Evaluation Of Protein Quality Research Articles

Digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS): 10 years on

The objective of the review is to revisit the findings of the 2011 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Expert Consultation on Dietary Protein Quality Evaluation in Human Nutrition, and to report on progress on uptake of the findings. It is evident that since 2011 there has been a concerted research effort to enhance an understanding of the protein quality of foods. The validity of the growing pig ileal protein digestibility assay has been confirmed and numerous studies reported using the growing pig as a model to give true ileal amino acid digestibility values for foods as consumed by humans. This has allowed for the determination of digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) for a range of foods. A new non-invasive true ileal amino acid digestibility assay in humans which can be applied in different physiological states, called the dual-isotope assay, has been developed and applied to determine the DIAAS values of foods. It is concluded that DIAAS is currently the most accurate score for routinely assessing the protein quality rating of single source proteins. In the future, the accuracy of DIAAS can be enhanced by improved information on: the ideal dietary amino acid balance including the ideal dispensable to indispensable amino acid ratio; dietary indispensable amino acid requirements; effects of processing on ileal amino acid digestibility and lysine bioavailability. There is a need to develop rapid, inexpensive in vitro digestibility assays. Conceptual issues relating DIAAS to food regulatory claims, and to holistic indices of food nutritional and health status are discussed. The first recommendation of the 2011 Consultation regarding treating each indispensable amino acid as an individual nutrient has received little attention. Consideration should be given to providing food label information on the digestible contents of specific indispensable amino acids.

Evaluation of protein quality of wheat-rye flour blends by use of two small-scale analytical methods

Evaluation of protein quality of wheat-rye flour blends by use of two small-scale analytical methods

Simulated Digestion of Red Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus tremulus): A Study of Protein Quality and Antioxidant Activity

Sea cucumbers from unharvested areas, are underutilized resources which may have the potential to become a future food resource. The aim of this study was to evaluate protein quality and investigate the changes in antioxidant activity from frozen and freeze-dried red sea cucumber (Parastichopus tremulus) subjected to digestion, using an in vitro digestion model. P. tremulus constituted high moisture content (90%), comparable protein (4%) and ash (4%) content, and low lipid (1%) content. The biochemical components in freeze-dried samples were largely retained during the freeze-drying process. Frozen samples showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity compared to freeze-dried samples (calculated on a dry weight basis). The quantity of essential amino acids was high (31%) and corresponds to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reference protein. Frozen samples showed an increase in antioxidant activity during digestion measured by three different antioxidant assays. Freeze-dried samples only showed an increase in one of the antioxidant assays. Correlations (p < 0.05) were found between specific free amino acids and antioxidant activity. The amount of free amino acids exceeded the threshold to taste bitter, umami, sour, and sweet flavors. This study showed that P. tremulus constitutes good protein quality, performed antioxidant activity, and has the potential to be used as a flavor-enhancing ingredient.

Current advances for in vitro protein digestibility.

Protein is an essential macronutrient in our diet, source of nitrogen and essential amino acids, but the biological utilization of dietary protein depends on its digestibility and the absorption of amino acids and peptides in the gastrointestinal tract. The methods to define the amount and the quality of protein to meet human nutritional needs, such as the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), require the use of animal models or human studies. These in vivo methods are the reference in protein quality evaluation, but they are expensive and long-lasting procedures with significant ethical restrictions. Therefore, the development of rapid, reproducible and in vitro digestion methods validated with in vivo data is an old demand. This review describes the challenges of the in vitro digestion methods in the evaluation of the protein nutritional quality. In addition to the technical difficulties to simulate the complex and adaptable processes of digestion and absorption, these methods are affected by similar limitations as the in vivo procedures, i.e., analytical techniques to accurately determine bioavailable amino acids and the contribution of the endogenous nitrogen. The in vitro methods used for the evaluation of protein digestibility, with special attention on those showing comparative data, are revised, emphasizing their pros and cons. The internationally harmonized digestion protocol proposed by the INFOGEST network is being adapted to evaluate protein and amino acid digestibility. The inter-laboratory reproducibility of this protocol was demonstrated for dairy products. The in vivo/in vitro comparability results obtained to date with this protocol for several plant and animal sources are promising, but it requires an extensive validation with a wider range of foods and substrates with known in vivo digestibility. These in vitro methods will probably not be applicable to all foods, and therefore, it is important to identify their limitations, not to elude their use, but to apply them within the limits, by using the appropriate standards and references, and always as a complementary tool to in vivo tests to reduce their number.

