Reological properties of products for enteral nutrition

Abstract

Background. Products for enteral nutrition are multicomponent heterogeneous systems. In order to ensure appropriate conditions for consumption, such food should be characterized by homogeneous liquid consistency of low viscosity, and by low level of foam while stirring. The main variable factor that affects the structural and mechanical properties of enteral mixtures is components of carbohydrate constituent. There is not enough scientific data about the rheological properties of such components. In this regard, the rheological properties of carbohydrates, which could be hypothetically practical in products for enteral feeding of people, were researched.
Встановлено, що найбільше значення показника кінематичної в’язкості встановлено в розчині сорбіту (2.403 · 10-6 м2/c), а найнижче – в розчині глюкози (2.166 · 10-6 м2/c). Значення динамічної в’язкості коливається в межах від 2.166 (Па∙с)∙10-3 (розчин глюкози) до 2.401 (Па∙с)∙10-3 (розчин сорбіту). Найвищим значенням показника поверхневого натягу серед досліджуваних зразків характеризується розчин цукрози, найнижчим – сорбіту.
Material and methods. Reological properties of raw materials (30-% solutions of glucose, fructose and sorbitol) and products in terms of density, kinematic and dynamic viscosity and surface tension have been studied by a universal computer equipment using cyber dynamometers and program software ‘Laboratory ITM’ by penetration method; density – by picnometric method.
Results. The research of 30-% solutions of glucose, fructose and sorbitol was done. It was found that the highest value of kinematic viscosity is in sorbitol solution (2.403 (m2/s) ∙ 10-6), and the lowest value is in glucose solution (2.166 (m2/s) ∙ 10-6). The value of dynamic viscosity ranges from 2.166 (Pa ∙ с) ∙ 10-3 (glucose solution) to 2.401 (Pa ∙ с) ∙ 10-3 (sorbitol solution). Sucrose solution has the highest value of the surface tension among the samples, while sorbitol solution is characterized by the lowest value.
Conclusion. The analysis of the obtained results allowed to take into consideration rheological properties of studied carbohydrates when developing products for special dietetic nutrition, i.e. enteral nutrition based on dry soluble basis "Reabilakt" and "Reabilakt-D." The paper presents the results of research of the developed products in terms of density, kinematic and dynamic viscosity and surface tension, which prove the practicability of using the developed mixtures of the given composition as enteral nutrition.