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Species from Diptera (Hermetia illucens and Lucilia sericata), Coleoptera (Tenebrio molitor and Zophoba morio) and Orthoptera (Locusta migratoria, Acheta domestica and Anacridium aegyptium) were analyzed for fatty acid profiles and cholesterol content. The following solvent systems were tested for extraction: direct methylation (CH3OH/CH3COCl/hexane); n-hexane; acetone; ethanol/water; hexane/ethanol; and direct saponification (KOH and ethanol). Direct methylation was performed as control of extraction yields and to evaluate the possible use of these fats as biodiesel. Insect lipids were extracted by ethanol in a similar extent as did other tested organic solvents, while direct methylation of the biomass provided the highest yields. L. sericata and Z. morio contained high percentages of monounsaturated fatty acids; A. aegyptium and L. migratoria were two polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched species, while H. illucens and Z. morio showed high proportions of medium-chain fatty acids. All extracted fats might be used in the alimentary industry, as evidenced by their low cholesterol content, as well as for biodiesel obtainment, as suggested by computed saponification, iodine and cetane values. Samples of H. illucens and L. migratoria showed exceptional cetane numbers (64.8 and 60.7, respectively), and all tested species except A. aegyptium exhibited an exceptional fatty acid profile for biodiesel production.

The nutritional composition of 10 pepper varieties collected from greenhouses in Almeria (Spain), and unanalyzed until now, was determined. The analyzed principles included: Moisture, crude protein, available carbohydrates, lipids, dietary fiber, ashes, energy value, Vitamin C, fatty acids, carotenoids, minerals, nitrate and oxalic acid. The output of the analyses showed higher Vitamin C and carotenoid amounts in these pepper varieties than in conventional ones. The antioxidative capacity of the extracts, evaluated both with the β-carotene breaching and the 2,2,-diphenyl-1-picrylhydracyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging methods, has shown that the antioxidant activity of the extracts of some varieties was comparable with those of the commercial antioxidants used with comparative purposes.

The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic and arachidonic acids (EPA and AA), which have several pharmaceutical properties, have been purified from the red microalga Porphyridium cruentum. The process consists of only four main steps: (i) simultaneous extraction and saponification of the microalgal biomass; (ii) urea inclusion method (iii) PUFA esterification (iv) argentated silica gel column chromatography of the urea concentrate. Total AA and EPA recoveries reached 39.5% and 50.8% respectively for a purity ∼97% for both fatty acids. Therefore, recovery of highly pure PUFA could be improved in organisms that are rich in two or more fatty acids of interest. The results of several procedures for AA and EPA recovery from several authors by using this microalga were compared.

α-Linolenic acid and unusual fatty acids of the ω3 and ω6 series play an important role in the modulation of human metabolism. The presence of these acids in the leaves of several edible wild plants has recently been reported. In this study, six edible wild species were selected in order to establish the fatty acid compositions in their leaf lipids. Thus, young leaves from Amaranthusviridis L.(blet), Chenopodiumalbum L. (goosefoot), Crithmummaritimum L. (rock samphire), Plantagomajor L. (plantain), Portulacaoleracea L. (purslane) and Verbenaofficinalis L. (vervain) yielded 1.50, 2.20, 3.02, 1.46, 3.81, and 2.28 g of lipids per 100 g dry plant material. Silica gel chromatography yielded 0.64 g (Plantagomajor) to 2.19 g (Crithmummaritimum) neutral lipids, 0.37 g (Plantagomajor) to 1.60 g (Portulacaoleracea) glycolipids, and 0.26 g (Crithmummaritimum) to 0.57 g (Verbenaofficinalis) phospholipids per 100 g (dry weight). Gas chromatography (GC) showed the major fatty acids to be 18 : 3ω3, 18 : 2ω6 and 16 : 0 in all fractions, with high concentrations of 18 : 3ω3 in the glycolipid fraction. GC-mass spectrometric analyses did not reveal the presence of unusual fatty acids. Carotenes were found in high concentrations, ranging from 30.5 mg/100 g (Chenopodiumalbum) to 89.2 mg/100 g (Portulacaoleracea). The analyzed plants are rich sources of essential fatty acids (18 : 2ω6 and 18 : 3ω3) and also of carotenes.