A Short Dietary Assessment Instrument to Evaluate Protein Quality and the Diversity of Protein Sources in Malaysian Diets.

The diversity of protein food sources, animal and plant, may be a proxy measure of protein quality and adequate protein nutrition. A population-based sample of 1604 Malaysians aged ≥18 y completed one 24-h dietary recall and a new 29-item protein diversity indicator (PDI). Socio-demographic data were obtained by self-report. Mean total protein intakes were 75.2 g/d from 24-h recalls and 74.9 g/d from PDI. Protein diversity indicator-estimated protein intakes were 36.2% from meat and poultry, 8.8% from fish, 16.0% from eggs and dairy, and 39.0% from plants. Intakes of animal proteins varied with socioeconomic status and ethnicity and were associated with higher protein quality, defined as the adequacy of essential amino acids (EAAs) relative to protein requirements. Protein intakes and protein quality in Malaysia were generally adequate. Protein diversity indicator metrics can complement current methods of dietary assessment and may be useful for monitoring protein diversity and quality in other countries currently undergoing nutrition transition.

Context and Perspectives for Establishing a Novel Database for Protein Quality of Human Foods, as Proposed by a Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/International Atomic Energy Agency Expert Technical Meeting in October 2022

United Nations agencies have a long history of leading work on establishing global human nutrient requirements. Dietary protein contributes to metabolism and homeostasis and plays an essential role in human health for growth, maintenance, reproduction, and immune function (or immunity). Accurately defining the quantity and quality of protein provided by foods and diets required to meet human nutritional needs is essential to achieving global environmental and nutrition goals. There have been many scientific developments related to protein quality over the past decades, with the preferred method being the scoring approach that relates the capacity of protein sources to provide an adequate amount and proportion of nitrogen and indispensable amino acids (IAAs) in a bioavailable form (often referred to as digestibility). Questions surrounding the scoring approach and IAA metabolic availability have been discussed during past and recent expert consultations. Recently, an Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/International Atomic Energy Agency technical meeting, held in Vienna, 10–13 October, 2022, reviewed and updated evidence and related methods on protein requirements and protein quality assessment and designed a framework for the development of a Protein Digestibility Database to aid dialog on the evaluation of protein quality and protein sufficiency in different populations. The database should be a living document and align with national food compositional databases.

Compositional and nutritional evaluation of viscera from commercially harvested wild-caught Australian abalones (Haliotis spp.)

