Search Results (20)

This study evaluated the effects of zootechnical additives in combination with antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) on broiler performance, leukocyte differential activity, phagocytic activity, intestinal histomorphometry, and the inside index. A total of 1400 one-day-old Cobb 500 male chicks were assigned to a completely randomized design with seven treatments and eight replicates of 25 birds per unit. The treatments included a basal diet without AGPs, a basal diet with AGPs, and AGPs combined with different zootechnical additives: prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, beta-glucans, and mannan-oligosaccharides), probiotics (Bacillus subtilis LFU160), essential oils (cashew nut shell liquid), and organic acids (butyric acid glycerides). The results showed the treatments combining AGPs and zootechnical additives had better effects (p < 0.05) on weight gain, feed intake, the feed conversion ratio, and the productive efficiency index. The phagocytic activity was worse in birds without AGPs and with AGPs but without additives. However, birds that received AGPs in combination with zootechnical additives exhibited a poorer intestinal histomorphometry and lower inside index compared to those fed only AGPs or diets without AGPs. In conclusion, zootechnical additives can be used alongside AGPs to enhance broiler performance and immune function, particularly during early growth stages, with essential oils showing the most promising results. Full article

Soybean oil is susceptible to thermal deterioration, especially during the deep-frying process due to its high polyunsaturated fatty acids. Soybean oil has been employed to enhance the nutritional profile and thermal stability by simply blending it with other oils, including palm olein, camelia, sesame, and cashew nut oil. In particular, coconut oil is more resistant to oxidation than those oils, so adding it to soybean oil that is prone to oxidation can make the mixture more stable. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the thermal stability of soybean oil by blending it with coconut oil and evaluating the blend’s physicochemical changes during the continuous deep frying of banana chips. Refined soybean oil was blended with refined coconut oil at different ratios (% v/v), including 100:0 (A), 80:20 (B), 70:30 (C), and 60:40 (D). All the mixtures were used for continuous deep frying at a constant temperature of 180 °C. The banana chips were fried for 1 min at 5 min intervals over a total of nine batches. The findings show that changes in the physicochemical properties of the frying oils were significantly affected by the soybean oil to coconut oil ratios and the frying duration, which were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (p < 0.05). The alteration in free fatty acids and peroxide values were found to be the lowest in treatment C, followed by D < B < A, by using a two-way analysis of variance (p < 0.05). Conversely, the highest total oxidation value was found in treatment A, followed by B > C > D. The lightness of the oil reached the highest value in the last frying cycle in treatments B and C, followed by D and A, while the color of the fried banana chips achieved the maximum value in treatment D, followed by C < B < A. In addition, the lipid content in the fried banana chips was observed to be the lowest in treatments D and C compared to B and A. This study indicated that blending highly unsaturated soybean oil with coconut oil could enhance its thermal stability. Consequentially, a 70:30 (% v/v) ratio of soybean oil with coconut oil exhibited good thermal stability during continuous deep frying. This study provides insights into an alternative blending technique for soybean and coconut oils to improve the thermal stability of frying oil during continuous deep frying. Full article

This study aims to develop castable polyurethane suitable for applications on wet substrates or underwater construction. Polyurethanes were synthesized using various polyols with similar hydroxyl values, including poly(tetrahydrofuran) polyol, polyester polyol, castor oil-modified polyol, soybean oil-modified polyol, and cashew nut shell oil-modified polyol. The corresponding polyurethane curing products were evaluated for their underwater curing characteristics by volume expansion ratios and adhesion strength on dry and wet substrates, combined with analyses of reaction exothermic behavior, wetting properties on dry and wet substrates, interfacial tension, and microstructure characterization from the perspectives of reaction activity and water solubility. The results indicate that polyols with higher hydrophobicity and reactivity to isocyanates lead to reduced side reactions during underwater curing, making them more suitable for underwater applications. Soybean oil-based and cashew nut shell oil-based polyurethanes exhibited fast curing (gel times of 1.15 and 1.35 min, respectively), minimal volume change (within 2.5% after 7 days underwater), and strong wet adhesion (1.95 MPa and 2.38 MPa with minimal loss, respectively). The two polyols showed different mechanical properties, providing tailored options for specific underwater engineering applications. Full article

