Mapping and identification of QTLs for seed fatty acids in soybean(Glycine max L.)

Soybean is one of the most important sources of vegetable oil.The oil content and fatty acid ratio have attracted significant attention due to their impacts on the shelf-life of soybean oil products and consumer health.In this study,a high-density genetic map derived from Guizao 1 and Brazil 13 was used to analyze the quantitative trait loci of palmitic acid(PA),stearic acid(SA),oleic acid(OA),linoleic acid(LA),linolenic acid(LNA),and oil content(OC).A total of 54 stable QTLs were detected in the genetic map linkage analysis,which shared six bin intervals.Among them,the bin interval on chromosome 13(bin106-bin118 and bin123-bin125)was found to include stable QTLs in multiple environments that were linked to OA,LA,and LNA.Eight differentially expressed genes(DEGs)within these QTL intervals were determined as candidate genes according to the combination of parental resequencing,bioinformatics and RNA sequencing data.All these results are conducive to breeding soybean with the ideal fatty acid ratio for food,and provide the genetic basis for mining genes related to the fatty acid and oil content traits in soybean.

Boosted Biodegradability and Tribological Properties of Mineral Base Oil by Methyl Diethanolamine Fatty Acid Esters

Methyl diethanolamine fatty acid esters, viz. methyl diethanolamine octanoate and methyl diethanolamine oleate,were prepared. Their impacts on the biodegradability and tribological properties of mineral base oil 400 SN were evaluated by a tester for fast evaluating the biodegradability of lubricants and by a four-ball tester, respectively. The results showed that methyl diethanolamine octanoate and methyl diethanolamine oleate both could markedly promote the biodegradation of the oil and improved its tribological properties. The improvement of biodegradability was attributed to the enhanced growth and quantity of microbes by methyl diethanolamine fatty acid esters. The worn surfaces were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope(SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS) and an X-ray photoelectron spectroscope(XPS). The results indicated that the enhancement of friction-reducing and anti-wear properties of the mineral oil was attributed to the formation of complicated boundary lubrication films composed of species such as Fe_2O_3, Fe_3O_4 and organic nitrogen-containing compounds with a structure of –C-N-or R-NH_2.

Epoxidation of Unsaturated Fatty Acid Methyl Esters in the Presence of SO_3H-functional Brφnsted Acidic Ionic Liquid as Catalyst

The epoxidation of unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters(FAMEs)by peroxyacetic acid generated in situ from hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid was studied in the presence of SO3H-functional Brnsted acidic ionic liquid (IL)[C3SO3HMIM][HSO4]as catalyst.The effects of hydrogen peroxide/ethylenic unsaturation ratio,acetic acid concentration,IL concentration,recycling of the IL catalyst,and temperature on the conversion to oxirane were studied.The kinetics and thermodynamics of unsaturated FAMEs epoxidation and the kinetics of oxirane cleavage of the epoxidized FAMEs by acetic acid were also studied.The conversion of ethylenic unsaturation group to oxirane, the reaction rate of the conversion to oxirane,and the rate of hydrolysis(oxirane cleavage)were higher by using the IL catalyst.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Underlying Protein, Oil, and Five Major Fatty Acids’ Contents in Soybean

Improved seed composition in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] for protein and oil quality is one of the major goals of soybean breeders. A group of genes that act as quantitative traits with their effects can alter protein, oil, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids percentage in soybean seeds. The objective of this study was to identify Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) controlling protein, oil, and fatty acids content in a set of F5:8 RILs derived from a cross between lines, ‘MD 96-5722’ and ‘Spencer’ using 5376 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers from the Illumina Infinium SoySNP6K BeadChip array. QTL analysis used WinQTL Cart 2.5 software for composite interval mapping (CIM). Identified, were;one protein content QTL on linkage group (LG-) B2 or chromosome (Chr_) 14;11 QTL associated with oil content on six linkage groups LG-N (Chr_3), LG-A1 (Chr_5), LG-K (Chr_9), LG-F (Chr_13), LG-B2 (Chr_14), and LG-J (Chr_16);and sixteen QTL for five major fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids) on LG-N (Chr_3), LG-F (Chr_13), LG-B2 (Chr_14), LG-E (Chr_15), LG-J (Chr_16), and LG-G (Chr_18). The SNP markers closely linked to the QTL reported here will be useful for development of cultivars with altered oil and fatty acid compositions in soybean breeding programs.

