一组研究人员南洋技术大学新加坡(NTU Singapore) andWaseda Universityhas trialed the use of soybean waste to reduce obesity in rats.
The researchers found that fermented soybean waste, or okara, has the potential to improve fat metabolism and mitigate the effects of diet-induced obesity, while also addressing issues of food waste.
Alongside the trial, the team successfully formulated okara into an eco-friendly 3D printable ink, which they say could pave the way for food 3D printing to improve food sustainability.
“Our findings suggest that fermented okara could help mitigate the harmful effects of a high-fat diet, and could potentially be integrated in the diets of obese patients who find it difficult to make immediate lifestyle changes,” said Dr Ken Lee, Senior Lecturer at the NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
Addressing obesity with okara
Okara是豆浆和豆腐生产的主要副产品，尽管在生产过程后保留了丰富的营养，但通常会被不足。研究人员每年都会产生大约1400万吨的Okara，因此，通过释放该食材未开发的营养物质，确定了一个解决食物浪费和肥胖问题的机会。
To enhance okara’s nutritional profile, the team fermented okara collected from a Singapore-based beancurd manufacturer using a typical process used to make fermented soybean food products such as miso, soy sauce and tempeh. The researchers added a mix of food-grade microbes, namely Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae, to okara and left it to ferment for four days.
在发酵过程之后，科学家发现Okara具有更多的蛋白质，较高的抗氧化特性和不溶性的饮食纤维。
“Using a process akin to what is used to produce miso and soy sauce, we fermented okara and fed it to mice on a high-fat diet,” said Lee. “Three weeks later, we found that these mice gained less weight as compared to mice on a high-fat diet but without fermented okara. The mice that were fed fermented okara also had less fat and lower cholesterol levels.”
Developing an okara-based 3D printable ink
与其他6公斤至10公斤之间的小组相比，每天喂食Okara发酵的小鼠的体重最少（3G）。第一组的内脏和皮下脂肪分别分别为30g和19g，而不是未喂食Okara发酵的组（分别为67G和53G）。
The mice on the fermented okara diet also saw a reduction in triglycerides due a significant dip in proteins involved in fatty acid synthesis. According to the researchers, their findings demonstrated okara’s potential to suppress diet-induced obesity.
Working with partners in Singapore, the team has successfully converted fermented okara into an eco-friendly 3D printing ink that could be used in food 3D printing to improve both food waste sustainability and the health of consumers. The teamannounced the development in January，采用基于新颖的直接墨水写作过程的方法，因为它不需要任何增厚剂。
研究人员目前正在与行业合作伙伴接触，以其基于Okara的3D打印墨水生产健康的小吃，并探索如何将Okara纳入其他食品。
WASEDA大学高级科学和工程学研究生院Shigenobu Shibata博士说：“曲霉的Oryzae和Aspergillus Sojae是典型的曲霉真菌和味o的曲霉真菌。”“与未发酵的Okara相比，发现发酵的Okara能够降低肥胖症并改善小鼠的异常脂质代谢。现在不仅在日本而且在世界上，豆腐和豆类被广泛接受为保健食品，有效使用是工业废物的Okara符合联合国可持续发展目标。
“我希望NTU和WASEDA大学都具有独特的力量，将继续促进以研究生和年轻研究人员为中心的联合研究。”
有关该研究的更多信息可以在标题为：“Solid-State Fermented Okara with Aspergillus spp. Improves Lipid Metabolism and High-Fat Diet Induced Obesity,”published in the Metabolites journal. The study is co-authored by N. Ichikawa, L. Shiuan Ng, S. Makino, L. Goh, Y. Lim, Ferdinandus, H. Sasaki, S. Shibata, and C. Lee.
通过3D打印重新利用大豆废物
NTU和WASEDA团队并不孤单地探索如何可以重新使用食物浪费for various applications, in line withcircular economy principles。In particular, waste from the soybean production process has proved suitable for a wide range of 3D printing applications in the past, including在建筑部门内。
大豆废物以前已被用于新的食用植物性凝胶材料that can be 3D printed to form meat-like foods by researchers at郑安格大学，例如，通过路易斯维尔大学to form 3D printable轻量级的天然纤维复合材料。
Researchers fromWashington State University甚至已经发展soy-infused 3D printed scaffoldscapable of fighting off cancer cells.
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Featured image shows大豆船体是大豆生产的副产品。Daina Krumins的图像。
