Search Results (31)

This study compares the nutritional and metabolic properties of unconventional cold-pressed vegetable oils available on the Polish market. Twelve oils—milk thistle, evening primrose, flaxseed, camelina sativa, black cumin, pumpkin seed, sesame, mustard seed, sea buckthorn, blue poppy seed, borage, and safflower—were examined. The chosen oils were investigated based on their fatty acids profiles, total phenolic compounds (TPC), tocopherols, and pigment contents. Despite the high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) content raising concerns about oxidative stability, the significant tocopherol levels and polyphenols content contribute to antioxidative protection. These oils’ favorable hypocholesterolemic, antiatherogenic, and antithrombogenic properties were highlighted by key nutritional indices, showing potential benefits for cardiovascular health. These results suggest that these oils are a promising dietary supplement for promoting both cardiovascular health and sustainability, owing to their rich content of essential fatty acids and bioactive compounds. Moreover, high correlations were found between theoretical and experimental established oxidative stability of the tested oils at the ending stage of the thermostat test. Full article

The increasing popularity of “superseeds” such as flax, sesame, amaranth and quinoa as functional foods raises the need for robust analytical methods for authentication purposes. In this work, a standardized workflow for the extraction, characterization and identification of unique peptides that may be used as markers to distinguish superseed species was investigated. Ammonium bicarbonate/urea (Ambi/urea) extraction, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) buffer and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) precipitation were initially implemented and, based on the level and composition of the extracted proteins, the SDS buffer protocol was selected. Electrophoresis analysis revealed consistent protein profiles between biological replicates from each of the eleven seed species, confirming the reproducibility of the SDS buffer protocol. Targeted mass spectrometry successfully identified species-specific peptide markers for six of eleven superseeds investigated, including peptides from conlinins in flaxseed (WVQQAK), 11S globulins in sesame (LVYIER), oleosin in quinoa (DVGQTIESK), agglutin-like lectins in amaranth (CAGVSVIR), as well as cupin-like proteins in poppy seeds (INIVNSQK) and edestins in hemp seeds (FLQLSAER). Moreover, proteome cross-analysis allowed us to disqualify the isomeric peptide LTALEPTNR from 11S globulins present in amaranth and quinoa. However, no reliable markers were identified for chia, canihua, basil, black cumin, and psyllium seeds under current conditions. While this targeted proteomics approach shows promise for superseed authentication, comprehensive method validation and alternative strategies for marker-deficient species are required before routine implementation. Full article

There is an unmet need for an affordable, high-quality, and non-thermally processed source of omega-3 fatty acids. Cold-pressed flaxseed oil comes closest to meeting these criteria. Flaxseed oil is also subject to rapid oxidative degradation. Sesame, black cumin, and apricot kernel oils are already used as functional foods and are more resistant to oxidative degradation. GC, HPLC, DPPH, the Folin−Ciocalteu method, and OXITEST were applied to the four cold-pressed oils and their binary blends with flaxseed oil. The fatty acid profile showed that the dominant fatty acid in flaxseed oil was linolenic acid with a content of 52.27 ± 0.17%, while oleic acid dominated in apricot kernel oil (69.45 ± 0.18%) and linoleic acid (58.80 ± 0.07%) in black cumin oil, while sesame oil was characterized by approximately equal proportions of oleic (42.21 ± 0.20%) and linoleic acids (43.37 ± 0.07%). The content of oleic acid showed a moderate, statistically significant correlation with the oxidative stability of oils and blends. The antioxidant capacity of flaxseed oil (25 ± 1.4 μmol TE/g) was most strongly influenced by the addition of black cumin oil (75 ± 3.5 μmol TE/g), so that the highest antioxidant capacity was achieved by the blend with an addition of 50% of this oil (57.5 ± 2.4 μmol TE/g). Oxidative stability tests show that apricot kernel oil stabilizes flaxseed oil the most and increases the oxidative stability of the blend by up to 60%. Full article

