At the South Ural State University (SUSU), a program has been created that can select components in fractions of a second for the production of import-substituting food products intended for people with diabetes and other diseases. The new computer technology solves a crucial problem in the field of specialized nutrition.
Ilya Chanov, a postgraduate student at the Department of Food and Biotechnology at SUSU, explained that protein hydrolysates, which are mixtures of fragmented proteins, are obtained through fermentation — the breakdown of organic substances (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) under the action of microorganisms or their enzymes. The process allows the extraction of various bioactive peptides and free amino acids from milk proteins, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects on the human body.
The difficulty was that finding the right enzymes to break down each type of milk protein was a difficult and lengthy process. We, on the other hand, based on an already known huge data sample, created a more compact information base, developed a special search application that works offline in conjunction with the new database. The program instantly provides the necessary enzyme, and the scientist or manufacturer, without unnecessary time and experimental selection, can engage in fermentation.
Scientists believe that the new program will be useful not only for the production of import-substituting goods but also for scientific activities and the introduction of new technologies in the protein hydrolysate market, which has not yet been developed in Russia.
