Application of Nano Technology on Liquid Food Formula Containing Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Flour and Moringa oleifera Leaves Flour

Nanotechnology can manipulate the size of the particles into nanometers (1 – 1000 nm). Studies show that the benefits of nanotechnology in increasing the bioavailability of nutrients have been proven, but their effect on nutrient content has not been widely studied. This study aims to analyze the influence of nanotechnology on the nutritional and amino acid contents of liquid food formula containing catfish flour and Moringa leaves flour. The nanoparticles making process of catfish flour and Moringa leaves flour was carried out using the ball-milling method. Liquid food formula containing catfish flour and Moringa leaves flour is made by a combination of vacuum drying and dry mixing methods. Macronutrient content was obtained from the proximate analysis, mineral content was obtained from ICP-OES analysis, and amino acid content was obtained from UPLC analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using the ANOVA test to determine the difference in the nutritional content of nano liquid food formula and non-nano liquid food formula. The water, Fe, Zn, Se, and Cu content of non-nano liquid food formula was significantly higher than that of nano liquid food formula, whereas the carbohydrate content of nano liquid food formula was significantly higher (p < 0,05). Nano liquid food formula had significantly higher amino acid content of serine, glutamic acid, valine, alanine, lysine, aspartic acid, leucine, cysteine, methionine, and tryptophan, while the amino acid content of phenylalanine, arginine, glycine, tyrosine, threonine, and histidine was significantly higher in the non-nano liquid food formula (p < 0,05). The nanotechnology process gives different effects on the characteristics of nutrients, both in non-nano and nano instant liquid food containing catfish flour and Moringa leaves flour.