Researchers have come up with an innovative way to upcycle pineapple leaves for fat absorption, a world’s first.
Imagine swallowing a capsule or munching a cracker made from pineapple leaf fibers to lose weight at a fraction of the cost of currently available fat burners.
“Pineapple leaves are natural, biodegradable, and biocompatible. They are usually discarded after the fruits are harvested, hence they are very cheap and abundant,” says research team leader Duong Hai-Minh, associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering under the NUS College of Design and Engineering.
“In our recent work, we capitalized on the excellent mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fibers for fat absorption, a high-value application. Together with our earlier work of using pineapple leaves for production of highly absorbent aerogels, our goal is to help reduce agricultural waste and increase profits of farmers.”
This new approach for waste reduction could be used for other types of cellulose fibers, such as sugarcane bagasse and coffee grounds.
Fat plays important roles in human body such as storing energy, supporting cell growth, controlling blood pressure, and allowing fat-soluble vitamin absorbed. However, a high consumption of fatty foods can result in a high cholesterol level, which is related to serious diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and cancer.
“You will need less than one capsule of pineapple leaf fibers to absorb the saturated fats from eating one hamburger.”
It is estimated that 35.5% and 39.1% of Singapore residents aged 18 to 74 years old have high blood pressure and high cholesterol respectively. A healthy, low-fat diet as well as appropriate weight loss for obese individuals could help to lower the risk of such cardiovascular diseases.
The global market size of weight loss supplements was valued at $33.4 billion (US dollars) in 2020 and it is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 16.6% from 2021 to 2028.
Chitosan, chromium picolinate, conjugated linoleum acid (CLA), and green tea extract are common ingredients in dietary weight-loss supplements. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of such fat-trapping supplements. Most fat trappers or fat burners are also expensive—some regimens could cost several hundred dollars a month.
“Fat trappers—in the form of capsules or crackers—made using pineapple leaf fibers are significantly cheaper as the raw material is inexpensive and the production method developed by our team is very cost effective. Other cellulose-based fibers or powder can also be used for this purpose,” says research team member Phan Toan Thang, associate professor from the department of surgery under the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
“After ingestion, the capsule or cracker absorbs fatty compounds (such as animal fats) and form fat-coated fiber lumps. These fat-coated lumps will then be passed out from the digestive system in one to three days, similar to other foods we consume.”
In laboratory tests that simulate the acidic condition of the human digestive tract, the researchers found that one gram of pineapple leaf fibers can absorb 45.1 grams of cooked fats and 20.4 grams of human fats.
“Based on our test results, you will need less than one capsule of pineapple leaf fibers to absorb the saturated fats from eating one hamburger,” Duong says.
The NUS team has filed a patent for this application of pineapple leaf fibers and is looking for commercial partners to commercialize the technology.
Source: National University of Singapore
