CN111728131A

CN111728131A - Health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and preparation method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN111728131A
Application number: CN202010639610.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘庆
Original assignee: Beijing Yaoshi Congyuan Trading Co ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Yaoshi Congyuan Trading Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-06
Filing date: 2020-07-06
Publication date: 2020-10-02

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of health-care food, in particular to health-care food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver and a preparation method thereof. The food is mainly prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 40-60 parts of quinoa, 6-10 parts of blueberries, 8-15 parts of grapes, 5-8 parts of mung beans, 5-8 parts of dandelion, 5-8 parts of spinach and 3-5 parts of silybum marianum oil, and the composition can be used for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver to a certain extent.

Description

Health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and preparation method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of health-care food, in particular to health-care food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver and a preparation method thereof.

Background

Fatty liver (fatty liver) refers to a pathological condition of fat accumulation in liver cells caused by various reasons, and is a common pathological change of liver rather than an independent disease. Fatty liver disease seriously threatens the health of people in China, is the second most serious liver disease of viral hepatitis, has continuously increased incidence rate and is younger in attack age.

The nonalcoholic fatty liver refers to a clinical pathological syndrome which is mainly characterized by fat excessive deposition in liver cells caused by excrements and other definite liver damage factors, and acquired metabolic stress liver injury closely related to insulin resistance and genetic susceptibility. The health risks to humans from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease will continue to increase, and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease typically requires weight and diet control in combination with some drug treatment.

However, on the one hand, both traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine need to be metabolized by the liver, and the decomposition products are discharged out of the body, which may cause secondary burden or damage to the liver. On the other hand, some drugs are hepatotoxic by themselves. Therefore, it is very promising to develop a functional food having a protective effect on the liver.

In view of the above, the present invention is particularly proposed.

Disclosure of Invention

The first purpose of the present invention is to provide a health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can protect the metabolic disease liver to some extent.

The second purpose of the invention is to provide a preparation method of the health food for preventing and treating the non-alcoholic fatty liver, which is simple and convenient to operate.

In order to achieve the above purpose of the present invention, the following technical solutions are adopted:

a health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is mainly prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 40-60 parts of red quinoa, 6-10 parts of blueberries, 8-15 parts of grapes, 5-8 parts of mung beans, 5-8 parts of spinach, 5-8 parts of dandelion, 5-8 parts of spinach and 3-5 parts of silybum marianum oil.

The preparation method of the health food for preventing and treating the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease comprises the following steps: mixing the raw materials.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that:

the health food is rich in rutin which has a protective effect on the liver and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances, and plays an important role in preventing and treating metabolic diseases. Especially has better repairing function to fatty liver caused by high fat diet or metabolic diseases.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing immunohistochemical staining of mouse liver tissue in an experimental example of the present invention: a normal group; b, model group; group C examples.

Detailed Description

A health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is mainly prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 40-60 parts of quinoa, 6-10 parts of blueberries, 8-15 parts of grapes, 5-8 parts of mung beans, 5-8 parts of dandelion, 5-8 parts of spinach and 3-5 parts of silybum marianum oil.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), amaranthaceae Chenopodium dicotyledonous pseudocereals, annual herbaceous plants, broom-shaped plants with plant height of 0.6-3 m, panicle-shaped inflorescence, flower amphipathy and self-pollination. Chenopodium quinoa is the only single plant which can meet the basic nutritional requirements of human bodies and is confirmed by the international food and agriculture organization of the United nations, is formally recommended to be perfect 'full-nutrition food' most suitable for human beings and has the reputation of 'super grain'.

The red quinoa has the highest content of free phenol and free flavone, can reduce blood plasma and liver cholesterol after being ingested, and reduce obesity-related inflammation, and the red quinoa bran has higher rutin content. Rutin (vitamin P) is one of flavonoid compounds, and is a main bioactive component of red chenopodium quinoa. Rutin has antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor effects, and can protect liver. The red quinoa also contains flavonoid compounds such as betanin, quercetin and the like, and the compounds are proved to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The quinoa and its bran extract can increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Catalase (CAT) activity and glutathione level. In animal models, rutin enhances the antioxidant defense system and resists oxidative stress of the liver.

Blueberries, also known as blueberries, belong to the plant genus Vaccinium of the Ericaceae family, contain rich nutritional ingredients, and the fruits are round blue berries, fine and smooth in pulp, moderate in sweetness and sourness, and have the reputation of "the king of berries". The fruit contains sugar, acid, vitamins and mineral elements, and also contains abundant anthocyanin, SOD, ursolic acid and other special nutrient components which are rarely contained in other fruits.

