Characteristics and functionality of appetite-reducing thylakoid powders produced by three different drying processes

Area of Science:

• Plant biochemistry
• Food science
• Nutraceutical development

Background:

• Thylakoids, chloroplast membranes from green leaves, exhibit appetite-reducing properties through lipase inhibition.
• Previous studies evaluated thylakoid powders in vivo, but lacked comprehensive analysis of powder characteristics.
• Understanding the impact of processing on thylakoid properties is crucial for functional food ingredient development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of various isolation methods and drying techniques on thylakoid physicochemical and functional properties.
• To identify key parameters correlating with thylakoid lipase-inhibiting capacity.
• To establish methods for optimizing thylakoid powder production for functional food applications.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of thylakoids from green leaves.
• Application of different drying techniques: drum-drying, spray-drying, and freeze-drying.
• Assessment of physicochemical properties (e.g., color, chlorophyll content, emulsifying capacity) and lipase-inhibiting capacity.

Main Results:

• Freeze-drying produced thylakoid powders with the highest lipase-inhibiting capacity.
• Heat exposure during spray-drying and drum-drying degraded structures crucial for lipase inhibition.
• Lightness, greenness, chlorophyll content, and emulsifying capacity were correlated with lipase-inhibiting capacity.

Conclusions:

• Thylakoids are heat-sensitive, necessitating mild drying techniques for industrial production.
• Physicochemical parameters, particularly chlorophyll content, can predict thylakoid functionality.
• This study provides a framework for producing standardized, high-quality thylakoid-based functional food ingredients.