This study examined the composition of oil extracted from empty fruit bunches (EFB) and its effects on the refining, fractionation, and occurrence of process-developed contaminants in palm oil. The oil, referred to as empty fruit bunch oil (EFBO), was extracted from EFB liquor, which consisted of 85 % water, 10 % sludge, and 5 % oil. The EFBO was then blended with crude palm oil (CPO) at varying concentrations (0.1 %, 0.5 %, 1.0 %, 2.5 %, 5.0 %, and 10 %) and subjected to physical refining and dry fractionation. Quality analyses revealed that increasing EFBO concentrations led to higher free fatty acid (FFA) levels above 0.4 % and more intense colour above 2.4R in the refined oils. The EFBO also contributed to the formation of process-developed contaminants, particularly 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE), from 1.14 mg kg −1 in control oil to 2.72 mg kg −1 in refined oil with 10 % EFBO added, while the formation of glycidyl esters (GE) was less influenced by the addition of EFBO. During dry fractionation, both 3-MCPDE and GE were found to be more concentrated in the liquid olein fraction than in the solid stearin fraction, governed by inherent physicochemical properties rather than the blended oil composition. The study concluded that blending EFBO with CPO could degrade the quality and safety of CPO, mainly due to the increased formation of undesirable contaminants such as 3-MCPDE.

Canola, Brassica napus L., is the top-ranked vegetable oil crop in the world, and its production is significantly hindered by aphids (mustard-oil bombs), which compromise the host plant defense. The prominent aphid species which infest the canola include Brevicoryne brassicae , Lipaphis erysimi , and Myzus persicae . They feed on tender parts of the plant and suck the cell sap that ultimately reduces the plant's vigor. Floral buds are weakened, and flowers may fall to reduce the number of potential pods, causing a significant yield loss (60%–77%). They also transmit ∼20 different plant viruses in canola. Aphids sustain their populations through a consecutive biological cycle to produce multiple generations in a single cropping season. Continuous feeding by a multitude of aphids ultimately reduces plant growth and yield attributes, i.e ., plant height, number of siliques, seeds per silique, thousand-seed weight, and plant yield, significantly. Hostplant nutrient profile comprising macro- and micronutrients, i.e ., nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sulfur, copper, and zinc, also alters. These nutrients have a dual role in aphid–canola interaction, i.e ., they accomplish biological needs of aphids on one side and enhance host plant defense and yield on the other side. In addition, phenolic compounds are also important, especially myricetin, quercetin, gallic, caffeic, syringic, vanillic, ferulic, chlorogenic, m -coumaric, p -coumaric, sinapic, and cinnamic acid. Their role in plant defense and aphid reduction has been discussed. Classification, biosynthetic pathways, and the role of plant phenolics in countering aphid defense have been elaborated. Conclusively, this review delivers an inclusive framework for understanding the chemical and nutritional drivers responsible for aphid resistance and yield improvement, offering significant insights for developing pest-resilient canola cultivars.

Sustainable intensification of perennial oil palm production systems requires balancing energy efficiency, economic profitability, greenhouse gas emission, and labour requirements. This study evaluated three mechanization scenarios (manual, semi-mechanized with standard capacity equipment’s and semi-mechanized with high-capacity equipment’s) across five yield levels (15–35 t FFB ha −1 yr −1 ; FFB = Fresh Fruit Bunches), based on data from 26 plantations in the Colombian Orinoquia Natural Region. Methodologies included energy analysis, economic evaluation, life cycle assessment of Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), and labour demand quantification. Results demonstrate that yield intensification constitutes the primary driver of systemic efficiency, with energy ratios improving from 2.10 to 2.42 and emissions decreasing from 84.8 to 66.3 kg CO 2 t ⁻1 FFB. Semi - mechanized systems contribute directly to intensification by enabling precise input applications and timely execution of agronomic practices, particularly in fertilization and harvesting. Semi-mechanized systes with high capacity equipment’s reduces labour demand by 26–46% compared to manual systems and facilitates scalable operations. It also emerges as the most profitable scenario, with economic viability achieved from 15 t FFB ha ⁻1 yr ⁻1 .

