In vitro digestibility and Caco-2 cell bioavailability of sea lettuce (Ulva fenestrata) proteins extracted using pH-shift processing

TY - JOUR

T1 - In vitro digestibility and Caco-2 cell bioavailability of sea lettuce (Ulva fenestrata) proteins extracted using pH-shift processing

AU - P. Trigo, João

AU - Engström, Niklas

AU - Steinhagen, Sophie

AU - Pedersen, Louise Juul

AU - Harrysson, Hanna

AU - B. Toth, Gunilla

AU - Pavia, Henrik

AU - Scheers, Nathalie

AU - Undeland, Ingrid

PY - 2021/9/15

Y1 - 2021/9/15

N2 - Seaweed is a promising sustainable source of vegan protein as its farming does not require arable land, pesticides/insecticides, nor freshwater supply. However, to be explored as a novel protein source the content and nutritional quality of protein in seaweed need to be improved. We assessed the influence of pH-shift processing on protein degree of hydrolysis (%DH), protein/peptide size distribution, accessibility, and cell bioavailability of Ulva fenestrata proteins after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. pH-shift processing of Ulva, which concentrated its proteins 3.5-times, significantly improved the %DH from 27.7±2.6% to 35.7±2.1% and the amino acid accessibility from 56.9±4.1% to 72.7±0.6%. Due to the higher amino acid accessibility, the amount of most amino acids transported across the cell monolayers was higher in the protein extracts. Regarding bioavailability, both Ulva and protein extracts were as bioavailable as casein. The protein/peptide molecular size distribution after digestion did not disclose a clear association with bioavailability.

AB - Seaweed is a promising sustainable source of vegan protein as its farming does not require arable land, pesticides/insecticides, nor freshwater supply. However, to be explored as a novel protein source the content and nutritional quality of protein in seaweed need to be improved. We assessed the influence of pH-shift processing on protein degree of hydrolysis (%DH), protein/peptide size distribution, accessibility, and cell bioavailability of Ulva fenestrata proteins after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. pH-shift processing of Ulva, which concentrated its proteins 3.5-times, significantly improved the %DH from 27.7±2.6% to 35.7±2.1% and the amino acid accessibility from 56.9±4.1% to 72.7±0.6%. Due to the higher amino acid accessibility, the amount of most amino acids transported across the cell monolayers was higher in the protein extracts. Regarding bioavailability, both Ulva and protein extracts were as bioavailable as casein. The protein/peptide molecular size distribution after digestion did not disclose a clear association with bioavailability.

KW - Caco-2 cells

KW - Phenolic content

KW - Protein isolation

KW - Protein size distribution

KW - Seaweed

KW - Simulated gastrointestinal digestion

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103764942&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129683

DO - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129683

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33845254

SN - 0308-8146

VL - 356

JO - Food Chemistry

JF - Food Chemistry

M1 - 129683

ER -