Plant-based functional food ingredients: zinc, chromium and bilberry polyphenols complexes

This work aimed to develop the technology for the production of functional food ingredients (FFI) with hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic action. These are organic forms of zinc and chromium and complex of bilberry polyphenols sorbed on brown buckwheat flour. Soy protein isolate hydrolysate was obtained using pancreatin as an enzymatic agent. The hydrolysis was conducted at 50-52°C for 3 hours. The product was then pasteurized at 75°C for 20 min. Organic forms of zinc and chromium were obtained by mixing the hydrolysate with zinc chloride and chromium chloride water solutions followed by micro- and nanofiltration. The bilberry fruits polyphenols were sorbed on the buckwheat flour by mixing them. The mixture was then centrifuged, the precipitate was lyophilized. Organic sources of zinc and chromium were included in the composition of specialized food product (SFP) for patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) as FFI. The introduction of the product into the hypocaloric diet of MS patients led to improvements in lipid metabolism. In essence, lowered total cholesterol decreased low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides levels, lowered atherogenic coefficient. During in vivo study hypoglycemic properties of FFI (bilberry polyphenols complex with buckwheat flour) were established. Experimental mice had significantly lower glucose, glycated haemoglobin and relative liver weight on the background of FFI consumption. Firstly, the obtained data proves the possibility to extract, concentrate and save beneficial properties of polyphenols through their sorption on the biopolymer plant matrices. Secondly, the obtained data proves the prospects of the use of essential microelements organic forms for preventive diet therapy.