Effects of chelating agents on protein, oil, fatty acids, and minerals in soybean seed

Soybean seed is a major source of protein and oil for human diet. Since not much information is available on the effects of chelating agents on soybean seed composition constituents, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of various chelating agents on soybean [(Glycine max (L.) Merr.)] seed protein, oil, fatty acids, and mineral concentrations. Three chelating agent [citric acid (CA), disodium EDTA (DA), and Salicylic acid (SA)] were applied separately or combined with ferrous (Fe2+) ion (CA + Fe, EDTA + Fe, and SA + Fe) to three-week-old soybean plants. After application, the plants were allowed to grow until harvest maturity under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that CA, DA, SA, and Fe resulted in an increase of oleic acid from 13.0% to 33.5%. However, these treatments resulted in a decrease of linolenic acid from 17.8 to 31.0%. The treatments with CA and SA applications increased protein from 2.9% to 3.4%. The treatments DA + Fe and SA + Fe resulted in an increase in oil from 6.8% to 7.9%. Seed macro- and micro-elements were also altered. The results indicated that the CA, SA, DA, and Fe treatments can alter seed protein, oil, fatty acids, and mineral concentrations. Further studies are needed for conclusive results.

Soybean seed protein, oil, and fatty acids are altered by S and S + N fertilizers under irrigated or non-irrigated environments

Information on the effect of sulfur (S) or sulfur+nitrogen (S + N) on soybean seed composition is scarce. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of S, and S + N fertilizers on soybean [(Glycine max (L.) Merr.)] seed composition in the Early Soybean Production System (ESPS) under irrigated (I) and nonirrigated (NI) environments. Two separate field experiments were conducted from 2005 to 2007. One experiment was irrigated, and the second experiment was nonirrigated. Under I condition, S at a rate of 44.8 kg/ha alone or with N at 112 kg/ha resulted in a consistent increase in seed protein and oleic acid concentrations, and a decrease in oil and linolenic acid concentrations compared with the control (C). For example, in 2006 and compared with the C, application of S + N increased the percentage up to 11.4% and 48.5% for protein and oleic acid, respectively. However, oil concentration decreased by 3%. Protein and oleic acid increase were accompanied by a higher percentage of leaf and seed N and S. Under NI conditions, seed protein and oleic acid concentrations were significantly higher in C than in any S or S + N treatments, but the oil and linolenic acid concentrations were significantly lower. The results indicate that specific rate of S alone or S + N combined can alter seed composition under irrigated or nonirrigated conditions. This knowledge may help plant breeders to develop and release cultivars to suit specific target locations to grow new value-added soybeans or select for specific seed composition traits under specific environmental stress factors such as drought.

Seed protein, oil, fatty acids, and minerals concentration as affected by foliar K-glyphosate applications in soybean cultivars

