Abstract
AbstractLeaf protein concentrates (LPC) were prepared from ryegrass (Lolium perenne), white clover (Trifolium repens), lucerne (Medicago sativa cv. Wairau), and from ryegrass/white clover dominant pasture, harvested after a range of regrowth intervals in spring, summer and autumn seasons. Protein quality was measured by rat growth (to give Relative Nutritive Value, RNV) and in‐vivo rat true digestibility. RNV for LPC prepared from all crops was about 50% of that for lactalbumin. Results were highest for lucerne and lowest for ryegrass and ryegrass/white clover. When LPC was supplemented with methionine, RNV improved to 80–90% of that for lactalbumin. Quality was highest and similar for white clover and lucerne and lowest and similar for ryegrass and ryegrass/white clover. The true digestibility of protein was highest for lucerne (82%) and lowest for ryegrass and ryegrass/white clover (70%). These variations may be related to the proportions of cytoplasmic and chloroplastic protein in the juice. There was no effect of season (autumn vs spring) or age of herbage at harvest (4, 6, or 8 weeks regrowth) on the quality of protein. Despite standardised procedures for harvesting, processing, and drying the LPC and for assessing protein quality, undefined factors caused variation in methionine‐supplemented protein quality.
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