Large language models (LLMs), designed to provide helpful and safe responses, often rely on alignment techniques to align with user intent and social guidelines. Unfortunately, this alignment can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to manipulate an LLM’s outputs for unintended purposes. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach that employs a genetic algorithm (GA) to manipulate LLMs when model architecture and parameters are inaccessible. The GA attack works by optimizing a universal adversarial prompt that—when combined with a user’s query—disrupts the attacked model’s alignment, resulting in unintended and potentially harmful outputs. Our novel approach systematically reveals a model’s limitations and vulnerabilities by uncovering instances where its responses deviate from expected behavior. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate the efficacy of our technique, thus contributing to the ongoing discussion on responsible AI development by providing a diagnostic tool for evaluating and enhancing alignment of LLMs with human intent. To our knowledge, this is the first automated universal black-box jailbreak attack. Full article

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possesses the potential of providing good curative effects with no side effects for the effective management of slow transit constipation (STC), an intestinal disease characterized by colonic dyskinesia. Mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) and black sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), referred to as SH, are processed and conditioned as per standardized protocols. SH has applications as food and medicine. Accordingly, we investigated the therapeutic potential of SH in alleviating STC. The analysis of SH composition identified a total of 504 compounds. The intervention with SH significantly improved intestinal motility, reduced the time for the first black stool, increased antioxidant activity, and enhanced water content, thereby effectively alleviating colon damage caused by STC. Transcriptome analysis revealed the SH in the treatment of STC related to SOD1, MUC2, and AQP1. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated notable differences in the abundance of 10 bacteria between the SH and model. Metabolomic analysis further revealed that SH supplementation increased the levels of nine metabolites associated with STC. Integrative analysis revealed that SH modulated amino acid metabolism, balanced intestinal flora, and targeted key genes (i.e., SOD1, MUC2, AQP1) to exert its effects. SH also inhibited the AQP1 expression and promoted SOD1 and MUC2 expression. Full article

Sesame is an emerging crop of interest in Australia and has attracted widespread interest due to the health-benefitting properties of its bioactive compounds, including fatty acids, lignans, and polyphenols. This study aimed to investigate the impact of drought stress on these bioactive compounds, using eleven cultivars of black sesame seeds grown in Australia. Specific varieties responded positively to water deficit (WD) conditions, showing increased levels of TPC, FRAP, CUPRAC, and lignans. Varieties 1, 4, 7, and 12 showed significantly increased FRAP values ranging from 158.02 ± 10.43 to 195.22 ± 9.63 mg TE/100 g DW in the WD treatment compared to the well-watered (WW) treatment, whereas varieties 7, 10, 12, 13, and 18 demonstrated the highest CUPRAC values of all varieties (2584.86 ± 99.68–2969.56 ± 159.72 mg TE/100 g) across both WW and WD conditions, with no significant variations between irrigation regimes. Moreover, lignan contents (sesamin and sesamolin) were higher in varieties 1, 2, 5, and 8 grown in WD conditions. Compared to the optimal unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (Σ UFA/Σ SFA ratio) of 0.45, all sesame genotypes showed superior ratios (ranging between 1.86 and 2.34). Moreover, the ω-6/ω-3 PUFA ratio varied from 33.7–65.5, with lower ratios in varieties 2, 4, 5, 8, and 18 under WD conditions. The high levels of phenolic compounds and healthy fats suggest the potential of black sesame to be incorporated into diets as a functional food. Furthermore, the enhanced phytochemistry of these cultivars in WD conditions is promising for widespread adoption. However, larger trial studies to confirm these findings across different geographic locations and seasons are warranted. Full article

Objectives: Edible seeds are usually consumed as common food ingredients. They are considered to have a rich nutrient profile, containing different macro and micronutrients, as well as some biologically active compounds with positive health effects, such as different phenolics. The aim of this work was to determine total phenolics (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in selected commercial seeds samples from the Serbian market. Methods: Samples of nine seeds were investigated (sesame and black sesame, raw and roasted sunflower, raw and roasted pumpkin, hemp, chia and linseed). The samples of native seeds and those defatted using dichloromethane (maceration and Soxhlet extraction) were extracted with 80% methanol. Obtained hydro-methanol extracts were dried and further analysed using spectrophotometric methods: TPC was determined using Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) reagent and expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE), while TFC was measured based on the reaction between flavonoids and aluminium chloride and expressed as catechin equivalents (KE). Results: In general, hydro-methanol extracts of seed samples defatted using Soxhlet extraction had the highest TPC and TFC contents. TPC values ranged from 9.47 g GAE/mg (raw pumpkin seed) to over 170 g GAE/mg (raw sunflower seeds). As for TFC, the highest amount was measured in extracts of defatted raw sunflower seeds (over 150 g KE/mg), while roasted pumpkin and hemp seeds’ extracts were practically devoid of flavonoids. Conclusion: Our results confirmed the fact that certain defatted seeds, which are usually considered as waste products in oil production, could be considered as valuable sources of certain secondary plant metabolites, implicating further investigations on their composition and potential in the development of functional foods. Full article