Cashew nuts can contribute to improving intestinal permeability and inflammation as they contain essential nutrients and bioactive compounds, but no clinical trials have evaluated these potential effects. This randomized trial aimed to assess the effects of cashew nuts and their oil on intestinal permeability and inflammatory markers. Sixty-four adults with overweight or obesity were allocated into three groups receiving energy restriction (−500 kcal/day): control (CT, free nuts), cashew nuts (CN, 30 g/day), or cashew nut oil (OL, 30 mL/day). Urine lactulose and mannitol, plasma zonulin and the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), plasma interleukins (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-12p70), and C-reactive proteins were analyzed. Energy restriction reduced body fat and other indicators of adiposity without differences between the groups. Only the control group increased LBPs after an 8-week intervention. There were no statistically significant differences found between the groups in terms of intestinal permeability and inflammatory markers. In conclusion, incorporating cashew nuts or cashew nut oil into an energy-restricted 8-week dietary intervention did not change intestinal permeability and inflammatory markers. As studies evaluating cashew nuts on these markers remain scarce, further research is needed, perhaps with a longer study period and a higher concentration of cashew nuts and oil. Full article

Polyurethane (PU) is among the most universal polymers and has been extensively applied in many fields, such as construction, machinery, furniture, clothing, textile, packaging and biomedicine. Traditionally, as the main starting materials for PU, polyols deeply depend on petroleum stock. From the perspective of recycling and environmental friendliness, advanced PU synthesis, using diversified resources as feedstocks, aims to develop versatile products with excellent properties to achieve the transformation from a fossil fuel-driven energy economy to renewable and sustainable ones. This review focuses on the recent development in the synthesis and modification of PU by extracting value-added monomers for polyols from waste polymers and natural bio-based polymers, such as the recycled waste polymers: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PU and polycarbonate (PC); the biomaterials: vegetable oil, lignin, cashew nut shell liquid and plant straw; and biomacromolecules: polysaccharides and protein. To design these advanced polyurethane formulations, it is essential to understand the structure–property relationships of PU from recycling polyols. In a word, this bottom-up path provides a material recycling approach to PU design for printing and packaging, as well as biomedical, building and wearable electronics applications. Full article

Thickener, also known as a gelling agent, is a critical component of lubricating greases. The most critical property of thickener, temperature resistance, is determined by the molecular structure of the compounds. Currently, all high-temperature-resistant thickeners are based on 12-hydroxystearic acid, which is exclusively produced from castor oil. Since castor oil is also an important reagent for other processes, finding a sustainable alternative to 12-hydroxystearic acid has significant economic implications. This study synthesises an alternative thickener from abundant agricultural waste, cashew nut shell liquor (CNSL). The synthesis and separation procedure contains three steps: (i) forming and separating calcium anacardate by precipitation, (ii) forming and separating anacardic acid (iii) forming lithium anacardate. The obtained lithium anacardate can be used as a thickener for lubricating grease. It was found that the recovery of anacardic acid was around 80%. The optimal reaction temperature and time conditions for lithium anacardate were 100 °C and 1 h, respectively. The method provides an economical alternative to castor and other vegetable oils. The procedure presents a simple pathway to produce the precursor for the lubricating grease from agricultural waste. The first reaction step can be combined with the existing distillation of cashew nut shell processing. An effective application can promote CNSL to a sustainable feedstock for green chemistry. The process can also be combined with recycled lithium from the spent batteries to improve the sustainability of the battery industry. Full article

The demand for materials with improved properties and less negative impact on the environment is growing. Artificial stones are examples of these materials produced with up to 90% of particulate material joined by a binder. This article evaluates the physical and mechanical properties of two artificial stones produced with processing steel residue (blast furnace dust waste) and quartz powder. Two binders were used: pure epoxy resin, denoted as ASPB100, or a mixture of 70 wt% epoxy resin with 30 wt% cashew nut shell oil, denoted as ASPB7030. The process took place under vibration, compression (3 MPa/20 min and 90 °C) and vacuum (80 Pa). ASPB100 showed water absorption of 0.07%, while for ASPB7030, it was 0.54%. They were classified as having high mechanical strength associated with bending stress values equal to 32 and 25 MPa, respectively. Stain resistance indicated that both artificial stones had their stains removed with the tested cleaning agents. In this way, the novel artificial stones produced are sustainable alternatives for the application of blast furnace waste and cashew nut shell oil, reducing their negative impacts on the environment. Full article

