13TSB_N4L2FS: Functional food and feed ingredients from green leaf tissue

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Functional food and feed ingredients from green leaf tissueProject SummaryBackgroundGreen leaves contain chloroplasts, these organelles are enriched in galactolipids, (the most abundant lipid on the planet),which carry omega-3 fatty acids, tocochromanols (vitamin E), a range of carotenoids with known health benefits, vitamin C,and proteins. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that only between 1/6 and 1/4 of the beta-carotene in green leaf tissue isbioaccessible. If this is the case, then only a fraction of the nutritional potential is being released when we consume leafmaterial; this may be explained by the retention of cell wall material acting as a barrier to digestive enzymes.One obvious way to increase the nutritional impact of green leaf tissue therefore is to recover chloroplasts from plant cellsand to convert these isolated organelles into functional food/feed/supplement ingredients. Despite the great potential ofchloroplasts to contribute to the human diet, we do not know what happens to them on consumption. Food manufacturersand processors would not only be able to exploit these natural structures, they would be ideally placed to generateinnovative microstructures for the controlled delivery and release of lipophilic bioactives.Recent work within Food Sciences at the University of Nottingham has highlighted the potential nutritional value of isolatedchloroplasts; only 4 g of chloroplasts contains the recommended adult daily nutrient intake for vitamins A, C E and omega-3fatty acids.Project OutlineThe nutritional quality of chloroplasts recovered from cultivated vegetation (e.g. spinach leaved) and waste material (e.g.grass clippings) will be compared. This will be achieved through compositional and ultrastructural analyses. The impact ofblanching leaf material on the quality of chloroplasts will also be established. Candidate wet preparations of chloroplastswill then be converted into prototype ingredients, which will be tested for storage stability and for their compatibility within arange of food/feed formulations.Outputs1. New data on the composition of chloroplasts from a range of materials2. Process flow information for converting green leaf tissue into a novel chloroplast-based functional food ingredient3. Performance indicators for the compatibility of this new, natural, ingredient, in a range of food/feed /supplementformulations4. Blueprint for scaling up production5. Viable material for a large scale feeding trial