A variety of specific plant oils produced from plants other than sunflowers and olives has been offered on the food market, most of them obtained using cold pressing in order to preserve sensitive oil components. The objective of this study was to evaluate their fatty acid (FA) compositions by means of nutritional quality indices. FA profiles (37 FAs) of 20 commercially available specific edible plant oils were obtained using GC-FID and further evaluated by calculating lipid quality indices. FA profiles and their corresponding quality indices showed the expected variability, depending on the plant source. For the purpose of comparison, the same indices were determined for sunflower and olive oil: the polyunsaturated-to-saturated FA ratio (PUFA/SFA) was 5.1 and 0.5, the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH) was 13.0 and 6.8, the index of atherogenicity (IA) was 0.08 and 0.14, the index of thrombogenicity (IT) was 0.23 and 0.24, and the unsaturation index (UI) was 146.6 and 93.5, respectively. A higher PUFA/SFA ratio is beneficial for cardiovascular health, as are a lower IA and IT. The UI indicates stability of unsaturated FAs during storage and processing. Flaxseed oil was the only one showing a PUFA/SFA ratio higher than sunflower oil (5.8). Regarding IA, flaxseed, almond, apricot, plum, hazelnut, macadamia, and sea buckthorn oils were similar to sunflower oil; sesame, black cumin, poppy, pumpkin, avocado, raspberry seed, argan, moringa, and rose seed oils resembled olive oil; and palm oil was isolated at 0.80, while coconut oil reached 23.4. Flaxseed, almond, apricot, plum, raspberry seed, macadamia, rose seed, and sea buckthorn oils showed a lower IT than sunflower and olive oils (range 0.06–0.18). Coconut and palm oils showed lower HH ratios than olive oil, whereas, in the case of flaxseed, almond, apricot, plum, hazelnut, and sea buckthorn oils, this ratio was higher than the one in sunflower oil (range 14.0–16.1). Flaxseed oil was characterized by the highest UI (208.4), while others were distributed along the 90–170 interval (except coconut and palm oils). According to their nutritional quality indices, a variety of plant oils are valuable sources of FAs in human nutrition. Full article

The fatty acid (FA) compositions of thirty-nine vegetable oils and fats, including nangai nut, pili nut, shea butter, tamanu oil, baobab, sea buckthorn berry, Brazil nut, grape seed, black seed, evening primrose, passion fruit, milk thistle, sunflower, pumpkin seed, sesame, soybean, flax seed, kukui, red raspberry seed, walnut, chia seed, hemp seed, rosehip, almond, avocado, carrot seed, moringa, apricot kernel, camellia seed, macadamia, olive, marula, argan, castor, jojoba, pomegranate seed, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) coconut, roasted coconut, canola, and mustard oil, were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Vegetable oils and fats have different profiles in terms of their fatty acid composition, and their major constituents vary significantly. However, we categorized them into different classes based on the percentages of different fatty acids they contain. The saturated fatty acids, such as palmitic acid and stearic acid, and the unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, are the main categories. Among them, roasted coconut oil contained the greatest amount of saturated fatty acids followed by nangai nut (45.61%). Passion fruit oil contained the largest amount of linoleic acid (66.23%), while chia seed oil had the highest content of linolenic acid (58.25%). Oleic acid was exclusively present in camellia seed oil, constituting 78.57% of its composition. Notably, mustard oil had a significant presence of erucic acid (54.32%), while pomegranate seed oil exclusively contained punicic acid (74.77%). Jojoba oil primarily consisted of (Z)-11-eicosenoic acid (29.55%) and (Z)-docos-13-en-1-ol (27.96%). The major constituent in castor oil was ricinoleic acid (89.89%). Compared with other vegetable oils and fats, pili nut oil contained a significant amount of (E)-FA (20.62%), followed by sea buckthorn berry oil with a content of 9.60%. FA compositions from sources may be problematic in the human diet due to no labeling or the absence of essential components. Therefore, consumers must cast an eye over some essential components consumed in their dietary intake. Full article

