After studying the indicators of animals that have stayed in zero gravity conditions for some time, scientists concluded that the cosmonauts face a serious problem of losing of bone tissue and amyotrophy. This formed the basis of the development.
Now the problem is solved by adding dairy products to the diet and mandatory physical exercises as the daily routine in orbit. After the flight, the cosmonauts undergo rehabilitation in regions with a lot of sun to replenish vitamin D in the body. Thus, the main components of the additive should be calcium and vitamin D.
A few years ago, the specialists of the ISSCM SB RAS solved a similar problem for animal breeding: a chicken in a modern poultry farm quickly gains weight, and the ligaments and bones do not have time to get stronger. A mechanochemical technology was developed to produce an effective additive from rice peelings and tea production waste. The active ingredient of the medication is biologically active chelated forms of silicon dioxide. The additive successfully coped with the task of preserving the livestock. According to Aleksei Bychkov, the developer of the"seasoning", the birds' cartilaginous and bone tissue started to grow faster.
The technology and the components were improved for the "space" additive. As a result, there is rice peelings, green tea, and vitamin D in the composition. Now the complex is ready to be tested on rodents. Animals with bone tissue depletion and bone injuries will be test subjects.
The Department of Technology of Food Production Organization in NSTU NETI will address an equally important issue: how to integrate this healthful powder into the nutrition without changing the taste of food.
NSTU NETI scientists will have to disguise the additive and minimize the tart flavor of green tea. The work will start as soon as the tests on the rodents are finished.
"Several specialists, including Polina Reshetnikova, a grant-winning NSTU NETI student, take part in the project. We need to find out to what extent we can enrich the product with this additive. It is also important to understand process technology, at what stage of the food production to integrate the additive, whether the foods and their components will be safe or not. As a result, we plan to create food samples that will be of high biological value and will meet the stated requirements", commented Lada Rozhdestvenskaya, the head of Technology of Food Production Organization Department, NSTU.
When all the tests and experiments are over, it will be possible to start producing "smart" food and include it in the cosmonaut's menu.
NSTU NETI will adapt the "seasoning" for cosmonauts developed by scientists of the ISSCM SB RAS
19 March 2021
Powder from rice peelings and green tea with the addition of vitamins will make the menu of cosmonauts healthier. The scientists of the Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry SB RAS developed an additive for saving bone tissue in zero gravity.