Food Mixtures Research Articles

Ethnomycology Study: Mushrooms Traditionally Utilized by the Malay Tribe in Lorong Village, Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan

Mushrooms play a role in human life. People generally utilize mushrooms traditionally as food and medicine. This particular ethnomycology study aims to determine the species of mushrooms used by the Malay Tribe in Lorong Village, specifically as food and medicine, with the background that it is necessary to invent and document the mushrooms used by the community, and the lack of research related to ethnomycology has been conducted. The study was conducted in May 2022. Descriptive qualitative research was utilized using interview techniques based on snowball sampling and cruise methods to search the mushrooms. Interviews were conducted with ten critical informants aged 33 to 85 years old. The results show that the Malay Tribe in Lorong Village used seven mushroom species for consumption and as medicines. The seven mushrooms were from Marasmiaceae, Physalacriaceae, Schizophyllaceae, Auriculariaceae, Dacrymycetaceae, Sarcoscyphaceae, and Xylariaceae. Mushroom species used for food are Marasmiellus sp., Oudemansiella sp., Schizophyllum sp., Auricularia sp., Dacrymyces sp., and Cookeina sp., while the mushroom species used for medicine are Daldinia sp. Mushroom species utilized as food are generally made as food mixtures, such as soup, pepes, bubur pedas, stir-fry, and bakwan. Mushroom species that are utilized as medicines are used to treat boil.

Using three statistical methods to analyze the associations between a mixture of multi-nutrients and risk of mild cognitive impairment in an elderly population in Northern China

Few studies have considered nutrients as a mixture and their impact on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The generalized linear regression (GLM), weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models are fitted to estimate the association between intake of a mixture of nutrients and MCI. Comparing the results from these three models, vitamin E and vitamin B6 were identified as the most important factors associated with the risk of MCI. Considering the characteristics of BKMR, it may be more advantageous to use BKMR to estimate the combined the joint effects of nutrients mixture. In the future, studies need to move from a “one nutrient at a time” approach to simultaneous analyses of multiple nutrients intakes in order to understand and quantify the joint effect of nutrients mixture on health.

The Ability of Gastropods of Lake Baikal to the Feeding and Excretion of Microplastic Particles with Different Morphological Structures

Studies of the pollution of Lake Baikal with microplastic particles have been started quite recently. Almost all research is focused on the assessment of surface water pollution, while the impact of microplastics on Baikal organisms remains unexplored. We conducted a laboratory experiment involving three species of gastropod mollusks, the Palearctic Lymnaea stagnalis (L., 1758) and Radix auricularia (L., 1758), as well as the Baikal endemic Benedictia baicalensis (Gerstfeldt, 1859). Two types of microplastics were used in the experiment: fragments of polystyrene and polyester fibers, prepared independently in the laboratory. These plastic particles, along with the food mixture, were placed in aquariums with mollusks. In total, as a result of the experiment, 386 preparations with mollusk excrement were obtained, of which 144 preparations were for the Radix auricularia species, 176 for the Lymnaea stagnalis species, and 67 for the Benedictia baicalensis species, the experiment with the latter species was carried out only with microplastic fragments. All preparations were analyzed according to the degree of fluorescence. The data were statistically processed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The data obtained allowed us to conclude that gastropods of these species are able to absorb microplastic particles and remove them from the body. However, the rate of removal of microplastic particles from the body of a mollusk is species-specific, and also directly depends on the morphological structure of microplastic particles.

Optical Microscopy as a Tool for Assessing Parenteral Nutrition Solution Stability: A Proof of Concept

Background/Objectives: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is used when enteral feeding is not possible. It is a complex mixture of nutrients that must meet a patient’s needs but can face stability issues, such as lipid emulsion destabilisation and precipitate formation. Stability studies are complex, and the methodologies used are very varied in the literature. In addition, many studies are outdated and use outdated components. This study conducts a stability analysis of PN solutions using optical microscopy. Methods: Samples were prepared according to clinical practice standards and previous studies. We used a counting chamber for optical microscopic observations and different storage conditions (RT, 4 °C 1–14 days). Results: Precipitates larger than 5 µm were found in 8 out of 14 samples after 14 days of storage at room temperature, and none were observed in refrigerated samples. More lipid globules larger than 5 µm were detected in samples stored at room temperature than in those stored in a refrigerator after 14 days. Additionally, the number of large globules generally increased from day 1 to day 14 in most samples. Conclusions: The observed precipitates were probably calcium oxalate crystals, the formation of which is possible in PN but is not expected under the usual storage conditions in a hospital environment. Prolonged storage time and storage at room temperature increases the formation of these precipitates. These findings highlight the importance of using filters during both the preparation and administration of PN to prevent large particles from reaching patients.

