ULTRASOUND MICRONIZATION OF FUCOIDAN VEGETABLE INGREDIENT FOR THE USE IN FOOD PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
The article considers the possibility of using the effects of ultrasound exposure to micronization of the fucoidan vegetable ingredient, obtained from algae of the Far Eastern ocean waters. Studying the effect of the micronization process of fucoidan sulfated heteropolysaccharide on the change in the dispersed state in solution and to accessibility for penetration into cellular systems became the aim of the work. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast cells were used as test systems. Volna device, model UZTA-0.4/22-OM (oscillation frequency (22 ± 1.65) kHz, maximum power 600W/l), an acoustic source of elastic oscillations, was used for micronisation. Fucoidan possesses a broad spectrum of biological activity, antioxidant and antiviral properties, etc. Fucoidan has a different molecular weight, depending on the method of extraction, as a rule, 100 ~ 1.000 kDa are known. Taking into account that fucoidan is a heteropolysaccharide of complex structure, the size of the powder particles upon its dissolution is on average (1.7 ± 1.3) μm, what determines its low bioavailability for active components that play an important role in biochemical processes. To solve this problem, there was used the method of ultrasonic micronisation of fucoidan food ingredient in the mode of 240 W/l during three minutes, which allowed for the fine dispersion of particles. As a result of the ultrasonic action, the particle sizes go over to the nanoscale level and fit into the following parameters fractionally from (376 ± 3.5) nm to (1826 ± 8.3) nm. The data obtained indicate that fucoidan food ingredients favour the flow of physiological processes, budding cells are observed in the visual field. The process of micronization of fucoidan ensures the accumulation in cell cultures of reserve substances, glycogen, and volutin. Micronized fucoidan food ingredient allows to form a characteristic for yogurt microflora in a sufficiently high amount, including <i>Streptococus salivarius ssp. Termophilus</i> (up to 5.4 × 10<sup>8</sup> CFU/g) and <i>Lactobacillus delbrueсkii ssp. Bulgariсus</i> (up to 4.4 × 10<sup>7</sup> CFU/g). Thus, ultrasonic micronization increases the efficiency of biotechnological processes in food production.