The effect of mannitol on the flowability and the caking of the concentrates from the products of velvet antler deer farming

The effect of addition of mannitol on the flowability of biosubstances made from the products of velvet antler deer farming and the caking of such biosubstances during their storage was studied. The study was carried out at the department of "All-Russia Research Institute of Antler Reindeer Breeding" of Federal Altai Research Center of Agrobiotechnologies. As experimental biosubstances the concentrates from maral velvet antlers, tails and liver served. The choice was caused by high adhesion of particles of these concentrates and their high tendency to caking and formation of lumps at storage. Mannitol was used as an anti-caking agent - hexatomic alcohol relating to the group of sugars and containing in many plants. The dosage of the additive was 0.1-2.0 % of the concentrate weight. After adding mannitol into the mass of biosubstance its flowability by determining the rate of flow of 100 g of the concentrate sample through a funnel with an outlet opening of 10 mm in the diameter was assessed. In order to assess the tendency of the biosubstance to caking, the flowability was assessed monthly. As control the concentrates without addition of anti-caking additive served. Control and the prototypes of biosubstances were received by the same technology and taken from one party. It was established that the optimum amount of mannitol to be added to concentrates obtained from antlers had been 1.5 %. This dosage increases the flowability of the biosubstance by 1.85 times in comparison with the control sample and considerably decreases caking. In 6 months the powder flow rate through the funnel decreased by 2.16 times. As for the concentrates obtained from the tails, the dosage of 2 % mannitol showed the best results in terms of the flowability increase and caking decrease. Using mannitol in the dose from 0.1 to 2.0 % in the mix with the concentrate from liver neither increased its flowability nor decreased caking therefore biosubstance was caked within 24 hours.