MEASUREMENT OF LEVEL OF BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS IN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Abstract

The goal of this project was to develop a laboratory experience suitable for college students using nutritional supplements. An active ingredient in protein based nutritional supplements are the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) which have been linked to a quicker recovery for muscle. BCAA consist of three amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and dehydrogenase. These supplements are usually made from whey protein in milk. The objective in this study was to measure the level of BCAAs in a variety of supplements and milks using the leucine dehydrogenase enzyme assay. Supplements were prepared and were first hydrolyzed to release the amino acids. BCAAs were measured using the leucine dehydrogenase enzyme assay and arginine was measured with a colorimetric test. In order to validate the method, the complete hydrolysis of protein was demonstrated using SDS‐PAGE as well as the Lowry assay. Proteins of known amino acid composition were hydrolyzed and the levels of BCAA and arginine were measured and compared to the predicted values based on the sequence of the protein.