Chlorophyll Inhibits the Digestion of Soybean Oil in Simulated Human Gastrointestinal System

Abstract

Nowadays, much available processed and highly palatable food such as cream products and fried and convenient food, which usually showed a high energy density, had caused an increase in the intake of dietary lipids, further leading to significant growth in the prevalence of obesity. Chlorophyll, widespread in fruits and vegetables, was proven to have beneficial effects on alleviating obesity. This study investigated the effects of chlorophyll on the digestive characteristics of lipids under in vitro simulated adult and infant gastrointestinal systems. Chlorophyll decreased the release rate of free fatty acid (FFA) during in vitro adult and infant intestinal digestion by 69.2% and 60.0%, respectively. Meanwhile, after gastrointestinal digestion, chlorophyll changed the FFA composition of soybean oil emulsion and increased the particle size of oil droplets. Interestingly, with the addition of chlorophyll, the activity of pancreatic lipase was inhibited during digestion, which may be related to pheophytin (a derivative of chlorophyll after gastric digestion). Therefore, the results obtained from isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking further elucidated that pheophytin could bind to pancreatic lipase with a strong affinity of (4.38 ± 0.76) × 107 M−1 (Ka), while the binding site was amino acid residue Trp253. The investigation not only explained why chlorophyll inhibited digestive enzyme activity to reduce lipids digestion but also provided exciting opportunities for developing novel chlorophyll-based healthy products for dietary application in preventing obesity.

Enhancing Health Benefits through Chlorophylls and Chlorophyll-Rich Agro-Food: A Comprehensive Review

“…The anti-adipogenic activity of chlorophyll a appeared to be mediated through the activation of the AMPK signaling transduction pathway [ 81 ]. Another study by Wang et al [ 82 ] investigated the effects of chlorophyll and its derivatives on the digestion of soybean oil under simulated human gastrointestinal conditions. The researchers discovered that chlorophyll reduced the release rate of free fatty acids, altered the fatty acid composition, and increased the particle size of oil droplets.…”

“…These changes could decrease the uptake of fatty acids by intestinal epithelial cells. Furthermore, the study found that pheophytin bound to and inhibited pancreatic lipase activity during intestinal digestion, thereby affecting lipid digestion in vitro [ 82 ].…”

Characterization of Azorean Plant Leaves for Sustainable Valorization and Future Advanced Applications in the Food, Cosmetic, and Pharmaceutical Industries

“…Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b have distinct structures and absorb light at different wavelengths, playing roles in light absorption and protection against excess light [ 17 ]. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that chlorophylls exhibit antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties, among other health benefits [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Effects of Sulforaphane and Chlorophyl a in a Western Diet-Induced Obesity Model

“…Chlorophyll compounds have been reported to present some bioactive activities such as, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective effects, among others [27]. Furthermore, it has been reported that chlorophyll a (Chlo.a), the most abundant photosynthetic pigment, together with its derivatives, has potential antiobesogenic actions in both in vitro and in vivo studies [28][29][30][31][32]. Wang and colleagues [32] demonstrated that the addition of chlorophyll extracts decreased the release rate of free fatty acids and changed the fatty acid composition of soybean oil emulsions at the gastrointestinal system level using an in vitro simulation.…”

“…Furthermore, it has been reported that chlorophyll a (Chlo.a), the most abundant photosynthetic pigment, together with its derivatives, has potential antiobesogenic actions in both in vitro and in vivo studies [28][29][30][31][32]. Wang and colleagues [32] demonstrated that the addition of chlorophyll extracts decreased the release rate of free fatty acids and changed the fatty acid composition of soybean oil emulsions at the gastrointestinal system level using an in vitro simulation. In addition, the study reported that pheophytin, a Chlo.a derivative formed after gastric digestion, inhibited pancreatic lipase activity during intestinal digestion by binding to pancreatic lipase [32].…”