This study evaluated the protective effect of different dietary ω-6/ω-3 ratios in oils obtained from various nuts (walnut, peanut, cashew, and hazelnut) against morphological features and markers of inflammation on an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was induced via intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Five groups of rats with RA (n = 5) were randomly categorized as follows: control positive, walnut oil group, peanut oil group, cashew nut oil group, and hazelnut oil group. Another five healthy rats served as a normal non-arthritic (control) group. We assessed the therapeutic effects by measuring arthritis scores during the experiment and serum inflammatory markers at the end of the study. The serum levels of the rheumatoid factor, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and PGE2, were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced in all treatment groups. The daily consumption of nut oils ameliorates clinical and morphological abnormalities by inhibiting the inflammatory cells that produce inflammatory interleukins and eicosanoids. Full article

A fast and straightforward reversed-phase dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (RP-DLLME) using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) procedure to determine free tryptophan in vegetable oils was developed. The influence of eight variables affecting the RP-DLLME efficiency has been studied by a multivariate approach. A Plackett–Burman design for screening the most influential variables followed by a central composite response surface methodology led to an optimum RP-DLLME setup for a 1 g oil sample: 9 mL hexane as the diluting solvent, vortex extraction with 0.45 mL of DES (choline chloride–urea) at 40 °C, without addition of salt, and centrifugation at 6000 rpm for 4.0 min. The reconstituted extract was directly injected into a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system working in the diode array mode. At the studied concentration levels, the obtained method detection limits (MDL) was 11 mg/kg, linearity in matrix-matched standards was R² ≥ 0.997, relative standard deviations (RSD) was 7.8%, and average recovery was 93%. The combined use of the recently developed DES -based RP-DLLME and HPLC provides an innovative, efficient, cost-effective, and more sustainable method for the extraction and quantification of free tryptophan in oily food matrices. The method was employed to analyze cold-pressed oils from nine vegetables (Brazil nut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, peanut, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and walnut) for the first time. The results showed that free tryptophan was present in the range of 11–38 mg/100 g. This article is important for its contributions to the field of food analysis, and for its development of a new and efficient method for the determination of free tryptophan in complex matrices, which has the potential to be applied to other analytes and sample types. Full article

Cashew nut kernel oil (CNKO) is an important oil source from tropical crops. The lipid species, composition, and relative content of CNKO were revealed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOF-MS/MS), and the physicochemical properties, functional group structure, and oxidation stability of CNKO at different pressing temperatures were characterized using a near infrared analyzer and other methods. The results showed that CNKO mainly consisted of oleic acid (60.87 ± 0.06%), linoleic acid (17.33 ± 0.28%), stearic acid (10.93 ± 0.31%), and palmitic acid (9.85 ± 0.04%), and a highly unsaturated fatty acid (78.46 ± 0.35%). In addition, 141 lipids, including 102 glycerides and 39 phospholipids, were identified in CNKO. The pressing temperature had a significant effect on the physicochemical properties of cashew kernels, such as acid value, iodine value, and peroxide value, but the change in value was small. The increase in pressing temperature did not lead to changes in the functional group structure of CNKO, but decreased the induction time of CNKO, resulting in a decrease in their oxidative stability. It provided basic data support to guide subsequent cashew kernel processing, quality evaluation, and functional studies. Full article

In the present review, we provide a comprehensive narrative overview of the current knowledge on the effects of total and specific types of nut consumption (excluding nut oil) on blood lipids and lipoproteins. We identified a total of 19 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were available in PubMed from the inception date to November 2022. A consistent beneficial effect of most nuts, namely total nuts and tree nuts, including walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios, has been reported across meta-analyses in decreasing total cholesterol (mean difference, MD, −0.09 to −0.28 mmol/L), LDL-cholesterol (MD, −0.09 to −0.26 mmol/L), and triglycerides (MD, −0.05 to −0.17 mmol/L). However, no effects on HDL-cholesterol have been uncovered. Preliminary evidence indicates that adding nuts into the regular diet reduces blood levels of apolipoprotein B and improves HDL function. There is also evidence that nuts dose-dependently improve lipids and lipoproteins. Sex, age, or nut processing are not effect modifiers, while a lower BMI and higher baseline lipid concentrations enhance blood lipid/lipoprotein responses. While research is still emerging, the evidence thus far indicates that nut-enriched diets are associated with a reduced number of total LDL particles and small, dense LDL particles. In conclusion, evidence from clinical trials has shown that the consumption of total and specific nuts improves blood lipid profiles by multiple mechanisms. Future directions in this field should include more lipoprotein particle, apolipoprotein B, and HDL function studies. Full article