Previous studies showed that glyphosate (Gly) may chelate cation nutrients, including potassium (K), which might affect the nutritional status of soybean seed. The objective of this study was to evaluate seed composition (protein, oil, fatty acids, and minerals) as influenced by foliar applications of K + Gly. A greenhouse experiment was conducted at Mississippi Valley State University, using two glyphosate-resistant soybean cultivars DK 4968 and Pioneer 95Y70 grown in a randomized complete block design. The treatments were foliar applications of K alone, Gly alone, K + Gly combined, and nontreated control (C). A single application of potassium (1.75% as K2SO4) was applied, and Gly was applied at a rate of 0.75 ae/ha at V5 stage. Leaf samples were harvested one week after treatment (1WAT) and 3WAT. Mature seeds were collected at harvest maturity (R8). The results showed that K, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations increased in leaves in K alone and K + Gly treatments at 1WAT, but significantly increased at 3WAT in all treatments. The concentration of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) showed a decrease in leaf concentration in Gly and K + Gly treatments compared to C. Boron (B) concentration increased in Gly treatment. Seed protein percentage was higher in all treatments in cultivar DK 4968, and the increase was about 4.0% in K treatment, 6.9% in Gly treatment, and 3.5% in K + Gly treatment compared to C. The opposite trend was observed in oil concentration, especially in Gly treatment where the percentage decrease was 11.2% compared to C. Stearic fatty acid was significantly higher in K + Gly treatment compared to K treatment for DK 4968. A higher percentage increase in linolenic acid was observed in DK 4968 in K treatment (an increase of 24.5%) and in K + Gly treatment (an increase of 29.5%) compared to C. In Pioneer 95Y70, the decrease in oil was 2.7% in K treatment and 2.3% in K + Gly treatment compared to C. Stearic acid in Pioneer 95Y70 was significantly higher in Gly treatment, an increase of 8.3%, compared to C. Our research demonstrated that foliar application of K and Gly altered mineral concentration in leaves and shifted seed composition towards protein and stearic concentration. Further research under field conditions is needed before final conclusions are made.

Phosphorus Fertilization Differentially Influences Fatty Acids, Protein, and Oil in Soybean

Information is limited about phosphorus (P) fertilization effects on soybean seed composition. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of P application rates on the concentrations of various fatty acids, protein, and oil in soybean under no-tillage on low and high testing P soils at Jackson and Milan, Tennessee from 2008 through 2011. Five P rates 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 kg·P·ha-1 plus the recommended P fertilizer rate based on soil P testing results were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Protein, oil, and fatty acid concentrations in seed responded differently to P fertilization. In general, protein concentrations were enhanced but oil levels decreased with increased P application rate. Palmitic and oleic concentrations responded positively to P application rate up to a certain level. However, the response of linolenic acid concentration was inconsistent (negative or positive). Stearic concentration was not influenced by P fertilization. Application of 10 kg·P·ha-1 resulted in higher production of protein and palmitic, oleic, and linolenic acids than zero P and the higher P application rates as well on the P deficient soil. Excessive P application rates could lower seed yield and the quality of some attributes in seed. In conclusion, linoleic acid concentration, a key quality attribute in soybean seed for human and animal consumption, can sometimes be enhanced by P fertilization;the indigenous soil P level and P application rate should be taken into account in breeding soybean cultivars with low linolenic acid level.

Soybean seed protein, oil, fatty acids, and mineral composition as influenced by soybean-corn rotation

Effects of crop rotation on soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr.) seed composition have not been well investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soybean-corn (Zea mays L.) rotations on seed protein, oil, and fatty acids composition on soybean. Soybeans were grown at Stoneville, MS, from 2005 to 2008 in five different scheduled cropping sequences. In 2007, following three years of rotation with corn, seed oleic acid percentage was significantly higher in any crop rotation than continuous soybean. The increase of oleic fatty acid ranged from 61 to 68% in 2007, and from 27 to 51% in 2008, depending on the rotation. The increase of oleic acid was accompanied by significant increases in seed concentrations of phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and boron (B). In 2007, the increase of P ranged from 60 to 75%, Fe from 70 to 72%, and B from 34 to 69%. In 2008, the increase of P ranged from 82 to 106%, Fe from 32 to 84%, and B from 62 to 77%. Continuous soybean had higher linoleic:oleic ratio and linoleic: palmitic + stearic + oleic ratio, indicating that relative quantity of linoleic acid decreased in rotated crops. The total production of protein, oil, stearic and oleic fatty acids was the lowest in continuous soybean. The total production of palmitic acid was inconsistent across years. The results show that soybean- corn rotation affects seed composition by consistently increasing seed oleic fatty acid, P, Fe, and B concentrations. Higher oleic acid, unsaturated fatty acid, is desirable for oil stability and long-shelf storage. The mechanisms of how these nutrients are involved are not yet understood.