Comparison of immune response in beagles fed propolis concentrate and propolis/wet food mixture

Comparison of immune response in beagles fed propolis concentrate and propolis/wet food mixture

Evaluation of Proximate Composition, Multielement, and Bioactive Phenolics Contents of Different Coix Seed Varieties using Multivariate Analysis Techniques

Coix lacryma-jobi L. is a plant that serves as a source of food, medicine, cosmetics, and forage in Asian countries. Due to the distinct geographic environments, Coix seed germplasm resources are extremely diverse. In this study, we evaluated the proximate composition, multi-elemental content by ICP-OES, and phenolic bioactives by UPLC-QTOF/MS of five varieties of Coix seeds from different Asian countries, including China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) were used to classify the different varieties of Coix seeds. The C. lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen seeds from Origin 1 (China) and Origin 2 (Thailand) contained high levels of energy, total fat, and calcium, while C. lacryma-jobi var. agrotis (Indonesia) and C. lacryma-jobi var. lacryma-jobi (Malaysia) had high levels of crude fiber and carbohydrates. Twenty-three phenolic compounds were identified. Protein, carbohydrate, crude fiber, magnesium, zinc, meliadanoside, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside were the dominant variables and contributed the most to data variability in PCA. The HCA results were consistent with the PCA, classifying the samples into three groups: those rich in nutrients, those rich in phenolics, and those with a mixture of nutrients and phenolics. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the nutritional and bioactive composition of Coix seed varieties, with potential applications in nutrition, food science, and pharmaceuticals.

Pig True Ileal Digestible Amino Acid Contents of Individual Ingredients are Additive in Mixed Meals and Allow Accurate Predictions of Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score Values

BackgroundAlthough not every food protein contributes sufficient quantities of all of the indispensable amino acids (AAs) required for human health, the human diet is a mixture of foods. It is therefore important to evaluate protein quality in mixed meals. ObjectivesThe hypothesis was that the true ileal digestible AA content of mixed meals can be predicted from the amounts of digestible AA determined for individual food ingredients, allowing further prediction of the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) for meals. MethodsFour diets contained either pea protein isolate (PPI), whey protein concentrate (WPC), or mixtures of PPI:WPC at a ratio of 25:75 (PP25) or 75:25 (PP75). Six ileal cannulated pigs were allocated to a 4 × 6 Latin Square design. Experimental diets at 10% protein and a protein-free diet were fed for 7 d with ileal digesta collection on days 6 and 7. True ileal digestibility (TID) of AA, amount of digestible AA, and DIAAS were calculated for each diet and predicted for the 2 mixed meals. ResultsPredicted and determined digestible AA contents of the mixed diets were not different. The predicted values fell within the confidence interval (95%) of the determined values. DIAAS for PPI was 61% and for WPC it was 96%. DIAAS calculated based on the predicted amounts of digestible AA for PP25 was 104% and for PP75 83%. These values were nearly identical to the determined values of 104% and 84% for PP25 and PP75, respectively. ConclusionsThe amount of digestible AA and DIAAS can be accurately predicted in mixtures of PP and WPC from the AA digestibility values for the individual ingredients.

Modeling the differential functional responses and selectivity of a marine copepod to nano/microplastics in mixture

Nano- and microplastics (NMPs) pollution is widespread in the oceans, posing potential risks to marine species. This study examined the accumulation capacity and selectivity potentials of NMPs by a marine copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris under different food mixtures by modeling the combined biokinetic and functional response. We investigated two sizes of NMPs (200 nm and 5 µm) across a concentration gradient (0 - 5000 µg/L) and varying diatom abundances (0, 104, 105 cells/mL). Fluorescence imaging and quantification revealed that P. crassirostris actively ingested NMPs at low concentration. Accumulation increased with NMPs concentration but eventually saturated due to gut capacity limits, following a Holling type II functional response (i.e., hyperbolic curve). Our novel functional response model estimated the key parameters and demonstrated that the maximum accumulation reached 5.3 % of dry weight with averaged half-saturation constants of 229 µg/L. The size of NMPs did not significantly affect the total accumulation or satiety levels. The presence of diatoms influenced the feeding selectivity and decreased the microplastic accumulation by 73 % at 105 cells/mL, while facilitating nanoplastic accumulation by 81 % at 104 cells/mL. This study enhanced our understanding of NMPs bioavailability and environmental fate in marine ecosystems.

