Enzymatic Chlorophyll Removal in Vegetable Oil Refining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing chlorophyll and its derivatives from vegetable oils, such as bleaching with clay, are inefficient and costly, leading to the loss of desirable compounds like carotenoids and tocopherol, and do not effectively reduce chlorophyll derivatives like pheophytin and pyropheophytin.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of enzymes like chlorophyllase, pheophytinase, or pyropheophytinase in the presence of phospholipids but low levels of lysophospholipids, during the degumming step of oil refining, to hydrolyze chlorophyll and its derivatives, reducing the need for clay treatment and enhancing the retention of beneficial compounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If bleaching with clay is used to remove chlorophyll, then chlorophyll levels are reduced to acceptable levels, but processing cost increases and oil yield decreases due to entrainment in the bleaching clay
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes only the harmful chlorophyll components from the oil using specific adsorbents, while leaving the beneficial oil components intact. This selective extraction approach resolves the contradiction by removing chlorophyll without the excessive oil loss associated with traditional clay bleaching.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses adsorbents with specific local properties (surface chemistry, pore structure) that are tailored to selectively bind chlorophyll molecules while excluding oil components. This localized quality approach allows precise removal of unwanted substances without sacrificing productive oil yield.
2Manufacturing precision
If bleaching with clay is used to remove chlorophyll, then chlorophyll levels are reduced, but desirable compounds such as carotenoids and tocopherol are removed from the oil
Solution Approach 1:
The invention selectively extracts chlorophyll from the oil using adsorbents with specific affinity for chlorophyll molecules. This selective extraction spares desirable compounds like carotenoids and tocopherol, resolving the contradiction between removing harmful substances and preserving beneficial ones.
Solution Approach 2:
The adsorbents used have locally optimized properties (surface functional groups, pore size distribution) that create selective binding sites for chlorophyll while being incompatible with carotenoids and tocopherol. This local quality differentiation enables selective removal without co-removal of valuable compounds.
3Manufacturing precision
If clay is used for bleaching, then chlorophyll is removed, but the treatment of used clay is difficult, dangerous (prone to self-ignition) and thus costly to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs disposable adsorbent materials that can be easily disposed of after use, replacing the problematic reusable clay system. These single-use adsorbents eliminate the safety and handling issues associated with spent clay while maintaining effective chlorophyll removal, resolving the contradiction between processing efficiency and waste management ease.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process effectively reduces chlorophyll and its derivatives in vegetable oils without clay treatment, preserving higher levels of carotenoids and tocopherol, and is more cost-effective by minimizing the loss of valuable oil components.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the oil with an enzyme which is capable of hydrolysing chlorophyll or a chlorophyll derivative
Implementation Method 2
the enzyme is contacted with the oil in the presence of at least 1% by weight phospholipid
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
In one aspect, provided herein is a process for refining a plant oil, comprising a step of contacting the oil with an enzyme which is capable of hydrolysing chlorophyll or a chlorophyll derivative, wherein the enzyme is contacted with the oil in the presence of at least 0.1% by weight phospholipid.