Discarded abalone viscera accounts for 25–42 % weight of total abalone waste and represents a cost-burden to producers. Previous research has identified these discarded abalone viscera as having the potential for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and therapeutical outcomes, which have not been investigated in Australian varieties. Thus, comprehensive nutritional evaluation was conducted on the viscera of four commercially harvested wild-caught abalone in Australia; roe's abalone (Haliotis roei), greenlip abalone (Haliotis laevigata), brownlip abalone (Haliotis rubra conicopora), and blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra rubra) collected from various locations and processors. Proximate composition, amino acid, fatty acid and protein and fat algorithmic quality evaluation were investigated. Protein and fat quality evaluation demonstrated the opportunity for utilizing abalone viscera to potentially improve the health status of aging populations, as well as exercise performance. Such evaluations included high essential amino acid index (EAAI) (81–85), predicted biological value (p-BV) (77–81) and predicted protein efficiency ratio (p-PER) (2.44–2.48). Samples were shown to have a unique docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and arachidonic acid (ARA)-dominated polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile leading to a favorable index of atherogenicity (IA), index of thrombogenicity (IT), health-promoting index (HPI), and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (HH) values (0.95–1.36, 0.42–0.76, 0.74–1.05, 1.02–1.56). Challenges to valorisation in maintaining product consistency were identified with the noted variation in proximate composition (moisture: 72.96–79.97 %, protein: 55.82–68.04 % carbohydrates: 9.96–28.82 %, ash: 10.02–16.75 %, fat: 3.12–13.37 %). Multi-categorical regression identified external factors predominantly determine compositional results. The exception was amino acids characterization which remained consistent within and between species. This study provided an arching overview of the opportunities and challenges in utilizing abalone processing waste, as well as identifying future research directions in commercialization of viscera products. Such directions may include simultaneous hydrolytic recovery of macronutrients.

An Overview of Importance and Nutritional Evaluation of Food Protein Quality

An Overview of Importance and Nutritional Evaluation of Food Protein Quality

Protein Quality and Biochemical Evaluation of Unripe Banana Based Complementary Food Fortified with Crab Meat in Rats

Protein Quality and Biochemical Evaluation of Unripe Banana Based Complementary Food Fortified with Crab Meat in Rats

Perspective: Developing a Nutrient-Based Framework for Protein Quality

The future of precision nutrition requires treating amino acids as essential nutrients. Currently, recognition of essential amino acid requirements is embedded within a generalized measure of protein quality known as the PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score). Calculating the PDCAAS includes the FAO/WHO/UNU amino acid score, which is based on the limiting amino acid in a food, that is, the single amino acid with the lowest concentration compared to the reference standard. That “limiting” amino acid score is then multiplied by a bioavailability factor to obtain the PDCAAS, which ranks proteins from 0.0 (poor quality) to 1.0 (high quality). However, the PDCAAS has multiple limitations: it only allows for direct protein quality comparison between 2 proteins, and it is not scalable, transparent, or additive. We therefore propose that shifting the protein quality evaluation paradigm from the current generalized perspective to a precision nutrition focus treating amino acids as unique, metabolically active nutrients will be valuable for multiple areas of science and public health. We report the development and validation of the Essential Amino Acid 9 (EAA-9) score, an innovative, nutrient-based protein quality scoring framework. EAA-9 scores can be used to ensure that dietary recommendations for each essential amino acid are met. The EAA-9 scoring framework also offers the advantages of being additive and, perhaps most importantly, allows for personalization of essential amino acid needs based on age or metabolic conditions. Comparisons of the EAA-9 score with PDCAAS demonstrated the validity of the EAA-9 framework, and practical applications demonstrated that the EAA-9 framework is a powerful tool for precision nutrition applications.

Solid-state Fermentation of Cottonseed Meal with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Gossypol Reduction and Nutrient Enrichment

Background: An experiment was conducted to study the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) of cottonseed meal (CSM) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on anti-nutritional factors and amino acid profile. Methods: A finely ground CSM was fermented with baker’s yeast for 48 h at room temperature with periodic observations of pH, temperature and moisture. The fermented substrate was partially sun-dried and nutritional values were observed. Result: After the SSF process on dry basses, the protein content of CSM increased from 8.74% to 12.67%. Besides increasing the nutritional value, the SSF showed a clear significant effect in reducing the anti-nutritional factors content of raw CSM like total gossypol from 0.28% to 0.21%, phytic acid from 3.3% to 0.3% and total tannin from 1.42% to 0.68%. CSM fermented with S. cerevisiae improved concertations of essential amino acids viz., histidine, isoleucine, valine, methionine and phenylalanine. The protein quality evaluation showed a significant increase in its nutritional value. Based on the present result, it can be concluded that the fermentation of CSM with S. cerevisiae decreases the anti-nutritional factors and improves essential nutrients.

