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Oxidation by the action of ozone takes place at high rates and involves the reaction of ozone molecules with fatty acid double bonds followed by the formation of stable oxidation products with biological activity. In the present work, a comparative study on sunflower oil oxidized by ultraviolet (UV) light and ozone was carried out. This study involved the chemical characterization of sunflower oil oxidized by UV irradiation and ozonation, in addition to assessing the germicidal activity of oxidized oils obtained under various conditions. The results indicated that under the conditions studied, the increase in the dose of UV irradiation did not produce significant changes in the level of oxidation of the oil. Ozonation promoted the formation of oxygenated compounds at higher rates, increasing in concentration as the applied dosage of ozone increased. The germicidal activity of the oils behaved similarly, with considerably higher activity found in the ozonized oils.

An investigation on fatty acid, triacylglycerol, tocopherol, and xanthophyll contents and thermal properties of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) kernel oils from two cultivars was carried out. The main fatty acids were oleic acid, followed by linoleic and palmitic acids. The predominant triacylglycerols were OOL, OOO, and OLL (where O stands for oleoyl and L for linoleoyl). Pecan kernel oil is a rich source of tocopherols, mainly γ-tocopherol. Two xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin) were investigated, and lutein was found to be the major one. Thermal behavior was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Pecan nut oil displayed melting and crystallization transitions at low-temperature zones. The difference between DSC parameter values provides a path for distinguishing among cultivars. These data promote pecan kernel oil as a potential source of bioactive compounds with nutraceutical properties (monounsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and xanthophylls) and reveal, for the first time, the thermal properties of Carya illinoinensis oil.

Ozonation of sunflower oils with genetic modification High Oleic and High Oleic-Palmitic (AO and PO respectively) and without modification, High Linoleic (AL) at different applied ozone dosages was carried out with measurement of peroxide and acidity indexes values, fatty acids composition, oxygen percentage content and antimicrobial activity. The comparison of peroxides indexes and oxygen content at different applied ozone dosages in each oil showed good correlation (r = 0,99). Higher amount of oleic acid was consumed at higher applied ozone dosage in PO oil than AO oil, which can be related to the increase of acidity index. The antimicrobial activity was better for AL and PO ozonized oils.

Within the chemical transformations that vegetable oils undergo, oxidative reactions are one of the most widely studied. During the process of oxidation oils react with oxygen in their different forms to produce a large variety of chemical species that alter their chemical and physical properties. This work is the second of a series of two in which the action of ozone on different sunflower oils was investigated. Ozone reacts with double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids which produce different peroxidated species. The presence of altered triacylglycerol (TAG) increases the polarity of the vegetable oils and induces changes in their physical properties. Moreover, peroxygenation alters the aggregation of TAGs, favoring the formation of dimers or oligomers that can substantially change the melting and crystallization profiles of these oils. In the present work the effect of ozonation on four different sunflower oils was studied: common sunflower, high oleic sunflower and two highly saturated sunflower oils, high palmitic and stearic in a high oleic background. Furthermore, the species of TAGs from the different oils that were affected by the ozone oxidative attack were studied. The formation of polar compounds and TAG aggregates were investigated as well as the effect caused by them on the physical properties of the oils as studied through differential scanning calorimetry.

Vegetable oils are usually rich in unsaturated fatty acids which are susceptible to oxidation. The oxidation of vegetable oils has been one of the most widely studied fields within lipid chemistry, because it alters their properties and nutritive value, inducing the formation of harmful compounds and off-flavors. Moreover, oxidized vegetable oils display altered physical and chemical properties which are conferred by the newer oxygenated compounds they contain. This is the case of ozonized oils. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that mainly acts on olefinic compounds which generate ozonides and other peroxidic species that can decompose into carbonilic fragments. The action of the oxidant and the later reactions depend on the chemical environment of the reaction as well as the carbonyl termination products resulting from peroxide cleavage. In recent years, sunflower oils with different fatty acid compositions have been developed by breeding and mutagenesis. They displayed higher contents of oleic, stearic or palmitic acids, which mainly alters their triacylglycerol composition. Therefore, four different sunflower oils, common, high oleic, high stearic-high oleic and high palmitic-high oleic, were oxidized with ozone and the progress of the reaction was monitored by measuring the level of oil peroxygenation and the changes in the oils’ fatty acid compositions. The peroxidated species formed during ozonation were studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. The main conclusions of this work were that ozonation caused linear oxidation rates that were similar in all the oils assayed. The addition of water accelerated oxidation, which tended to occur in linoleic polyunsaturated fatty acid The FT-IR pointed to the presence of ozonide-derived peroxides as the major oxygenated species.

A comparative study was conducted to determine the fatty acids, triacylglycerol compositions and thermal properties of Tunisian kernel oils from the Prunus persica varieties, peach and nectarine, grown in two areas of Tunisia, Gabes and Morneg. Qualitatively, the fatty acids composition and triacylglycerol species were identical for all samples. Oleic acid (67.7-75.0%) was the main fatty acid, followed by linoleic (15.7-22.1%) and palmitic (5.6-6.3%) acids. The major triacylglycerol species were triolein, OOO (38.4-50.5%), followed by OOL (18.2-23.2%), POO (8.3-9.7%) and OLL (6.3-10.1%). The thermal profiles were highly influenced by the high content of triolein due to the importance of oleic acid in these oils. Moreover, the fatty acids distribution in TAG external positions was determined as corresponding to an α asymmetry coefficient that was between 0.10 and 0.12, indicating a high asymmetry in the distribution of saturated fatty acids in the position sn-1 and sn-3 in the TAG species of all samples.

The composition and distribution of fatty acids in triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules are commonly considered as factors that determine the physical properties of a given oil or fat. The distribution of any fatty acid in fats and oils can be described through the α coefficient of asymmetry, which can be calculated from the TAG composition and fatty acid composition of the sn-2 position of the TAGs determined through lipase hydrolysis. High-oleic high-stearic oils and fats are considered stable and healthy, and they are good substitutes for hydrogenated vegetable oils and palm fractions in many food products, such as spreads and confectionery. Here, different high-oleic high-stearic acid oils were formulated which contained different distributions of saturated fatty acids in their TAGs, while maintaining a similar fatty acid composition. The aim of this work was to discuss the possibility of using the α coefficient to predict the physical properties of fats in function of their chemical composition and their melting and crystallization behavior as examined by differential scanning calorimetry.

The use of vegetable biodegradable basestocks for lubricant oils present several advantages over the much more extended mineral bases. These advantages refer to biodegradability, a renewable feedstock of local production, lubricant and viscosity index and lower costs than synthetic lubricant bases. Despite these benefits, their use in industry and motor vehicles is not yet extensive due their lower stability and higher pour points. Vegetable oils are esters of fatty acids and glycerol, and their physicochemical properties rely mainly on the composition of their acyl moieties. Thus, to assure the maximum levels of stability while maintaining acceptable behavior at low temperatures, monounsaturated fatty acids are preferred for this purpose. The presence of natural antioxidants also improves the properties of these vegetable based stocks as lubricants. These oils usually require additives to improve their viscosity value, oxidative stability and properties at low temperatures. In the present work, the different sources of vegetable oils appropriate for biolubricant production were reviewed. Their properties and the future improvement of the oil bases, oil based stock production, uses and additives are discussed.