Oenocarpus bataua is a palm tree native to the American rainforest, whose fruits are a source of bioactive compounds that produce high-quality oil. The novel supercritical fluid (SCF) extraction method using CO 2 to obtain oil has been underexplored. The aim of this research was to characterize the morphology of ripe and semi-ripe fruits of O . bataua , the proximate composition analysis of the mesocarp (M) and exocarp (E), determine the oil yield extracted from ripe and semi-ripe fruits using the SCF method, and evaluate its quality based on the chemical composition. The fatty acid profile (FAME) was determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID), and the volatile profile was identified employing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that the proximate analysis of M+E in ripe fruits has a higher fat (21.66 ± 2.70%) and protein (6.7% ± 0.39%) content than semi-ripe fruits. M+E oil yield for ripe and semi-ripe fruits using the SCF method was 17.99% and 12.47%, respectively. Oleic acid predominated in the FAME of ripe and semi-ripe fruits (81.2% and 87.6%, respectively), followed by palmitic acid (11.9% and 8.2%, respectively). The most abundant volatile compounds of the oil were ethanol, followed by phenylethyl alcohol and 3-methylpropanoic acid. Phenylethyl alcohol is possibly responsible for the sweet aroma typical of this oil. Extraction kinetics were studied at 34 MPa/50 ° C. The semi-empirical model of Sovová et al. (2006) described 97.24% of the experimental behavior of the extraction kinetics. The composition analysis of unsaturated fatty acids suggests that the oil from O. bataua ripe fruits is an important source of beneficial bioactive compounds with potential use in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.

Expanding the cultivation of underutilized oilseed crops on marginal lands necessitates innovative agronomic strategies to maintain lipid quality while ensuring stable yields. This study explored the use of living mulch systems for the sustainable production of black cumin ( Nigella sativa L.), a promising yet weed-sensitive oilseed crop, in salt-affected soils in Iran. Through a two-year field experiment, the effectiveness of berseem clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) mulches, paired with strategic mowing timings, was evaluated. The results showed that berseem clover mulch significantly reduced the biomass of dominant weeds including Amaranthus retroflexus , Chenopodium album , and Portulaca oleracea , by 47–74.3% compared to weedy control plots. The highest reduction (74.3%) observed in plots with T . alexandrinum living mulch mowed before the black cumin flowering stage. The oil yield of black cumin cultivated under berseem clover living mulch (with post-establishment mowing) increased by 12.4% relative to weed-free control plots. Concurrently, the fatty acid profile improved, with a 3.47% increase in unsaturated fatty acids and a 13.35% higher unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio compared to the control. These results demonstrate a dual improvement in both oil yield and quality under the living mulch system. The optimal management strategy involved removing berseem clover after crop establishment, which led to a 12.4% and 45.7% increase in oil yield compared to the weed-free and weedy plots, respectively. These findings provide the first evidence-based protocol for managing weeds in black cumin under saline conditions, offering oilseed producers an ecological alternative to herbicides that maintains both yield quantity and lipid quality in marginal environments.

Methane, an abundantly produced greenhouse gas, is a major driver of global climate change. The development of sustainable processes for methane capture is limited by the poor solubility of this organic compound in water, but this solubility can be increased by adding other compounds to the aqueous solution. Here, we studied the solubility of methane in aqueous dispersions containing lipid microparticles of phytosterols—a group of sterol compounds from plants—at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The solubility of the phytosterols in water was improved chemically, by functionalization with glycerol carbonate in solvent-free conditions, and physically, by antisolvent precipitation to form particles in water. We evaluated the influence of phytosterol microparticles on methane solubility in water by monitoring the apparent partition coefficient between the gas and liquid phases defined by Henry’s law. Phytosterol functionalization generated amphiphilic phytosterols with glycerol branches, which were characterized by FTIR and MALDI-TOF. These amphiphilic phytosterols formed particles of 2 and 12 μm in diameter on antisolvent precipitation. Systems containing phytosterol microparticles had a partition coefficient half that of the corresponding control. The gas-liquid equilibrium was, therefore, shifted to the liquid state, demonstrating that the solubility of methane in water was improved by phytosterol microparticles.