Enzymatic synthesis, antioxidant ability and oil-water distribution coefficient of troxerutin fatty acid esters

Troxerutin fatty acid esters were prepared using troxerutin and fatty acid vinyl esters as substrates in pyridine through enzymatic route. The structures of as-prepared compounds were identified by FT-TR, NMR, and ESI-HRMS. Using alkaline protease(≥30 mg/mL) as enzyme, maximum yields reached 58% at 3:1(vinyl hexanoate to troxerutin) in pyridine(water content ≤1%). The yields gradually declined as chain length of acyl donors rose. The antioxidation abilities of the as-obtained compounds were confirmed by both DPPH free radical scavenging and potassium ferricyanide reduction methods. The antioxidation ability of troxerutin fatty acid esters was found lower than that of troxerutin. However, the logP values of troxerutin fatty acid esters varied from 0.15 to 1.94, suggesting that troxerutin fatty acid esters had better lipophilicity than troxerutin(logP =-2.12) when compared to their oil-water distribution coefficients. Overall, these findings look promising as reference for further development of future troxerutin.

The Role of Metal Ions in Protein and Fatty Acids Biosynthesis in Soybean under Micronutrients Application to Soil

The present study is part of our ongoing investigation to study the role of trace elements on soybean seed composition (protein, oil, and fatty acids). This study was conducted to study the effects of five trace elements (Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B). The treatments of Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, and B were chlorides, except Mo as oxide, and B as boric acid. The treatments were Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, and B alone and in combination with the chelating agent citric acid (CA), for example Mn + CA, Cu + CA, and Zn + CA. Soybean cultivar (Bolivar with maturity group V) was grown in a repeated greenhouse experiment in a randomized complete block design. The compounds were applied to three-week-old soybean plants at V3 (vegetative) and at R3 (beginning of seed-pod initiation) stages. The plants were allowed to grow until maturity under greenhouse conditions. The harvested seeds were analyzed for mineral, protein, and fatty acid contents. Results showed that Mn, Cu, and B treatments increased seed protein, while Zn, Mo, Cu + CA, and B + CA decreased the protein. Treatments of Zn, Mo, CA, Cu + CA, Zn + CA, Mo + CA, and B + CA increased the oil. Treatments of Mn and Cu decreased the oil. The Cu and B treatments increased oleic acid by 8.0% and 7.4%, respectively for Cu and B. Treatments of Mn, Mo, CA, and Mn + CA, Cu + CA, Zn + CA, Mo + CA, and B + CA decreased oleic acid by 0.6% to 14.4%. Treatments of Cu, Zn, Mo, B, CA, Mn and their combination with CA increased linoleic acid by 1.3% to 6.5%. Our goal was to identify the trace elements that would make desirable alteration in the seed composition qualities.