Agricultural practices such as tilling, sowing, cropping, It’s duty but arvesting, and land-use patterns in any agrarian economy depend on climate. Therefore, any adverse climatic conditions can seriously affect the production or yield of crops. Increased temperature enhances the susceptibility of crops to pests and various plant diseases. Weeds are also known to multiply rapidly and decrease the nutritive value of soil, negatively affecting crop production. Our present study is designed to address similar problems faced by the farming community in the South-24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India, and suggest several probable technological solutions. Importantly, West Bengal is included in one of the six agro-climatic zones. Major crops from this study site are rice, wheat, maize, jute, green gram, black gram, pigeon pea, lentils, sugarcane, pulses, rapeseed, mustard, sesame, linseed, and vegetables. Significantly, cultivable land area has decreased in comparison to the overall crop area in this region. Reduced interest in agriculture, irrigation problems, increased profit in the non-agricultural economy, and rapid conversion of agricultural land for commercial purposes (construction of plots, hatcheries for fishing practices), along with uncertainties associated with rainfall patterns and frequent cyclones, are matters of grave concern in this study area. Agricultural scientists, researchers, environmentalists, local bodies, and government organizations are suggesting alternatives to benefit farmers. Thus, precision agriculture or crop management is required to recognize site-specific variables within agricultural lands and formulate strategies for improving decision-making regarding crop sowing, appropriate use of herbicides, weedicides, and precision irrigation, along with innovative harvesting technologies. Thus, the present paper provides a vision for the farming community in our study area to overcome their traditional practices and adopt different techniques of precision agriculture to increase flexibility, performance, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. Soil temperature, humidity, and moisture monitoring sensors could be beneficial. Precision soil management, precision irrigation, crop disease management, weed management, and harvesting technologies are the different modules considered for discussion in this paper. Machine learning algorithms, such as decision tree, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), Gaussian naïve Bayes (GNB), K-means clustering, artificial neural network (ANN), fuzzy logic system (FLS), and support vector machine (SVM), could prove helpful for progressive farmers. The use of AI-powered weeding machines, drones, and UAVs for rapid weed removal and the localized application of herbicides and pesticides could also improve the accuracy and efficiency of agriculture. Utilizing drones fitted with high-resolution cameras could help gather precision field images, proving to be quite helpful in crop monitoring and crop health assessment. Unmanned driverless tractors and harvesting machines using robotics integrated with data from GPS/GIS sensors or radars could also be considered an effective and time-saving option. Thus, machine learning, along with innovative agricultural technologies, could contribute to improving the livelihoods of the farming fraternity. Full article

The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal ratio of a mixture of Thai riceberry rice flour, Job’s tears flour, and black sesame seeds in developing a healthy cereal granola bar. Based on the experimental mixture design of 10 formulations of a granola bar, the mixture ratio of riceberry rice flour, Job’s tears flour, and black sesame seeds affected the quality of the cereal granola bar in terms of its physicochemical and sensory properties, and the differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The main ingredients of the granola bar formulation that was well accepted were riceberry rice flour (5%), Job’s tears flour (35%), and black sesame seeds (5%). The peak viscosity of riceberry rice flour and Job’s tears flour, as measured by the Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA), was 943.67 ± 49.60 cP and 1329.00 ± 10.71 cP, respectively. This product showed the highest overall liking score of 7.27 ± 0.64 with a water activity of 0.53 and a moisture content of 11.54%. These results suggest that the prepared local cereal granola bar can be a promising food product with nutritional value and antioxidant content. The addition of Job’s tears flour and riceberry rice flour improved the texture of the granola bars. Full article

