Low Glycaemic Pulse Powder via Hydrothermal Cell Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for processing pulses into low glycaemic index foods result in high glycaemic index powders due to cell rupture during conventional milling, leading to loss of desirable nutritional properties and increased starch digestion rates.
Innovation Solution
A process involving hydrothermal treatment to weaken intercellular adhesion, followed by homogenization and sieving to separate intact cells or cell clusters, and subsequent drying to preserve cellular integrity and resistant starch, ensuring a high proportion of intact cells and resistant starch in the final product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional milling is used to process pulses into flour, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but cell rupture occurs leading to loss of low-glycaemic properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by conducting hydrothermal treatment before milling to weaken intercellular adhesion. This pre-treatment step softens the plant material and reduces cell wall strength, enabling subsequent gentle homogenization to separate cells without rupturing them, thus maintaining low-glycaemic properties while achieving efficient processing
2Productivity
If mechanical disruption is applied to separate cells, then cell separation efficiency is improved, but cell rupture increases leading to higher starch digestion rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the intensity and duration of homogenization to achieve optimal cell separation without excessive mechanical stress. The hydrothermal pre-treatment modifies the physical parameters of cell walls, making them more susceptible to gentle separation forces while resistant to rupture, thus separating cells efficiently while maintaining their integrity and low digestibility
3Quantity of substance
If pulses are processed to enhance protein levels and eliminate gluten, then nutritional content is improved, but low-glycaemic properties are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing hydrothermal treatment before any mechanical processing to establish conditions that protect cell integrity. This pre-treatment creates a favourable environment for subsequent processing steps that can enhance protein availability and eliminate gluten while preserving the low-glycaemic properties through maintained cell structure
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
The process effectively produces a low glycaemic index powder with over 60% intact cells and less than 40% starch digestion at 90 minutes, maintaining the nutritional benefits of pulses and reducing postprandial glycaemia when used in food products.
Implementation Method 1
heating the material of (a) in aqueous medium to a temperature of 75 to 105° C.
Implementation Method 2
This effect was linked to a lower susceptibility to amylolysis during digestion. A number of factors may restrict the swelling and gelatinisation of the encapsulated starch.
Implementation Method 3
physically disrupting the material of (b)
Implementation Method 4
processing the physically disrupted material of (c) by sieving to obtain particles in the size range 20 μm to 4 mm
Implementation Method 5
drying the enriched material of (d)
Data Source
AI summary
A process is disclosed that includes providing a quantity of plant material, heating the plant material in aqueous medium to a temperature of 75 to 105° C., physically disrupting the resulting material, processing the physically disrupted material by sieving to obtain particles in the size range 20 μm to 4 mm and drying the sieved material.