Infant malnutrition remains a major health problem in West Africa, particularly among children aged 6 months, the crucial period for dietary diversification. Faced with the predominance of imported industrial flours, which are often expensive, local populations are turning to traditional flours. To improve the nutritional quality of these flours, food fortification, recommended by bodies such as the FAO and the WFP, is commonly used. In this study, the mixture design method was used to formulate an affordable complementary flour, enriched in iron, zinc and vitamin C, from under-exploited local plant resources such as Anacardium occidentale kernel fragments and Parkia biglobosa pulp. An augmented centred mixing design with constraints was used to formulate, model and optimise the iron, zinc and vitamin C content of the infant supplement flour. Modelling of the iron content revealed a synergistically interacting cubic model with a desirability of 0.97, and an average iron content of 14.13 mg/100 g. Zinc content was estimated at 5.78 mg/100 g and modelled by a significant quadratic model. The vitamin C content was better represented by a linear model with a synergistic interaction, with a desirability of 0.97 and an average content of 117.6 mg/100 g, well above the standard of 30 mg/100 g. In conclusion, the optimisation has maximised the iron, zinc and vitamin C content of the formulation, offering an improved nutritional solution for combating infant malnutrition.
Nowadays, a small household juicer is an important and useful tool in the kitchen. Therefore, increasing its lifespan and improving its performance are crucial. A 3-D modeling of the small household fruits and vegetables juicer by using Creo 7.0 software was created in the current study. The screw, knife net and transmission shaft of a juicer were analyzed by using ANSYS 23 R1. The analysis yielded a maximum von Mises stress of 7.9343 MPa on the transmission shaft and 5.6102 MPa on the juicer screw. These findings indicate that the design effectively meets the required specifications, ensuring both functionality and durability. The validation process was developed by comparing the maximum stress values obtained from the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with the theoretical stress values calculated manually to confirm the accuracy and reliability of the simulation model. In this paper, a child-lock mechanism was added to the juicer structure to enhance safety for children. The structure ensures that the machine will stop automatically if the upper cover is opened. This innovation adds significant value to the juicer, helping it stand out in a competitive market.
This work presents the preparation of a bioadsorbent from the shells of Hyphaene Thebaica. The shells were first characterized. Analyses such as bulk density, pH at zero charge point, specific surface area (BET), thermogravimetric analysis (ATG/ATD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (IR) were determined. The results obtained showed that the zero charge point pH equals 6, the specific surface area value obtained by the BET method is 235 m2/g and the pore diameter is 2.132 nm. Next, tests were carried out to determine the adsorption capacities of diiodine and methylene blue. The results obtained showed a methylene blue index of 11.56 mg.g-1 and an iodine index equal to 456.84 mg.g-1. The adsorption mechanisms studied revealed that pseudo-second-order kinetics was the model that best fitted the experimental data. Finally, the effects of adsorbent mass, stirring speed and concentration were investigated using a Box-Behnken design. Optimal factors were obtained for a concentration of 100 mg/L, a mass of 0.200 g, an adsorption capacity of 5.073 mg/g, agitation of 400 rpm and a removal rate of 97.605 % with a desirability of 0.923.