This study aimed to improve the steaming process of black sesame seeds. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted using the grey-correlation method based on the variation-coefficient weight to observe the treatments of normal-pressure (NPS) and high-pressure (HPS) steaming (with/without soaking in water) for nine cycles. Their effects on the contents of water, protein, fat, ash, melanin, sesamin, and sesamolin of black sesame seeds, as well as the sensory score of the black sesame pill, were determined. We found that with varied steaming methods and increased steaming cycles, the contents of the nutritional and functional components of black sesame seeds and the sensory score of the black sesame pill differed. The results of the variation-coefficient method showed that water, protein, fat, ash, melanin, sesamin, sesamolin, and sensory score had different effects on the quality of black sesame seeds with weighting factors of 34.4%, 5.3%, 12.5%, 11.3%, 13.9%, 11.3%, 7.8%, and 3.5%, respectively. The results of two-factor analysis of variance without repeated observations indicated that the grey-correlation degree of HPS was the largest among the different steaming treatments, and the following sequence was HPS after soaking in water (SNPS), NPS, and SNPS. There was no significant difference between NPS and SNPS (p < 0.05). Moreover, with increased cycles, the value of the grey-correlation degree increased. The comprehensive score of the procedure repeated nine times was significantly higher than other cycles (p < 0.05). The results of the grey-correlation degree and grade analysis showed that the best steaming process of black sesame seeds was HPS for nine cycles, followed by HPS for eight cycles and NPS after soaking in water (SNPS) for nine cycles. These findings could provide a scientific basis for replacing SNPS with HPS to simplify steaming and realize the parametric steaming of black sesame seeds, and thus, ensure the quality of black-sesame products. Full article

The authenticity of food products marketed as health-promoting foods—especially unrefined, cold-pressed seed oils—should be controlled to ensure their quality and safeguard consumers and patients. Metabolomic profiling using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF) was employed to identify authenticity markers for five types of unrefined, cold-pressed seed oils: black seed oil (Nigella sativa L.), pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo L.), evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis L.), hemp oil (Cannabis sativa L.) and milk thistle oil (Silybum marianum). Of the 36 oil-specific markers detected, 10 were established for black seed oil, 8 for evening primrose seed oil, 7 for hemp seed oil, 4 for milk thistle seed oil and 7 for pumpkin seed oil. In addition, the influence of matrix variability on the oil-specific metabolic markers was examined by studying binary oil mixtures containing varying volume percentages of each tested oil and each of three potential adulterants: sunflower, rapeseed and sesame oil. The presence of oil-specific markers was confirmed in 7 commercial oil mix products. The identified 36 oil-specific metabolic markers proved useful for confirming the authenticity of the five target seed oils. The ability to detect adulterations of these oils with sunflower, rapeseed and sesame oil was demonstrated. Full article

The non-nutritional health benefits of sprouts are unconfirmed. Thus, nine sprout methanolic extracts were tested for phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity. The TPC, TCC, TFC, TAC, and TALC were measured. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. HPLC detected gallic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin in the extracts. The sprout extracts contained six compounds, with caffeic acid being the most abundant. Gallic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, and rutin were highest in soybean, black sesame, mustard, sunflower, white radish, and black sesame sprouts, respectively. Sunflower sprouts had the highest level of TCC while soybean sprouts had the highest level of TFC, Taiwanese morning glory had the highest level of TPC, mustard sprouts had the highest level of TALC, and black sesame sprouts had the highest level of TAC. Taiwanese morning glories scavenged the most DPPH and ABTS radicals. Colored and white radish sprouts had similar ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Antioxidation mechanisms varied by compound. Our findings demonstrated that sprouts have biological effects, and their short time for mass production offers an alternative food source for health benefits, and that they are useful for future research development of natural products and dietary supplements. Full article

Sesame is one of the important traditional oil crops in the world, and has high economic and nutritional value. Recently, due to the novel high throughput sequencing techniques and bioinformatical methods, the study of the genomics, methylomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabonomics of sesame has developed rapidly. Thus far, the genomes of five sesame accessions have been released, including white and black seed sesame. The genome studies reveal the function and structure of the sesame genome, and facilitate the exploitation of molecular markers, the construction of genetic maps and the study of pan-genomes. Methylomics focus on the study of the molecular level changes under different environmental conditions. Transcriptomics provide a powerful tool to study abiotic/biotic stress, organ development, and noncoding RNAs, and proteomics and metabonomics also provide some support in studying abiotic stress and important traits. In addition, the opportunities and challenges of multi-omics in sesame genetics breeding were also described. This review summarizes the current research status of sesame from the perspectives of multi-omics and hopes to provide help for further in-depth research on sesame. Full article