Functional Food Mixture Extricates D-Galactose-Induced Skeletal Muscle Impairment in Rats.

Aging-related muscle atrophy/sarcopenia is the most common type of muscle impairment that affects the quality of life. In the current study, we examined the effect of a functional food mixture of amla, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger on D-galactose-induced muscle alterations in rats. Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control (C), D-galactose (G), and D-galactose + functional food mixture intervention (G + I). Rats in group-G and -G + I were injected with D-galactose (300 mg/kg/day) for 90 days. After 3 months of the experimental period, the rats were sacrificed to collect gastrocnemius muscle. Group-G rats showed elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNFα and NF-kB), atrogenes (atrogin-1 and MuRF1), decreased insulin/IGF1 signaling (decreased AKT phosphorylation), altered mitochondrial dynamics (increased fission and decreased fusion proteins), increased apoptotic mediators (Bax/Bcl-2, and caspase-3), and decreased muscle cell cross-sectional area when compared with group-C (p < 0.05). Interestingly, supplementation with the functional food mixture prevented galactose-induced alterations in the muscle. The observed anti-inflammatory, insulin-sensitizing, mitochondria-protective, and antiapoptotic effects of the functional food could be the underlying mechanisms in displaying positive effects against galactose-induced muscle atrophy and, hence, may be useful for the prevention of age-related muscle disorders.

UTILIZATION OF SOYBEAN POWDER AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIA FOR THE GROWTH OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA

Background:Culture media or microbial growth media is a material consisting of a mixture of nutrients used by microorganisms for growth and reproduction. Anaerobic bacteria can thrive by requiring little or no oxygen for growth and metabolism. Purpose: The purpose to determine the potential of soybean powder as an alternative nitrogen source in Streptococcus mutans bacterial growth media and determine the optimum concentration of soybean powder in alternative media for Streptococcus mutans bacterial growth. Methods: The research method is a laboratory experiment to test soybean powder as an alternative medium for the growth of Streptococcus mutans bacteria using the Candle jar method. The population used is soybean powder with the brand soy flour, while the sample used is Streptococcus mutans bacteria. Results: The results obtained can be known that the average value of colony growth of Streptococcus mutans bacteria in alternative media of soybean powder with a concentration variation of 2 grams was 30 colonies, a concentration variation of 3 grams was 54 colonies, a concentration variation of 4 grams was 40 colonies, and a concentration variation of 5 grams was 72 colonies. From the average value, it can be seen that the growth of Streptococcus mutans on alternative media of soybean powder can grow well, but the most optimum growth is in the concentration variation of 5 grams. Conclusion:Based on the observations obtained, it shows that soybean powder (Glycine max (L.) Merr) can be used as an alternative medium for the growth of Streptococcus mutans bacteria.

Climatic fluctuations alter the preference of stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini) towards food contaminated with acephate and glyphosate

The global decline of pollinators has become a major concern for the scientific community, policymakers, and the general public. Among the main drivers of diminishing bee populations is the widespread use of agrochemicals. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the foraging dynamics of bees at agrochemical-contaminated areas, it is essential to consider both environmental conditions and the specific foraging ecology of bee species. For the first time, we conducted a semi-field study to investigate whether stingless bees exhibit a preference for food contaminated with agrochemicals compared to non- contaminated food, under natural weather conditions. Colonies of Plebeia lucii Moure, 2004 were placed in a greenhouse and subjected to a preference test, where bees were given the freedom to choose between contaminated or non-contaminated food sources following a preliminary training period. Within the greenhouse, we placed feeders containing realistic concentrations of an insecticide (acephate: 2 mg a.i./L), a herbicide (glyphosate: 31.3 mg a.i./L), or a mixture of both, alongside non-contaminated food. Environmental variables (temperature, humidity, and light intensity) were monitored throughout the experiment. At higher temperatures, the foragers preferred food containing the mixture of both agrochemicals or uncontaminated food over the other treatments. At lower temperatures, by contrast, the bees preferred food laced with a single agrochemical (acephate or glyphosate) over uncontaminated food or the agrochemical mixture. Our findings indicate that agrochemical residues in nectar pose a significant threat to P. lucii colonies, as foragers do not actively avoid contaminated food, despite the detrimental effects of acephate and glyphosate on bees. Furthermore, we demonstrate that even minor, natural fluctuations in environmental conditions can alter the colony exposure risk. Despite the interplay between temperature and bees' preference for contaminated food, foragers consistently collected contaminated food containing both agrochemicals, whether isolated or in combination, throughout the whole experiment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Disaggregation Database (FDA-FDD): a new tool for U.S. dietary exposure assessment