Coupling the benefits of grassland crops and green biorefining to produce protein, materials and services for the green transition

AbstractCompared with annual grain and seed crops, perennial grassland has significantly lower losses of nutrients and low pesticide requirements, whilst also supporting soil carbon build‐up. Until now grassland crops have almost exclusively been fed to ruminants and horses. Our experiments on biorefining forages have produced protein of a quality equal to soybean meal. Forage crops can deliver high yields of biomass as well as protein with a well‐balanced amino acid profile. In grass crops from unfertilised permanent grassland, focus has to be on the fibre part of the grass due to a low protein yield. With current techniques we have recovered up to 40% of the forage protein into a protein concentrate with around 50% protein. In addition, a fibre fraction containing 15%–18% protein of dry matter can be produced and used as ruminant feed, bioenergy, or further biorefined into chemical building blocks or bio‐materials. Our feeding experiments have shown that biorefined grassland protein can provide a substitute for soybean meal for poultry and pigs without negative effects on animal performance. The first industrial scale biorefineries on green biomass for feed and bioenergy are now established in Denmark, although more research is needed in order to evaluate protein quality for both feed and food applications. In addition, a full EFSA approval has to be obtained for the application for food. The green biorefinery concept opens new markets for grassland and opportunities for increasing the grassland area to obtain associated ecosystem services.

An Evaluation of the Protein Requirements of Japanese Young Men by Consuming Two Types of Dairy Proteins Using the Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Method.

The indicator amino acid oxidation method is a relatively new method for determining protein requirements. Our hypothesis was that the protein requirement of the casein-whey protein mixture (70% casein and 30% whey protein) was lower than the protein requirement of plain casein, because casein and whey proteins compensate for the lack of the first-limiting amino acids. The optimal mixing ratio was determined based on the amino acid scoring pattern which is used to calculate the digestible indispensable amino acid score. In this study, digestibility was not considered to determine the optimal mixing ratio because dairy protein is a good source of digestible protein. This study aimed to evaluate the protein requirements of Japanese young men by consuming casein and casein-whey protein mixture. Ten healthy young men (22±0.2 y old) participated in 12 experiments according to a graded protein intake (0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 g/kg/d) of casein and casein-whey protein mixture. The mean protein requirement was calculated as the breakpoint of breath 13CO2 enrichment using change-point regression models. The mean protein requirements of Japanese young men by consuming casein and casein-whey protein mixture were estimated to be 1.00 g/kg/d and 0.90 g/kg/d, respectively. These estimated requirements were consistent with the protein quality expected from the amount of the first-limiting amino acids. The indicator amino acid oxidation method may be useful to evaluate protein quality.

PSXI-8 Evaluation of Nutrient Composition and Protein Quality Using the Precision fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay of Novel Avian Protein Sources for pet Nutrition

Abstract Alternative protein sources are being incorporated in companion animal diets as a response to the market demand for high quality products. Chicken is a commonly used protein in pet food and was used as a comparison for emerging alternatives goose, quail, duck, and emu which have been evaluated in the current study. All protein sources were analyzed for chemical composition, and amino acid (AA) standardized digestibility and calculation of digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS-like) were determined by using the precision fed cecectomized rooster assay. Dry matter values ranged from 95% to 98% and were similar for all proteins. Crude protein was least for goose meat and greatest in emu meat (42% and 95%, respectively). Emu meat produced the least fat content while quail produced the most (4.7% and 42%, respectively). Standardized AA digestibility values for the novel proteins were above 60% for indispensable AA. The DIAAS-like calculation applied reference proteins based on Association of American Feed Control officials (AAFCO) recommended nutrient profile and National Research Council (NRC) recommended allowances for adult dogs and cats at maintenance. The DIAAS-like values for cats for AAFCO and NRC were >100%. Tryptophan was identified to be the first-limiting AA in every protein source except for goose meat where methionine was first-limiting using NRC recommended values for adult dogs.

