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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #289012

Title: Physical, chemical, biological, and biotechnological sciences are incomplete without each other

Author
item Kahlon, Talwinder

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2012
Publication Date: 12/20/2012
Citation: Kahlon, T.S. 2012. Physical, chemical, biological, and biotechnological sciences are incomplete without each other. (abstract). International Conference on Biotechnology. Section IV.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Chemical analysis and chromatographic techniques could not separate plasma lipoproteins which are now known as cholesterol- containing, heart-disease related macromolecules in human blood. Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory successfully separated plasma lipoproteins using equilibrium density gradient ultracentrifugation. Accurate molecular weights of highly atherogenic low density lipoprotein (LDL) sub-fractions were determined using analytical ultracentrifugation with various optical systems. These techniques further established that smaller size LDL was more atherogenic, and the men were at higher risk of heart disease than women. In another instance where chemical analysis on its own was not sufficient, adulteration in olive oil was difficult to catch by fatty acid analysis or other available techniques, as fatty acids are same regardless of their source. At the Western Regional Research Center scientists used total genomic DNA isolated from olive oil. Contaminated olive oil with canola or sunflower oil was analyzed for single nucleotide polymorphism variation in non-coding spacer region between psbA-trnH and partial coding region of matK of plastid genome. These DNA regions were amplified by PCR using specific primers and resulting DNA sequences were matched to the predetermined consensus DNA barcodes sequences of canola and sunflower oil. Combination of molecular biology and bioinformatics technology was used for rapid detection of adulteration up to 5% in olive oil. USDA has filed a patent US 13/60,281 for this technology.