Dietary exposure to a food chemical (e.g. contaminant, nutrient, or other natural constituent) is a function of the concentration of the chemical in foods and the quantity of each food consumed. Exposures to food chemicals can be estimated using intake data from What We Eat in America (WWEIA), the food consumption survey portion of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). To estimate exposures to chemicals in foods consumed by NHANES/WWEIA respondents, the consumption data must be mapped to chemical concentration data on the same or similar foods. However, food chemical data are generally not available on all the foods and food mixtures that are reported in NHANES/WWEIA. To address this, we developed the FDA Food Disaggregation Database (FDA-FDD), a ‘recipe’ database with estimates of ingredient percentages. FDA-FDD allows mapping to food chemical data based on ingredients in NHANES/WWEIA foods rather than on food mixtures, resulting in more accurate exposure estimates. Using FDA-FDD, FDA mapped over 11,000 NHANES/WWEIA foods to FDA’s Total Diet Study (TDS) foods. FDA-FDD is available as part of a publicly available interactive application that also allows access to the TDS mapping.

Cytotoxic effects induced by combined exposure to the mycotoxins sterigmatocystin, ochratoxin A and patulin on human tumour and healthy 3D spheroids

Humans are exposed to complex mixtures of mycotoxins through diet. Despite the serious threat they pose, mycotoxin risk assessment often overlooks co-exposure. With the aim of filling this gap, the present study investigates the combined cytotoxicity of sterigmatocystin (STE), ochratoxin A (OTA) and patulin (PAT) in human tumour Neuroblastoma and healthy Mesenchymal Stem Cells three-dimensional (3D) spheroids. The range of concentrations tested (1.56–50 μM for STE, 0.78–25 μM for OTA and 0.15–5 μM for PAT) was selected considering the IC50 values obtained in previous studies and the estimated dietary exposure of consumers. To ensure appropriate experimental conditions, assessments for single mycotoxins and their combinations were conducted simultaneously. The nature of the toxicological interactions among the mycotoxins was then defined using the isobologram analysis. Our results demonstrated increased cytotoxicity in mycotoxin mixtures compared to individual exposure, with abundance of synergistic interactions. These findings highlight that the co-occurrence of STE, OTA and PAT in food may increase their individual toxic effects and should not be underestimated. Moreover, the use of advanced culture models increased the reliability and physiological relevance of our results which can serve as a groundwork for formulating standardized regulatory approaches towards mycotoxin mixtures in food and feed.

Ecofriendly treatments to improve pomegranate trees production and tolerance to climate change

BackgroundPomegranate is capable of growing in different agro-climatic conditions ranging from tropical to sub-tropical. Where vegetative growth, nutritional and physiological status of pomegranate plants oscillate at high temperatures waves in the summer season. While we can overcome the cracking and sunburn of fruits, which are the main problems confronting pomegranate cultivars due to their significant impact on the quality of fruits.MethodsThe present research was conducted over the course of two consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022. The study focused on ten-year-old trees that were cultivated in sandy soil inside a private orchard situated 70 km away from Cairo on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road in Egypt (30o13′31.4″N30o39′09″E). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of foliar spraying of Wonderful pomegranate trees with some nutrients (B, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ca and Cu), amino acids and irradiated licorice on vegetative growth, fruit physical, quality and chemical and leaf chemical parameters. A randomized full-block design with three duplicates was employed in the study. Using the recently computed least significant difference values at the 5% level, averages were compared.ResultsThe results indicated that foliar spraying with nutrients, amino acids and licorice extract (irradiated or not) alone or in combination significantly increased the vegetative growth and leaf total chlorophyll content compared to the control. Also, they significantly increased fruit length, diameter, weight, and number/tree and thus yield. As compared to the control, all treatments significantly reduced the number of sunburned and cracked fruits leading to decrease the percentage of un-marketable fruits. The juice content of anthocyanin, total sugars and total soluble solids increased significantly in response to all treatments compared to the control while the acidity% greatly reduced. When these treatments were used instead of the control, the content of N, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the leaves was also positively increased.ConclusionsIn conclusion, foliar spraying of “Wonderful” pomegranate trees with a mixture of nutrients (B, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ca, Cu) and amino acids or irradiated licorice extract can be considered as a suitable management of the problem of sunburned or cracked fruits while improving the physical and chemical fruit quality with increased productivity.