Grapes belong to fruits of grapes in the family of the Vitaceae, are deciduous vines, have high nutritional value, and grape juice is known as 'plant milk' by scientists.

Mung beans, also called as planting beans, belong to the genus cowpea in the subfamily Clitoria in Leguminosae, are native areas in China, have a long planting history, are produced in most areas in China, have rich yield and excellent varieties, and are one of the traditional crops in China. The mung bean contains globulin and polysaccharide, and can promote cholesterol in vivo to decompose into cholic acid in liver, accelerate secretion of bile salt, and reduce cholesterol absorption by small intestine.

Herba Taraxaci (Taraxacum mongolicum) is perennial herb of Compositae, is sweet and neutral, and has no toxicity. The dandelion herb contains various nutrients such as dandelion sterol, choline, organic acid, inulin, vitamin C, vitamin D, carotene and the like, and also contains rich trace elements, wherein the most important thing is that the dandelion herb contains a large amount of minerals such as iron, calcium and the like required by a human body, and is a key medicine for entering the liver, entering the stomach, clearing heat and cooling blood.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) belongs to an annual herbaceous plant of the genus spinach of the family chenopodiaceae, also called persicaria, red root vegetables, parrot vegetables and the like, spinach is rich in a plurality of nutrients such as carotenoid, vitamin C, vitamin K, mineral substances (calcium, iron and the like), spinach belongs to a plant with homology of medicine and food, which is recorded in food therapy materia early, spinach can promote five internal organs, relieve gastrointestinal heat and relieve alcoholism, and is evaluated as one of ten major foods in the world beneficial to human bodies by American Times magazine. Researches show that a plurality of secondary metabolites in spinach, such as flavonoids, phenols, steroids and the like, have various biological activities; spinach contains a small amount of chemical components such as alkaloid, saponin, saccharide, etc. Related pharmacological research shows that the spinach extract has good effects in the aspects of oxidation resistance, tumor resistance, inflammation resistance, hyperlipidemia resistance, blood sugar reduction and the like.

Silybum marianum is a herbal medicine, has been used for thousands of years to protect the liver, and the Silybum marianum seed oil is obtained by pressing from Silybum marianum seeds which are used as both medicine and food, and contains the active ingredient of the parent Silybum marianum, namely silymarin flavonoid. The original ecological silybum marianum seed oil is one of the best seed oils recognized in the world, contains various unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, linolenic acid and the like, is rich in various vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin E, zinc and selenium, and is special healthy edible oil with health care effect. The silybum marianum oil also contains sterol components such as P-sitosterol, stigmasterol, etc., and has obvious effect of resisting hepatotoxicity and preventing liver diseases.

In some embodiments, the raw materials of the food may further comprise, in parts by weight:

42 parts of red quinoa, 10 parts of blueberry, 9 parts of grape, 6 parts of mung bean, 7 parts of dandelion, 8 parts of spinach and 4 parts of silybum marianum oil;

50 parts of red quinoa, 9 parts of blueberries, 13 parts of grapes, 7 parts of mung beans, 5 parts of dandelions, 7 parts of spinach and 3 parts of silybum marianum oil;

55 parts of red quinoa, 10 parts of blueberries, 12 parts of grapes, 5 parts of mung beans, 6 parts of dandelions, 6 parts of spinach and 5 parts of silybum marianum oil;

45 parts of red quinoa, 8 parts of blueberry, 8 parts of grape, 8 parts of mung bean, 8 parts of dandelion, 8 parts of spinach and 4 parts of silybum marianum oil;

48 parts of red quinoa, 8 parts of blueberry, 10 parts of grape, 7 parts of mung bean, 6 parts of dandelion, 8 parts of spinach and 5 parts of silybum marianum oil (within the range, the results are basically consistent).

In some embodiments, the food product is made from the following raw materials, by weight: 45-60 parts of quinoa, 7-9 parts of blueberries, 10-12 parts of grapes, 6-7 parts of mung beans, 6-7 parts of dandelion, 6-7 parts of spinach and 3-5 parts of silybum marianum oil.

