Fatty acids are accumulated in triacylglycerols (TAGs), in specialized organelles of seeds named oil bodies. The major site of TAG accumulation is detected in developing seed and mesocarp of certain species. We have isolated two cDNAs encoding DGAT enzymes from olives. The deduced polypeptides differ by 26 amino acids in size. However, they have high homology and almost identical hydropathy pro...

The microsomal fraction of avocado (Persea americana) mesocarp is a rich source of cytochrome P-450 active in the demethylation of xenobiotics. Cytochrome P-450 from this tissue has been purified and well characterized at the molecular level (DP O'Keefe, KJ Leto [1989] Plant Physiol 89: 1141-1149; KR Bozak, H Yu, R Sirevag, RE Christoffersen [1990] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87: 3904-3908). Despite...

Effects of modifying oil palm mesocarp fibers (OPMF) by methacrylate silane on polylactic acid (PLA)/ polycaprolactone (PCL)/clay/OPMF hybrid composites were investigated. The composites were prepared by a melt blending technique and characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The silane-treated OPMF hybrid composites showed better tensile strength...

In this study, the effects of chemical modifications of oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) via bleaching, silane coupling agents, and combinations of the two on the composition and morphology of OPMF were investigated. The chemically modified OPMF was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The FTIR s...