Browsing by Author "Gupta A"

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Development of sustainable downstream processing for nutritional oil production
(Frontiers Media SA, 2023-10-10) Rollin S; Gupta A; Franco CMM; Singh S; Puri M; Sforza E
Nutritional oils (mainly omega-3 fatty acids) are receiving increased attention as critical supplementary compounds for the improvement and maintenance of human health and wellbeing. However, the predominant sources of these oils have historically shown numerous limitations relating to desirability and sustainability; hence the crucial focus is now on developing smarter, greener, and more environmentally favourable alternatives. This study was undertaken to consider and assess the numerous prevailing and emerging techniques implicated across the stages of fatty acid downstream processing. A structured and critical comparison of the major classes of disruption methodology (physical, chemical, thermal, and biological) is presented, with discussion and consideration of the viability of new extraction techniques. Owing to a greater desire for sustainable industrial practices, and a desperate need to make nutritional oils more available; great emphasis has been placed on the discovery and adoption of highly sought-after ‘green’ alternatives, which demonstrate improved efficiency and reduced toxicity compared to conventional practices. Based on these findings, this review also advocates new forays into application of novel nanomaterials in fatty acid separation to improve the sustainability of nutritional oil downstream processing. In summary, this review provides a detailed overview of the current and developing landscape of nutritional oil; and concludes that adoption and refinement of these sustainable alternatives could promptly allow for development of a more complete ‘green’ process for nutritional oil extraction; allowing us to better meet worldwide needs without costing the environment.
Integration of the Exogenous Tuning of Thraustochytrid Fermentation and Sulfur Polymerization of Single-Cell Oil for Developing Plant-like Oils
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-10-01) Gupta A; Worthington MJH; Chalker JM; Puri M; Shene C
In this study, we have demonstrated a bioprocessing approach encompassing the exogenous addition of low-molecular-weight compounds to tune the fatty acid (FA) profile in a novel thraustochytrid strain to produce desirable FAs. Maximum lipid recovery (38%, dry wt. biomass) was obtained at 1% Tween 80 and 0.25 mg/L of Vitamin B12. The transesterified lipid showed palmitic acid (C16, 35.7% TFA), stearic acid (C18, 2.1% TFA), and oleic acid (C18:1, 18.7% TFA) as the main components of total FAs, which are mainly present in plant oils. Strikingly, D-limonene addition in the fermentation medium repressed the production of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs). Sulfur-polymerization-guided lipid separation revealed the presence of saturated (SFAs, 53% TFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs, 46.6% TFA) in thraustochytrid oil that mimics plant-oil-like FA profiles. This work is industrially valuable and advocates the use of sulfur polymerization for preparation of plant-like oils through tuneable thraustochytrid lipids.
Supplementation of fertiliser with the biostimulant molasses enhances hemp (Cannabis sativa) seed functional food antioxidant capacity by induction of stress responses
(Elsevier B V, 2024-08-01) Wise K; Williams LB; Selby-Pham S; Wright PFA; Simovich T; Gill H; Gupta A; Puri M; Selby-Pham J
Hemp is low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Cannabis sativa that is cultivated globally for food and fibre. Hemp seeds and seed-oil are popularly consumed individually or utilised within cooking, due to their flavour, nutrition, and functional food benefits. The functional food properties of hemp seed include its beneficial fatty acid (FA) profile and antioxidant activity, which are associated with reduced inflammation that benefits chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Maximising these functional food properties can offer extensive health benefits. Biostimulants – such as molasses – are fertiliser additives that are associated with improvements to plant growth, yield, and biochemical composition; however, they have been scarcely applied to hemp. Furthermore, due to the complex composition of biostimulants, understanding their modes of action poses a significant challenge, impeding the optimization of their usage and the realization of associated benefits. Accordingly, this study aimed to characterise the impact of molasses on the functional food properties of hemp seeds and explore biostimulant-induced biochemical changes as indicators of modes of effect. Although molasses treatment did not significantly alter the FA profile (p = 0.960 for ω-6:ω-3 FA ratio), the antioxidant capacity (as measured by ABTS) was significantly increased (3.8-fold increase, p = 0.008). Metabolite profiling and statistical modelling indicated that this change was likely associated with increases in several lipophilic antioxidant metabolites, including hydroxycinnamic acid amides and cannabisins. Comparison of root, leaf, seed, and sugar leaf tissue changes in phytohormones and metabolites indicated that the growth of hemp with molasses was predominantly associated with the induction of the plant's endogenous stress response within the roots. These results indicate that the biostimulant molasses is a beneficial fertiliser additive for enhancing the functional food (antioxidant) potential of hemp seeds, thereby improving the health-benefits imparted to consumers.