Protein Nutritive Value of Tower Rapeseed Concentrate in Blends with Cereal, Legume and Meat Proteins

Abstract

The protein nutritive value of Tower rapeseed concentrate was evaluated as the sole protein source and in blends with wheat flour, field pea flour and ground beef in a feeding trial with weanling male rats. The rapeseed concentrate supported higher feed intake, weight gain, feed:gain ratio and protein efficiency ratio (PER) than its blends (1:1 protein) with the field pea and wheat flours, but was poorer than its blend with ground beef. Per cent digestible protein was low (80%) for the rapeseed concentrate and digestibility was improved by blending with wheat flour and ground beef but not by field pea flour. Rapeseed concentrate and the rapeseed-ground beef blend were superior sources of protein for the growing rat. On the basis of amino acid analysis, the sulphur-containing amino acids were limiting for all diets except the rapeseed-wheat flour blend which was limiting in lysine. Chemical score gave a fair prediction of the protein nutritive value of the diets.