Development and application of a nutritional quality model for life cycle assessment of protein-rich foods

Alternative protein sources (APSs) have emerged as a potentially healthy and, presumably, environmentally sustainable solution for meeting future food demand. Here we develop a new complex nutrient profile model to assess the nutritional quality of protein-rich foods, which, concurrently, allows to evaluate their environmental implications efficiently through the application of life cycle assessment (LCA). The development of the index was guided by the identification of priority nutrients in APSs and main deficiencies of similar models, which gave rise to the ‘quality Nutrient Rich Food 1.10.2’ (qNRF1.10.2). This model is the first nutrient profile system that combines various essential nutrients and a protein quality scoring system, namely Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS). From a nutritional perspective, its accuracy was proven and its application identified animal products as the most nutritionally complete food group, surpassing plant-based alternatives. However, when using the index as functional unit in LCA of protein-rich foods, we discovered that seeds, nuts, and mixtures of vegetable foods reported the lowest environmental impacts as a function of their nutrient density. Some exceptions were found for algae or insects, which performed worse than animal-derived foods in terms of resources consumption, or for cereals, which shown an important water deprivation potential. These results suggest that we should find a trade-off between the production of emerging and conventional foodstuffs, and that main environmental issues of each region should condition the location of production systems.

Elemental Profiling for the Detection of Food Mixtures: A Proof of Principle Study on the Detection of Mixed Walnut Origins Using Measured and Calculated Data.

Element profiling is a powerful tool for detecting fraud related to claims of geographical origin. However, these methods must be continuously developed, as mixtures of different origins in particular offer great potential for adulteration. This study is a proof of principle to determine whether elemental profiling is suitable for detecting mixtures of the same food but from different origins and whether calculated data from walnut mixtures could help to reduce the measurement burden. The calculated data used in this study were generated based on measurements of authentic, unadulterated samples. Five different classification models and three regression models were applied in five different evaluation approaches to detect adulteration or even distinguish between adulteration levels (10% to 90%). To validate the method, 270 mixtures of walnuts from different origins were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Depending on the evaluation approach, different characteristics were observed in mixtures when comparing the calculated and measured data. Based on the measured data, it was possible to detect admixtures with an accuracy of 100%, even at low levels of adulteration (20%), depending on the country. However, calculated data can only contribute to the detection of adulterated walnut samples in exceptional cases.

Examining nutrition strategies to influence DNA methylation and epigenetic clocks: a systematic review of clinical trials.

Nutrition has powerful impacts on our health and longevity. One of the mechanisms by which nutrition might influence our health is by inducing epigenetic modifications, modulating the molecular mechanisms that regulate aging. Observational studies have provided evidence of a relationship between nutrition and differences in DNA methylation. However, these studies are limited in that they might not provide an accurate control of the interactions between different nutrients, or between nutrition and other lifestyle behaviors. Here we systematically reviewed clinical studies examining the impact of nutrition strategies on DNA methylation. We examined clinical studies in community-dwelling adults testing the effects of nutrition interventions on i) global DNA methylation and its proxies, and ii) epigenetic clocks. We included 21 intervention studies that focused on the effects of healthy nutrition patterns, specific foods or nutrients, as well as the effect of multivitamin or multimineral supplements. In four studies on the methylation effects of healthy dietary patterns, as defined by being rich in vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, and nuts and reduced in the intake of added sugars, saturated fat, and alcohol, two of them suggested that a healthy diet, is associated with lower epigenetic age acceleration, one of them reported increases in global DNA methylation, while another one found no diet effects. Studies examining epigenetic effects of specific foods, nutrients, or mixtures of nutrients were scarce. For both folic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the available independent studies produced conflicting findings. Although more evidence is still needed to draw firm conclusions, results begin to suggest that healthy dietary patterns have positive effects on DNA methylation. Additional evidence from large randomized-controlled clinical trials is needed to support the effects of healthy nutrition on the DNA methylome.