Effects of Genetics and Environment on Fatty Acid Stability in Soybean Seed

Although seed oil production and composition are genetically controlled, changes of oil level and oil composition across genotypes and environments such as drought and temperature were observed. The mechanisms of how genotypes interact with environment, affecting oil production and composition, are still not well understood. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of drought/water stress and temperature on soybean genotypes. Two soybean genotypes of maturity group (MG) II (PI 597411 B and PI 597408) and two of MG VI (Arksoy and PI 437726) were used. A repeated greenhouse experiment to study the effect of water stress and a repeated growth chamber experiment to study the effect of temperature were conducted. The results showed that both water stress and high temperature altered seed oil composition by increasing oleic acid and decreasing linoleic and linolenic acid concentrations. Severe water stress (soil water potential between -150 to -200 kPa) or high temperature (40/33℃, day/night) resulted in higher palmitic acid and lower stearic acid. Genotypes differed in their responses to water stress or temperature. Analyses of seed carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose) showed a significant decline of glucose, fructose, and sucrose and a significant increase of stachyose concentration by water stress and high temperature. Analyses of natural abundance of δ15N and δ13C isotopes showed changes in sources of nitrogen and carbon fixation, possibly affecting nitrogen and carbon metabolism pathways. The research demonstrated that both water stress and high temperature altered oil production and composition, and this could be partially related to limited availability and movement of carbohydrates from leaves to seed. Further research to investigate the enzymes controlling fatty acids conversion and nitrogen and carbon metabolism is needed.

Effects of Yttrium Doping on the Performance of Ru-Based Catalysts for Hydrogenation of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester

The highly dispersed supported ruthenium-yttrium (Ru-Y) bimetallic catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and their catalytic performance for hydrogenation of ester was fully investigated. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the average particle diameter of the bimetallic crystallites was less than 10 nm. The effects of the reaction temperature, the hydrogen pressure, the amount of catalyst and the proportion of yttrium in catalyst on the hydrogenation of ester were studied. The experimental results show that the introduction of yttrium not only changed the chemical and textural properties of ruthenium-based catalyst but also controlled the formation of Ru-Y alloy. The Ru-Y catalyst (Ru-2%Y/TiO2) exhibited high catalytic activity and good selectivity towards the higher alcohols. Under optimal reaction conditions of 240°C and 5 MPa hydrogen pressure, the conversion of palm oil esters was above 93.4% while the selectivity towards alcohol was above 99.0%.

Ternary Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium for Systems of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester(Methyl Palmitate/Methyl Stearate)+Ethanol+Glycerol at Atmospheric Pressure

Liquid-liquid equilibrium data of two ternary systems methyl palmitate+ethanol+glycerol and methyl stearate+ethanol+glycerol at(318.2 and 333.2)K and atmospheric pressure were measured. The values of distribution coefficient and selectivity were calculated, which indicates that glycerol can be separated from fatty acid ester by using ethanol as an extraction solvent. The consistency of the isothermal tie-line data were checked by the Othmer-Tobias equation. The correlation coefficients R2 are higher than 0.993,9 for all the fitted curves. The NRTL activity coefficient model was applied to the correlation of the measured tie-line data. The root mean square deviation(RMSD)values are less than 0.007 for all the systems, which shows a good predictive capability of this model for such systems.

Increasing Conjugated Linoleic Acid Content in Milk and Cheese after Supplementing a Blend of Crude Soybean Oil Sediment Combined with Fish Oil to Grazing Dairy Cows

