include vegetable oils, cereal grains, nuts, legumes, and fruits and vegetables. Phytosterols are structurally similar to cholesterol. Despite this structural similarity, they are not absorbed in significant quantities. Absorption is less than 2% for phytosterols, while it is 30-60% for cholesterol. Phytosterols are known to have various bioactive properties, which may have an impact on human health, and as such boosted interest in phytosterols in the past decade. The most important benefit is their blood cholesterol-lowering effect via partial inhibition of intestinal cholesterol absorption. The recommended daily intake of 2 g of phytosterols reduces cholesterol absorption by 30-40% and LDL-cholesterol by 10% on average. Other claimed benefits of phytosterols are possible anti-atherogenic effects as well as, particularly for beta-sitosterol, immune stimulating and anti-inflammatory activities. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence suggesting that particularly plant sterols may have beneficial effects against the development of different types of cancers, like colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. It is not clear whether mechanisms other than the established cholesterol-lowering action of phytosterols as such also contribute to these potential health benefits.