SOSIALISASI DAN EDUKASI PEMBUATAN MINUMAN SERBUK INSTAN JAHE MERAH UNTUK KESEHATAN DI SMK NEGERI 1 PATUMBAK

Red Ginger (Zingiber Officinale var Rubrum) is one of the plants of the Zingiberaceae tribe which plays a role in its use as a drink or food mixture. The metabolite content of red ginger is useful for herbal drinks, cooking ingredients and herbal medicines. Red ginger can also be used to treat various diseases such as flu, relieve nausea in pregnant women, rheumatism, aches, sore throat disorders, colds. In using red ginger as a drink, the aspect that is an obstacle to the use of this rhizome is that it takes quite a long time to make the drink so there is a tendency for people to be lazy about making it. Instant ginger drink can be enjoyed at any time and is practical to make. Instant red ginger is in the form of a drink combined with sugar through a manufacturing process that is quite easy and practical to implement.

Effects of a Functional Food Made with Salvia hispanica L. (Chia Seed), Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. (Amaranth), and an Ethanolic Extract of Curcuma longa L. (Curcumin) in a Rat Model of Childhood Obesity.

Obesity is a global health problem and is increasing in prevalence in most countries. Although obesity affects all age groups, children are the most vulnerable sector. Functional foods are novel formulated foods containing substances (i.e., nutrients, phytochemicals, probiotics, etc.) that have potential health-enhancing or disease-preventing value. The research objective was to study the possible beneficial effects of providing a functional food made with amaranth flour, chia seed, and curcumin extract on the metabolism and behavior of a rat model of childhood obesity. Male Wistar rat pups from two litters of different sizes, a normal litter (NL) (10 pups) and a small litter (SL) (4 pups), were used. After weaning, the rats were fed a hypercaloric diet (HD) or an HD supplemented with the functional food mixture. Body weight and energy intake were measured for seven weeks, and locomotor activity, learning, and memory tests were also performed. At the end of the experiment, glucose and lipid metabolism parameters were determined. The results showed that in this model of obesity produced by early overfeeding and the consumption of a hypercaloric diet, anxiety-like behaviors and metabolic alterations occurred in the rat offspring; however, the provision of the functional food failed to reduce or prevent these alterations, and an exacerbation was even observed in some metabolic indicators. Interestingly, in the NL rats, the provision of the functional food produced some of the expected improvements in health, such as significant decreases in body weight gain and liver cholesterol and non-significant decreases in adipose tissue and leptin and insulin serum levels.

VIBRATORY CONVEYOR FOR LOADING FOOD MIXTURE MIXER

The uniform supply of components to the mixing chamber is one of the main keys to the high-quality performance of this technological process. Currently, there is a lack of reliable feeders for mixers of food mixtures, especially of low productivity. This led to conducting analytical studies that make it possible to develop an effective design of the feeder, to determine the rational parameters of its work. As the analysis of the existing designs of feeders for loose materials showed, the problem of providing dosed supply of seeds or other particles in small volumes to the working chamber of the mixer can be solved by using oscillating conveyors, in which the transportation process is carried out due to high-frequency oscillations with a small amplitude. Depending on the operating modes, the material can move in the oscillating conveyor without detachment from the working surface (inertial conveyors) or with detachment (vibratory conveyors). Studies have shown that the most effective in terms of ensuring a stable material supply is the detachable mode of operation of bulk material feeders (vibratory type of feeders). In addition, this mode of operation helps to create a fluidized bed of material, which also increases the reliability of the feeders. The analysis of the movement of the seed along the oscillating plane made it possible to determine the influence of the main factors on the rational parameters that ensure a reliable dosed supply of the seed mass to the mixer of low productivity. The use of the proposed vibrating feeder scheme allows for the required performance, but significantly complicates the design of the food mixer. The conducted analytical and experimental studies made it possible to propose rational constructive and technological parameters of the feeder for the mixer of food mixtures of low productivity. It should be noted that when determining the nature of the movement of the seed mass along the oscillating plane, it is necessary to take into account the effect of the fluidized bed, which is the subject of additional research.