46 parts of red quinoa, 8 parts of blueberry, 10 parts of grape, 6 parts of mung bean, 7 parts of dandelion, 6 parts of spinach and 4 parts of silybum marianum oil;

48 parts of red quinoa, 7 parts of blueberries, 12 parts of grapes, 7 parts of mung beans, 6 parts of dandelions, 7 parts of spinach and 5 parts of silybum marianum oil;

52 parts of red quinoa, 9 parts of blueberry, 11 parts of grape, 6.5 parts of mung bean, 6.5 parts of dandelion, 6 parts of spinach and 3 parts of silybum marianum oil;

60 parts of red quinoa, 9 parts of blueberry, 12 parts of grape, 7 parts of mung bean, 6.5 parts of dandelion, 6.5 parts of spinach, 5 parts of silybum marianum oil and the like (within the range, the results are basically consistent).

In some embodiments, the particle size of each raw material in the food product is less than 198 μm.

In some embodiments, the particle size of each raw material in the food product is less than 165 μm.

In some embodiments, the food product is in a dosage form selected from the group consisting of a powder, a capsule, a tablet, a granule, an oral liquid, a powder, and a teabag.

In some embodiments, the food product is in the form of a powder or tablet.

In some embodiments, the tablet comprises a biscuit, a lozenge, or the like.

In some embodiments, the food product further comprises adjuvants and/or additives.

In some embodiments, the auxiliary materials and/or additives account for 0.1-6% of the food by mass.

In some embodiments, the mass percent can also be 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 6%, etc. (results are substantially consistent within this range).

In some embodiments, the excipient comprises a dietary and/or pharmaceutical excipient.

In some embodiments, the additive comprises one or more of a diluent, a suspending agent, an antioxidant, an emulsifier, a disintegrant, an adhesive, and a preservative.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing the health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, comprising: pulverizing the above materials, and mixing.

In some embodiments, the food product includes adjuvants and/or additives, which are mixed with the raw materials.

In some embodiments, the mixed powder of the present invention can be made into food or health food, and based on the above components, can be made into capsule, tablet, granule, oral liquid, powder, tea bag, etc. directly or by adding proper edible or medicinal adjuvants. The edible or medicinal auxiliary materials which can be added comprise: diluent, suspending agent, antioxidant, emulsifier, disintegrant, adhesive and preservative.

The diluent comprises one or more of vegetable oil, polyethylene glycol 6000 with molecular weight of 200-.

The antioxidant comprises one or more of dibutyl hydroxy toluene (BHT), tert-butyl p-hydroxy anisol (BHA), propyl gallate, tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), malic acid, glutathione, D-xylose, glycine, alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocopheryl acetate, sodium sulfite, inositol, ascorbic acid, phytic acid, sodium ascorbate, lecithin, hydroquinone, xylitol, succinic acid, and tea polyphenols.

The suspending agent comprises one or more of Cera flava, xanthan gum, acacia, casein, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, carbomer, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, chitin, chitose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, ethyl cellulose, agar, hydroxyethyl methylcellulose, and hydroxypropyl cellulose.

The emulsifier comprises one or more of ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, glyceryl monostearate, hydroxylated lecithin, acetylated monoglyceride, trihydroxymethane, casein, ethylene glycol monostearate, diacetyl monoglyceride, acetic acid fatty glyceride, xylitol anhydride monooleate, and propylene glycol alginate.

The binder includes Methylcellulose (MC), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Cellulose Acetate Phthalate (CAP), povidone K30, Ethylcellulose (EC), microcrystalline cellulose (CC), acrylic resin, peach gum, maltitol, poloxamer; one or more of sodium alginate, liquid glucose, invert sugar and sucrose monolaurate.

The disintegrating agent comprises one or more of colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium aluminum silicate, magnesium stearate, pregelatinized starch and croscarmellose sodium.

The antiseptic comprises one or more of sorbic acid, sodium methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, benzoic acid, methyl sorbate, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, phenyl p-hydroxybenzoate, calcium butyl p-hydroxybenzoate, oleum Caryophylli, benzyl alcohol, and sodium propyl p-hydroxybenzoate.

The skilled in the art can select appropriate above adjuvants according to the required preparation form and the common technical common knowledge and requirements of the preparation form in the field, on the basis of the above components, the raw material powder or extract is directly or added with appropriate edible or medicinal adjuvants, and the preparation can be made according to the conventional preparation technology, and can be made into capsule, tablet, granule, oral liquid, powder, teabag, etc.

In some embodiments, the food product of the invention is consumed in an amount of from 75 to 150g per day, based on the weight of the starting material.

In some embodiments, the amount consumed may also be 80g, 90g, 100g, 110g, 120g, 140g, etc. (with substantially uniform results within this range).

