Distillery grain as a pharmaceutical source of biologically active compounds

Abstract

Even when using standard raw materials and typical processing technology, the composition of secondary raw materials can vary, which has caused the need to study the content of biologically active compounds in industrial samples of post-alcohol corn grain. These classes of compounds include amino acids, carbohydrates, and mineral elements. The aim of the study was to study the qualitative and quantitative composition of biologically active compounds in post-alcohol corn grain for its potential use as a pharmaceutical raw material. We used chemical (qualitative reactions, titrimetry), physicochemical (HPLC, spectrophotometry, spectrography, gravimetry) methods of analysis. In the liquid and solid phases of vinasse (after hydrolysis), the presence of amino acids was established by qualitative color reactions (with a biuret reagent, ninhydrin), spectrophotometry, HPLC. In comparison with standard samples of amino acids, the presence of 12 amino acids in vinasse was proved: Asp, Gly, Thr, Ser, His, Glu, Ala, Arg, Tyr, Val, Leu, Lys with a content in terms of dry residue in the liquid phase of 28-29% (HPLC and spectrophotometry methods) with a predominance of Gly (5.0%), Glu (4.3%), in the solid phase - 1.8%. According to the specific reaction of thermolysis of N methylated amino acids, the presence of betaines in the liquid phase of vinasse was established. HPLC in comparison with standard samples of carbohydrates in the liquid phase of vinasse identified: glucose and maltose with a quantitative content of 14.0% and 3.5% in terms of dry residue, respectively, which is 35 times higher the norm, limited by the production process regulations for the production of alcohol from starchy raw materials for the enterprise LLC "Suvorovsky" (no more than 0.5%). The content of mineral elements in vinasse (various types of ash: total, insoluble in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, sulfate) has been established, of which potassium and sodium prevail, which are obviously included in the additives used in alcohol technologies. Comparative evaluation of vinasse before and after the isolation of the indicated compounds according to the indicator "Chemical oxygen consumption", which is an indicator of the technogenic impact on the environment, showed a 3.9-fold as a result of which the stillage after processing can be considered a safe industrial wastewater.