TEHRAN, YJC. A faculty member of Department of Agriculture of Shahre Kord University has made a machine that digests protein.
Ali Moharri, the inventor said "Proteins are complex organic compounds that exist in all body cells. There are close connections between proteins and reactions which lead to the life of the cell. For healthy nutrition it is necessary to know the amount of protein in every substance that is used as food.”
"Nitrogen is used as base in determining the protein amount in foods. The raw protein amount is calculated via the nitrogen that is turned into raw protein. To determine the protein constituent of the food a digestion unit is needed. We made designs for and developed the machine to digest protein,” Moharreri added.
He said "In digesting biological samples, minerals oxidize under heat and acid reactions where organics are left dissolved or deposited in the acid. In this machine sulfuric acid is used in 320o Celsius to digest, and perchloric and nitric acids are used in 180-200o Celsius to incinerate organic and biological substances.
Moharreri added that then calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, selenium, and zinc are determined.
"The machine is composed of four parts, one containing digestion cells, another controlling heat and electricality, another providing heat, and the last leading out gasses,” he said.
While there are similar machines abroad with prices from $4-25 thousand, the Iranian version is made with $800.