There is a strong correlation between diet and mental health, and malnutrition can contribute to the development of various psycho-neurological diseases. Fatty acid profile plays an important role in the treatment of psycho-neurological diseases; therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate fatty acid profile in the diet of patients in three Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals. Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals submitted a detailed one-week menu. The information in the menus was processed using the Fineli program. Each menu identified the composition of fatty acids. The average fat concentration in different hospital menus ranged from 74.8 g to 96.1 g per day, where the concentration of saturated fatty acids ranged from 37.5 g to 47.7 g per day and the unsaturated fat concentration ranged from 35.9 g to 47 g per day. The n-3 PUFA content was consistent with the recommendations of a healthy individual, but it did not meet the needs of patients in a psycho-neurological hospital. The total eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid concentration in the hospital menus ranged from 0.03 to 0.13 g, which was significantly lower than recommended, whereas LA and ALA concentration in hospital menus is close to optimal. The trans-fatty acids concentration in hospital menus did not exceed 2.5 g per day, with the exception of one day in hospital No. 2. The impact of diet on the treatment of psycho-neurological diseases in Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals has not been sufficiently assessed.

The chemical composition of goat milk, especially fatty acid profile is recently renewed due to the role of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in human nutrition. These nutrients are important to analyse in connection with the different breeds receiving the same breeding and feed. The aim of this study was to analyse goat milk fatty acid profile in relation to different breeds. Specimens for fatty acid analyses were collected from individual animals of breeds like Latvian Native (n=5), Saanen (n=5), and crossbreeds (n=5). Bulk milk samples (n=5) were also taken for milk quality testing and fatty acid range determination. Fat content was analysed according to ISO 1211:2011 and fatty acids were measured with the chromatographic method. Protein, lactose, casein and urea concentration was analysed according to ISO 13366-2:2007 and somatic cell count to ISO 9622/IDF141:2013.The highest fat concentration was determined in crossbreed milk samples (3.81 g 100 gE−1) and the lowest (2.96g 100 gE−1) in the Latvian Native breed goat milk samples. The highest butyric acid (0.12 g 100 gE−1) and caproic acid (0.12 g 100 gE−1) concentration was established in Saanen goat milk samples. Compared to other breeds, the milk of the Latvian Native breed goats is characterised by a higher capric acid (0.20 g 100 gE−1) concentration, while a higher concentration of total unsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids was detected in the samples of crossbreed goat milk. The average fatty acid composition of bulk milk samples was 68% for saturated fatty acids, 23% for monosaturated fatty acids and 4.3% for polyunsaturated fatty acids. In analysed goat milk samples, fatty acids showed the characteristic fatty acid profile of goat milk.

Consumers’ growing demand for vegan products creates a need for new nutrient-dense products. Amaranth seeds are characterised as a nutritious product due to the content of proteins, fats, etc. Considering the high-quality fats and their amount in amaranth seeds, the aim of this study was to analyse the profile of fatty acids in amaranth pasta which was developed for a vegan diet. Seven samples: amaranth, amaranth-oat, and amaranth-buckwheat pasta in different ratios, were analysed in the study. The preparation of samples for analysis was carried out according to LVS EN ISO 6498:2012; fatty acid composition was determined using thug/MS analytic method. The highest total fat content was determined in the amaranth pasta – 5453.62 mg 100 gE−1 of product, followed by the amaranth-oat pasta (85%/15%) – 4988.14 mg 100 gE−1 of product and amaranth-oat pasta (70%/30%) – 4772.93 mg 100 gE−1 of product. In the developed pasta samples, over 70% of total fat was unsaturated fatty acids and more than one-third of total fat was PUFA. The highest PUFA/SFA ratio was determined for amaranth-oat pasta (70%/30%), amaranth-buckwheat pasta (85%/15%), and amaranth-buckwheat pasta (70%/30%). Quantitatively, the essential fatty acids were oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid. The triterpene squalene was detected with a probability of 90% in all amaranth, amaranth-oat, and amaranth-buckwheat pasta samples. The developed pasta for a vegan diet contains good-quality fat.

Organic fermented milk products are an area of interest combining functional properties and sustainable practices. Limited information is available regarding the specific components of organic milk that may impact the growth of lactic acid bacteria. This study emphasised the differences in bioactive compounds between organic and conventional milk and their potential influence on lactic acid bacteria growth. Analysis of organic (n = 15) and conventional (n = 15) farm milk using GC-MS revealed differences in fatty acid (FA) concentrations, mainly mono-, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid. Individual FA, such as stearic, linoleic, and oleic acids, were up to 33.6%, 31.0%, and 25.23% higher in conventional milk. Detection of the whey proteins using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed lysozyme content was up to 40.6% higher in conventional (22.04 µg L⁻¹) than in organic (15.68 µg L⁻¹) milk. Conversely, lactoferrin content was 20.4% higher in the organic (45.27 µg L⁻¹) than in conventional (36.04 µg L⁻¹). No difference in the content of immunoglobulin A was found. The higher concentrations of lysozyme, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in conventional milk could enhance a higher inhibitory activity against lactic acid bacteria compared to organic milk.

Puffed grains made from whole wheat, corn or rice grains are ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that do not require additional preparation. Two recipes for puffed grain coatings were developed in the previous studies. Sunflower oil was used in the coating, which may affect storage stability. Due to lipid hydrolysis, free fatty acids may be released, causing rancid off-flavour. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the acid value of lipids and sensory attributes of sweet-coated puffed wheat grains ‘Badyrak vanilla’ (BV) and ‘Badyrak with whey’ (MC) depending on temperature during their eight-month storage. The products were packaged in metallised polypropylene pouches, 30 g each. The acid value was studied monthly at different storage temperatures (20 ± 2 °С and 4 ± 2 °С). In puffed wheat grain products, 65% of fatty acids are polyunsaturated, 25% monounsaturated, and 10% saturated. The high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids over saturated makes oil more susceptible to oxidation. Literature studies and sensory evaluation of puffed wheat grains allowed setting a limiting acid value at 4.0 mg KOH gE−1 lipids. The increase in acid value was storage temperature dependent. Thus, the acid value exceeded the established limit in the fifth month for MC and the sixth month for BV when stored at 20 ± 2 °С. At the same time, noticeable changes in puffed wheat grain flavour were observed. The temperature coefficient (Q10) for MC was 2.0, whereas for BV it was 1.5, indicating that the acid value increase in MC was more affected by temperature than that in BV.