Obesity is now considered as a disease requiring treatment and prevention efforts by reason of severe associated co-morbidities and its growing prevalence in worldwide population. Although origin of this “epidemic” situation is clearly multifactorial, recent changes in our life-style especially about our food supply with an easy access to low-cost energy-dense foods seem to play a significant causal role in this phenomenon. Studies also report that obesity is frequently associated with a preferential consumption of high palatable foods rich in fat and sugar. Since these foods are pleasant and have high hedonic quality, this obesogenic eating behavior change raises the possibility of an alteration of orosensory perception system as a consequence of obesity. This hypothesis has led to a recent literature on the relationship between obesity and sensory sensitivity, known to play a significant role in the food choice. The purpose of this mini-review, focused on the orosensory perception of dietary lipids (i.e. taste of fat), is to provide a short overview of what is observed in food-induced obese rodents as compared to what is found in patients with obesity. It tries to answer to the following basic question: is obesity associated with a loss of orosensory sensitivity to dietary lipids that leads to obesogenic food choices?

Agroecological transition requires that innovative and diversified cropping systems be developed. Conducting system experiments is an approach well-suited to the analysis of performance of cropping systems when subjected to soil, weather and biotic stresses. Conducting system experiments nevertheless gives rise to methodological challenges. Using the Syppre network of experiments, consisting of five sites in France, we present an original case study that provides valuable methodological and agronomic lessons on system experiments. The innovative cropping systems tested there are based on crop diversification (including oilseeds and protein crops), as well as flexible tillage, technical innovations and optimized crop management. From a methodological standpoint, we show that (i) mixed models are adapted to a range of experimental questions and constraints; (ii) multifactorial analysis enables the characterization of relationships between performance indicators; (iii) a multisite experimental network is an efficient approach not only for answering agronomic questions, but also for addressing methodological issues. From an agronomic standpoint, we showed that reconciling multiple indicators of performance is still challenging. Overall, innovative and diversified systems improved the performance of input utilization and environmental impacts, but with lower productivity and profitability. Introducing legume crops is a promising strategy because this contributes significantly to reductions in mineral N fertilizer use, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, without major trade-offs against other performance indicators. Finally, we showed that the nature of the production situation had a major influence on the performance profile. This led us to be cautious in making overall analyses especially with regard to general conclusions.

Climate change is forcing our societies to undertake socioeconomic changes to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, which continue to rise globally. Governments are applying policies to offset carbon emissions, despite the significant economic impact. Biotechnology offers solutions to dampen this impact, particularly in agriculture and industry, where plant biotechnology enhances production efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Camelina sativa, a climate-flexible oilseed crop with low agronomical exigence, offers promising alternatives to petroleum-derived oils. Oil derived from camelina seeds has the potential to substitute petroleum as the feedstock for the production of oleochemicals, which are compounds derived from vegetable or animal oils and/or petrochemical feedstock. The deep knowledge of the camelina genome, together with the optimized process to obtain genetically engineered camelina lines with on-demand modified oils, makes this oilseed crop a workhorse to counteract the environmental impact derived from human activity.

Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is an industrial crop, which has been cultivated for centuries as an oilseed crop for human food, however, the production and its importance were not well known in Ethiopia. The current research was conducted to identify potential agroecology and rate of NP (nitrogen and phosphorous) fertilizer for the high yield production of camelina crop. Two major agroecological zones, namely highland (moist dega) and midland (moist weyna-dega) agroecologies, were tested. The experiments in both agroecology were conducted in RCBD design with similar treatments. The treatments were (T1 = 0 kg N ha−1, 0 kg P ha−1), (T2 = 30 kg N ha−1, 10 kg P ha−1), (T3 = 60 kg N ha−1, 20 kg P ha−1), (T4 = 90 kg N ha−1, 30 kg P ha−1), (T5 = 120 kg N ha−1, 40 kg P ha−1) and (T6 = 150 kg N ha−1, 50 kg P ha−1). Significant (P < 0.05) differences were observed among the fertilizer treatments. Accordingly, in highland, the highest seed weight (8.37 g plant−1) and grain yield (1814.54 kg ha−1) were recorded from T5, while in midland, the highest seed weight (3.89 g plant−1) and grain yield (843.97 kg ha−1) were recorded from T6. The highest aboveground biomass (32.08, 18.49 g plant−1) and plant height (102.34, 86.33 cm) were recorded from T6 in highland and midland agroecology, respectively. According to the Pearson’s correlation analysis, significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation was observed between the plant height, seed weight, aboveground biomass and grain yield. In general, highland agroecology showed 115%, 18.53%, 114.95% and 73.53% increase in grain yield, plant height, seed weight, and aboveground biomass, respectively as compared to midland agroecology.