Recently, natural antioxidants for the food industry have become an important focus. Cashew nut-shell liquid (CNSL) is composed of compounds that can act as natural antioxidants in food systems. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of CNSL and its components to act as natural antioxidants in a bulk oil system. CNSL was treated with calcium hydroxide to obtain two fractions [cardol/cardanols acid fraction (CCF) and anacardic acid fraction (AF)]. CNSL, FF and AF were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The protective effects of CNSL, CCF and AF were tested in terms of the peroxide value of bulk soybean oil in accelerated assays and were compared against controls with and without synthetic antioxidants (CSA and CWA). CNLS, CCF, AF and CSA were tested at 200 mg/kg soybean oil by incubation at 30, 40, 50 and 60 °C for five days. The activation energy (E_a) for the production of peroxides was calculated by using the linearized Arrhenius equation. Thin-layer chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that (i) CNSL contained cardanols, anacardic acids, and cardols; (ii) CCF contained cardanols and cardols; and (iii) AF contained anacardic acids. CSA (E_a 35,355 J/mol) was the most effective antioxidant, followed by CCF (E_a 31,498 J/mol) and by CNSL (E_a 26,351 J/mol). AF exhibited pro-oxidant activity (E_a 8339 J/mol) compared with that of CWA (E_a 15,684 J/mol). Therefore, cardols and cardanols from CNSL can be used as a natural antioxidant in soybean oil. Full article

There is a growing interest in non-dairy alternatives fueled by concerns about personal health and the health of the planet. Sales of non-dairy frozen desserts have increased along with other non-dairy alternatives such as plant-based beverages, cheeses, yogurts and creamers. The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional survey of plant-based frozen desserts to determine their nutritional content. A total of 358 plant-based frozen desserts were analyzed from the nutrition label listed on the commercial container. The various products were based upon coconut (n = 126), oat milk (n = 63), almonds (n = 42), cashews (n = 25), soy (n = 11), macadamia milk (n = 9), olive oil (n = 8), faba bean (n = 8), canola oil (n = 8), rice milk (n = 6), sunflower milk (n = 6), avocado (n = 5), pea protein (n = 5) and various fruits, nuts and mixed blends (n = 36). While 90% of the frozen desserts had high sugar levels, 73% had high levels of saturated fat (due to the presence of coconut oil) and only one in four had high levels of fat. None of the products were fortified with calcium, vitamin D or B12, but one in six products had iron levels/serving of at least 10% of Daily Value (DV) and 1 in 6 had protein levels/serving similar to regular dairy ice cream. Food manufacturers need to produce new non-dairy frozen desserts that are more nutritious, since few brands (such as those based upon avocado, apple and hemp protein, or fava bean) presently provide consumers choices with lower saturated fat and sugar levels and/or higher protein levels. Full article

Plant-based cheese is one of the most increasingly consumed dairy alternatives. Evidence is lacking on their nutritional quality. We aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of the plant-based cheese options available in Spanish supermarkets, and how they compare with dairy cheese. An audit of plant-based cheese alternatives has been conducted in seven of the most common supermarkets. For each product, the nutritional content per 100 g and ingredients were collected. Data on generic dairy cheese were retrieved from the BEDCA website. Descriptive statistics (median, minimum and maximum) were used to characterize the plant-based cheese products, for both all the products and grouped by main ingredients (i.e., coconut oil, cashew nuts and tofu). Mann–Whitney U tests were used for comparisons between dairy and different types of plant-based cheese. The coconut oil-based products (the large majority of plant-based cheese products, n = 34) could not be considered as healthy foods. Their major ingredients were refined coconut oil and starches and were high in saturated fats and salt. The other smaller groups, cashew nut- (n = 4) and tofu-based (n = 2), showed a healthier nutritional profile. Replacing dairy cheese with these groups could be nutritionally beneficial. Future investigations should address the health effects of substituting dairy cheese with these products. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with a multifaceted pathogenesis. This fact has long halted the development of effective anti-AD drugs. Recently, a therapeutic strategy based on the exploitation of Brazilian biodiversity was set with the aim of discovering new disease-modifying and safe drugs for AD. In this review, we will illustrate our efforts in developing new molecules derived from Brazilian cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), a natural oil and a byproduct of cashew nut food processing, with a high content of phenolic lipids. The rational modification of their structures has emerged as a successful medicinal chemistry approach to the development of novel anti-AD lead candidates. The biological profile of the newly developed CNSL derivatives towards validated AD targets will be discussed together with the role of these molecular targets in the context of AD pathogenesis. Full article