The invention also relates to a method for preventing and treating the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which comprises the step of administering an effective dose of the health food to an individual.

In some embodiments, the subject is an animal.

In some embodiments, the subject is a primate.

In some embodiments, the individual is a human.

In some embodiments, the individual also has diabetes.

In some embodiments, the subject is an obese subject.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the following examples are only illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. The examples, in which specific conditions are not specified, were conducted under conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer. The reagents or instruments used are not indicated by the manufacturer, and are all conventional products commercially available.

Example 1

Weighing the following raw materials: 50g of red quinoa, 10g of blueberry, 11g of grape, 6g of mung bean, 7g of dandelion, 7g of spinach and 4g of silybum marianum oil, wherein the particle size of each raw material is less than 198 microns, and the raw materials are mixed.

Example 2

Weighing the following raw materials: 45g of red quinoa, 9g of blueberry, 10g of grape, 6g of mung bean, 6g of dandelion, 6g of spinach and 3g of silybum marianum oil, wherein the particle size of each raw material is less than 165 mu m, the raw materials are added into a granulating pot to be mixed, and tablets are obtained by tabletting through a tabletting machine.

Example 3

Weighing the following raw materials: 60g of red quinoa, 10g of blueberry, 12g of grape, 7g of mung bean, 7g of dandelion, 7g of spinach and 5g of silybum marianum oil, wherein the particle size of each raw material is less than 165 mu m, 5g of BHT and methylcellulose are added and mixed.

Example 4

Weighing the following raw materials: 50g of red quinoa, 8g of blueberry, 10g of grape, 7g of mung bean, 6g of dandelion, 7g of spinach and 4g of silybum marianum oil, wherein the particle size of each raw material is less than 165 mu m, the raw materials are added into a granulating pot to be mixed, and the solid beverage is obtained after encapsulation.

Example 5

Weighing the following raw materials: 55g of red quinoa, 9g of blueberry, 11g of grape, 6.5g of mung bean, 6.5g of dandelion, 6g of spinach and 4g of silybum marianum oil, wherein the particle size of each raw material is less than 165 mu m, and the raw materials are mixed.

Example 6

Weighing the following raw materials: 48g of red quinoa, 7g of blueberry, 10g of grape, 7g of mung bean, 6g of dandelion, 7g of spinach and 3g of silybum marianum oil, wherein the particle size of each raw material is less than 165 mu m, and the raw materials are mixed.

Comparative example 1

The mass of the quinoa and the blueberry in example 5 was changed to 24g and 44g, respectively, and the total mass of the health food remained unchanged, i.e., the remaining components were increased in equal amounts to ensure that the total mass remained unchanged, and the rest were the same as in example 5.

Comparative example 2

The quinoa component of example 5 was deleted, but the total mass of the healthy food was unchanged, i.e. the remaining components were increased in equal amounts to ensure that the total mass remained unchanged, all the rest being identical to example 5.

Comparative example 3

The food product prepared in the embodiment of patent application No. CN 109007814A.

Examples of the experiments

1. Preparation of animal models

Several c57/bl male mice were selected and fed with normal diet for 2 weeks, 17 mice were randomly selected as normal group (fed with normal diet), and the remaining mice were fed with high fat diet for 12 weeks.

2. Grouping and administration method

Mice meeting the standard of the obesity model are randomly grouped according to blood sugar and weight, and are divided into 17 model groups and 68 liver-protecting diet groups. The liver-protecting diet group was divided into 17 groups each of the example group, the comparative group 1, the comparative group 2 and the comparative group 3, and each group of mice was fed with 3 g/one of the foods prepared in example 5, comparative group 1, comparative group 2 and comparative group 3 of the present invention, respectively, every morning, and 3 g/one of the high fat diet for 6 weeks. Normal group was given 6 g/l/day of normal diet, and model group mice were given 6 g/l/day of high fat diet for 6 weeks.

3. Specimen collection and processing

After the mice die in anesthesia, the liver on both sides is taken, the surface blood is cleaned by 0.9% physiological saline solution, the residual solution on the surface of the liver is sucked by filter paper and then weighed, and part of the liver tissue is fixed in formalin solution for subsequent HE staining.

4. Measurement of AST and ALT in plasma

The AST and ALT plasma were measured according to the kit protocol. AST and ALT determination kit purchased from Nanjing institute of bioengineering.

5. Morphological observation of liver tissue

Taking liver tissue fixed by formalin solution, dehydrating by ethanol, carrying out xylene transparency, carrying out paraffin embedding, preparing paraffin sections, and observing under a microscope after HE staining.

