INVESTIGATION OF THE TOXICITY AND RELATIVE NUTRIENT BIOAVAILABILITY OF LESPEDEZA BICOLOR AND PRODUCTS ON ITS BASIS
The creation of biotechnological products from raw materials of plant origin is increasingly attracting much research attention due to issues associated with environmental degradation and prevalence of processed foods and food additives (steroids, antibiotics, etc.) that can accumulate in the human body. The aim of this work was to study the safety and nutrient bioavailability of wild-type Lespedeza bicolor and food products obtained on its basis. The research objects consisted in the air-dried green mass of Lespedeza bicolor (young shoots and leaves) and its extracts, as well as a jelly produced from these extracts. As a result of experiments, the chemical composition of the air-dried green mass of Lespedeza bicolor and a change in the content of polyphenolic compounds in its extracts during storage have been determined. A suppressing effect of the aqueous ethanol extract of Lespedeza bicolor has been established, when the ratio between the raw material and the extractant equals 1:10. A growth-enhancing effect of the aqueous ethanol extract of Lespedeza bicolor is observed when the ratio between the raw material and the hydromodule equals 1:20. For the Tetrahymena periformis test culture, this effect was achieved at 1:30. The microbiological parameters and safety of products based on Lespedeza bicolor extracts have been determined. It has been established that the intensity of the Tetrahymena periformis development is directly dependent on the concentration of the Lespedeza bicolor extract in a product, with concentrations in the range 1:50 having little effect on the growth and development of living cells.