The aim of the work was to improve the healthy value of milk and cheese fatty acids (FA) by feeding a mix of crude soybean oil sediment (CSOS) combined with fish oil (FO) to grazing dairy cows. The CSOS is a by-product commonly discarded after oil extraction containing 3.3% moisture, 6% total ash and 70.7% oil, locally available, comparatively economic and easy to mix with other feed ingredients. The experiment lasted 55 days from September 30th to November 23th 2018 and was carried out at the dairy farm “Gacef” provider of milk to the dairy industrial plant “Capilla Del Señor” (CDS) located at the Villa María City, Córdoba Province, Argentine. A herd of 80 multiparous Holstein cows producing 24 kg-1 milk·cow-1·day-1 was used. The cows grazed an alfalfa and an oat pasture that represented about 47% of total dry matter (DM) intake supplemented at 8.5 kg DM·cow-1·day-1 with a total mixed ration (TMR) composed (DM basis) by cracked corn grain (35.18%), whole plant corn silage (31.98%), pelletized soyben meal (17.99%), the CSOS supplement (13.85%) and FO (0.99%). The TMR was supplied by halves after each milking time in groupal feeders yielding 1.4 kg·cow-1·day-1 of the CSOS and 0.1 kg·cow-1·day-1 of FO. Before the start of lipid supplementation, milk samples (5) were obtained from the farm-tank representing the standar or reference milk (Ref-Milk). After 21 days of supplementary lipid supply, additional milk samples (5) were obtained representing the modified milk (Mod-Milk). Milk samples were analyzed for chemical composition and milk FA profile. At each time, sufficient quantities of both (Ref- and Mod-Milk) were collected for manufacturing six types of cheeses. The results were analyzed through the Student-T test for independent observations. Oil supplementation did not modify (P > 0.05) the chemical composition of milk. Concentration of butyric acid (C4:0) in milk was not affected (P < 0.858). Concentration of total saturated FA (SFAs) in Ref-Milk averaged 58.83 g 100 g-1 FA and was decreased to 49.67 g 100 g-1 FA in Mod-Milk (P < 0.0001). Monounsaturated FA (MUFAs) increased (P < 0.001) from 32.03 g 100 g-1 FA in Ref-Milk to 38.13 g 100 g-1 FA in Mod-Milk (+19.07%) whereas polyunsaturated FA (PUFAs) increased (+36.1%) from 4.71 to 6.41 (P < 0.004). The Mod-Milk showed a significant (P < 0.002) reduction (-15.3% or 5.9 g 100 g-1 FA) for the total concentration of the potentially atherogenic fraction of milk FA (C12:0 to C16:0). The atherogenic index (AI) also decreased (P < 0.012) from 1.98 in Ref-Milk to 1.42 in Mod-Milk (-28.4%). Concentration of vaccenic acid (VA, trans-11 C18:1) in Mod-Milk averaged 7.77 g 100 g-1 FA which represented a 162 % increase (P < 0.0001) over that observed in Ref-Milk (2.95 g 100 g-1). Concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, cis-9, trans-11 C18:2) in Ref-Milk averaged 1.47 g 100 g-1 FA and showed an important increase (P < 0.002) in the Mod-Milk (3.86 g 100 g-1 FA, +163%). The omega 6/3 ratio resulted lower (P < 0.012) in the Ref-Milk (2.28) compared to the Mod-Milk (2.83). Milk and cheese FA composition were highly correlated (R2 = 0.99, P < 0.0001). The Mod-Cheeses showed similar results in AI, total concentration of SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs compared to the milk of origin. Differences in FA composition between the cheeses made with the Ref- and Mod-Milk were equivalent to those described for milks. It is concluded that supplementation with a blend of CSOS supplement and FO was an effective way to improve the healthy value of dairy products by reducing contents of SFAs, atherogenic FAs and the atherogenicity index with a concomitant increase in VA and CLA. Modifications induced in the Mod-Milk were recovered in the Mod-Cheeses. The results obtained may help to reduce saturated fat intake and fight or prevent incidence of non-communicable, cardiovascular and chronic diseases.

Supercritical Synthesis of Ethyl Esters via Transesterification from Waste Cooking Oil Using a Co-Solvent

Biofuels became more promising alternative to the fossil fuels because of the depletion of fossil resources, renewability, environmental benefits, and energy security. Ethanolysis of waste cooking oil with hexane as co-solvent was carried out for the production of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE). This process reduced the severity of process parameters with high purity biodiesel yield. Process variables such as co-solvent ratio, ethanol to oil molar ratio, reaction temperature and reaction time were optimized. The maximum biodiesel yield of 88% was obtained at ethanol/oil molar ratio of 40:1, co-solvent (hexane) to oil ratio of 0.2% (v/v), reaction temperature of 300°C in 20 min of reaction time. Fatty acid ethyl ester (biodiesel) samples produced from this process were measured and evaluated using GC-MS analytical instrument. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) was also performed to examine the thermal stability of waste cooking oil, ethyl esters and fuel blends. Fuel properties of ethyl esters were determined and compared with the ASTM standards for biodiesel, regular diesel and ethyl esters from different feedstock.