6. Statistical method

Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (x ± s). And (3) performing normality test and homogeneity test of variance on the data by using SPSS20.0 software, wherein the two items are in accordance, and performing statistical calculation by adopting One-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA). P <0.05 as difference was statistically significant.

7. Results

7.1 liver weight changes in groups of mice

As can be seen from Table 1, the liver weight of the mice in the example group was significantly reduced (P <0.01) compared to the model group, while the effect of the control group was not significant; compared with the normal group, the liver weights of the mice in the example group were not significantly different, and the weights of the other groups were significantly higher than those in the normal group (the results are shown in table 1).

TABLE 1 mouse liver weight (x. + -. s; n ═ 17)

Note: compared with model group<0.05，**P<0.01; in comparison with the normal group,^△P＜0.05，^△△p is less than 0.01; the same applies below.

7.2 Activity measurement of ALT and AST in Each group of mice

TABLE 2 mouse plasma AST vitality values (x. + -.s; n ═ 17)

As can be seen from table 2, the AST activity in the plasma of the mice in the example group was significantly decreased (P <0.01) compared to the model group, while the comparative group had no significant effect, and in addition, the example group had no significant difference compared to the normal group, indicating that the examples have a repairing effect on liver damage caused by high fat diet.

TABLE 3 ALT vitality values in mouse plasma (x. + -.s; n ═ 17)

As can be seen from Table 3, the ALT activity in the plasma of the mice in the example group was significantly decreased (P <0.01) compared to the model group, which indicates that the health food of the present invention has a repairing effect on liver damage caused by high fat diet, while the control group has no such effect.

7.3 comparison of liver tissue morphology in groups of mice

The livers of the normal group, model group and example group mice were taken for HE staining and observed. The normal group of liver tissues has a typical lobular structure of the liver, with the hepatocytes arranged in order. The model group has diffuse degeneration of liver cells, obvious swelling of liver cells, and atrophy and compression of liver sinuses, and can show steatosis (nucleus is in the middle, and cytoplasm can see small fat drops). The degeneration of the liver cells of the group of the examples is obviously reduced, and the swelling of the liver cells is not obvious.

The comparison shows that the model group mice have certain liver injury, but the food of the invention can effectively prevent the liver injury caused by high fat diet, obviously improve the liver function and has obvious protective effect (the result is shown in figure 1)

In conclusion, the liver, as an important metabolic organ, plays an important role in the development of metabolic diseases. Liver-protecting diets play an important role in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases. On the basis of regulating the glycolipid metabolism of obesity and diabetes, the quinoa is rich in rutin, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant component, has a protective effect on the liver, does not contain cholesterol, has extremely low fat content, and has a good liver nourishing effect; natural active substances in the grapes, such as resveratrol, procyanidine, multivitamins and the like, can improve albumin, reduce transaminase and have obvious liver protection effect; the anthocyanin and other components in the blueberry have positive effects on protecting the liver. The components of the invention are mutually supported, the contents of the components are in a scientific and reasonable range, the effects of protecting and nourishing the liver are jointly exerted, and the invention has important application value and significance.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A health food for preventing and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by being mainly prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 40-60 parts of quinoa, 6-10 parts of blueberries, 8-15 parts of grapes, 5-8 parts of mung beans, 5-8 parts of dandelion, 5-8 parts of spinach and 3-5 parts of silybum marianum oil.

2. The food product according to claim 1, wherein the food product is made from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 45-60 parts of quinoa, 7-9 parts of blueberries, 10-12 parts of grapes, 6-7 parts of mung beans, 6-7 parts of dandelion, 6-7 parts of spinach and 3-5 parts of silybum marianum oil.

3. The food product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the particle size of each raw material in the food product is less than 198 μm, preferably less than 165 μm.

4. The food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food is in the form of powder, capsule, tablet, granule, oral liquid, powder, and teabag.

5. The food product of claim 4, wherein the food product is in the form of a powder or tablet.

6. The food product according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising adjuvants and/or additives.

7. The food according to claim 6, wherein the auxiliary materials and/or additives account for 0.1-6% by mass of the food.

8. The food product of claim 6, wherein the excipient comprises a dietary and/or pharmaceutical excipient.

9. The food product of claim 6, wherein the additives comprise one or more of diluents, suspending agents, antioxidants, emulsifiers, disintegrants, binders and preservatives.

10. The method for preparing a health food for the prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: pulverizing the above materials, and mixing.