Hydrolysis - Hydrogenation of soybean oil and tallow

Hydrolysis reactions are of major importance to the oleochemical industry in the production of fatty acid and their derivates. Hydrolysis of triglyceride from vegetable oil has been studied under various parameters such as: heterogeneous catalyst, temperature, reaction time and agitation speed. During the hydrolysis of soybean oil and tallow using nickel catalysts on alumina support was verified that the glycerol produced worked as hydrogen donor, allowing the hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids produced. Maximum conversion was achieved in 3 hours, catalysts 25% NiO/Al2O3, temperature of 250oC and 270oC and 250 rpm.

Genome-wide scan for oil quality reveals a coregulation mechanism of tocopherols and fatty acids in soybean seeds

Tocopherols(vitamin E)play essential roles in human health because of their antioxidant activity,and plantderived oils are the richest sources of tocopherols in the human diet.Although soybean(Glycinemax)is one of themain sources of plant-derived oil and tocopherol in the world,the relationship between tocopherol and oil in soybean seeds remains unclear.Here,we focus on dissecting tocopherol metabolism with the longterm goal of increasing a-tocopherol content and soybean oil quality.We first collected tocopherol and fatty acid profiles in a soybean population(>800 soybean accessions)and found that tocopherol content increased during soybean domestication.A strong positive correlation between tocopherol and oil content was also detected.Five tocopherol pathway–related lociwere identified using a metabolite genome-wide association study strategy.Genetic variations in three tocopherol pathway genes were responsible for total tocopherol content and composition in the soybean population through effects on enzyme activity,mainly caused by non-conserved amino acid substitution or changes in gene transcription level.Moreover,the fatty acid regulatory transcription factor GmZF351 directly activated tocopherol pathway gene expression,increasing both fatty acid and tocopherol contents in soybean seeds.Our study reveals the functional differentiation of tocopherol pathway genes in soybean populations and provides a framework for development of new soybean varieties with high a-tocopherol content and oil quality in seeds.

Determination of the Fatty Acid Profile of Breast Milk from Nursing Mothers in Bungoma County, Kenya

The fatty acid profile in breast milk of nursing mothers who participated in a Cohort for Vitamin A (COVA) study at the fourth and ninth month of lactation was investigated. Breast milk samples were collected by manual expression and stored at - 20°C until analysis. The fat was extracted from the milk and methylated using the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) Official Methods with modifications. The separation, identification and quantification of the fatty acid methyl esters was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fat contents of human milk increased significantly between the fourth and ninth month of lactation 0.38 and 1.21 mg·mL-1 respectively;P 0.05) than the average percent of the total unsaturated FAs (48.93%). Similarly, at the 9th month the percentage average of the total saturated fatty acids (15.18%) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the average percent of the total unsaturated FAs (31.05%). The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the fat content in breast milk significantly increased in the 9th compared to the 4th month of lactation. The fatty profile was also significantly different with the omega 6 being the dominant at the 9th month compared with the omega - 9 being dominant at the 4th month of lactation.

Production of biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate using sulfonated-glucose solid acid catalyst:Characterization and optimization

A palm fatty acid distillate （PFAD） has been used for biodiesel production. An efficient sulfonated-glucose acid catalyst （SGAC） was prepared by sulfonation to catalyze the esterification reaction. The effect of three variables i.e. methanol-to-PFAD molar ratio, catalyst amount and reaction time, on the yield of PFAD esters was studied by the response surface methodology （RSM）. The optimum reaction conditions were： 12.2：1 methanol-to- PFAD molar ratio, 2.9% catalyst concentration and 134 rain of time as predicted by the RSM. The reaction under the optimum conditions resulted in 94.5% of the free fatty acid （FFA） conversion with 92.4% of the FAME yield. The properties of the PFAD esters were determined according to biodiesel standards.