PSXI-10 Macronutrient and Protein Quality Evaluation of Novel Mammalian Proteins for Canine and Feline Nutrition

Abstract The use of novel protein sources has become a popular human food trend and with the continued humanization of pets, these trends have been followed in the petfood industry. There is limited data regarding the macronutrient composition and overall quality of novel mammalian proteins. In this study, beef, yak, camel, kangaroo, and wild boar were analyzed for chemical composition, amino acid (AA) digestibility, and calculation of digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS-like) by application of the precision fed cecectomized rooster assay. Dry matter values were >90% and crude protein was greatest in yak meat (95%). Yak meat also contained the least amount of total fat at 11% whereas the greatest amount was found in beef at 57%. The standardized AA digestibility values were determined to be highly digestible as all values were >81%. The reference proteins used for DIAAS-like calculations were based on the Association of American Feed Control officials (AAFCO) nutrient profile and National Research Council (NRC) recommended allowances for adult dogs and cats at maintenance. The DIAAS-like values were >100% for yak and camel meat and were determined to be high quality for dogs. In cats, all proteins received DIAAS-like scores >100% except for wild boar. Tryptophan and methionine were most often the first-limiting acids for both dogs and cats.

The Use of Post-Natal Skeleton Development as Sensitive Preclinical Model to Test the Quality of Alternative Protein Sources in the Diet.

Dietary protein is necessary throughout all life stages. Adequate intake of protein during juvenile years is essential to enable appropriate synthesis of bone matrix and achieve the full peak bone mass (PBM). Due to socio-demographic changes, accompanied by environmental damage and ethical problems, a transition to the consumption of different and alternative protein sources in the human diet must occur. This transition requires the precise evaluation of protein quality. Here, we utilize a preclinical model of young rats during their post-natal developmental period to define the nutritive quality of a number of alternative protein sources (soy, spirulina, chickpea, and fly larvae) by their health impact on growth performance and skeletal development. We indicate that when restricted (10% of calories) not one of the tested alternative protein sources have succeeded in causing optimal growth, as compared to the referenced source, casein; yet fly larvae protein followed by chickpea flour were found to be superior to the rest. Growth-plate histology and µ-CT analyses demonstrated a number of changes in growth patterns and bone morphometric parameters. Bone mechanical testing, by three-point bending analyses, was sensitive in demonstrating the effect of the reduction in the amount of the dietary protein. Moreover, the rats’ weight and length, as well as their eating patterns, were found to reflect the proteins’ quality better than their amino acid composition. Hence, our study emphasizes the importance of evaluating protein as a whole food source, and suggests a new approach for this purpose.

Protein Quality Evaluation of Some Commonly Consumed Bird Egg Varieties Using Amino Acid Scores.

Objective Food proteins provide amino acids (AAs) and serve as building blocks of all vital organs, muscles, hormones, and biological fluids such as blood. Eggs are known as a good source of protein. This study compared the protein quality of bird eggs (raw and boiled), using their AA scores since some individuals consume raw eggs for various reasons. Research Methods. Eggs studied were exotic chicken, local chicken, turkey, quail, and guinea fowl eggs. The eggs were shelled and their contents (boiled and raw) lyophilized. The standard AOAC method (Kjeldahl) was used to determine protein content, while the amino acid composition was measured using an AA analyzer. The total AA scores were calculated based on the whole hen's egg AA profiles. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05. Results The Guinea fowl egg had the highest total amino acid score (TAAS) of 0.92. The other scores ranged as follows: 0.82 (quail) >0.81 (turkey) >0.75 (exotic chicken), and the lowest score was 0.65 (local chicken). The least scores were phenylalanine: 0.34 (exotic chicken), phenylalanine and serine: 0.36 (local chicken), leucine and aspartic acid: 0.41 (turkey), methionine: 0.31 (quail), and glutamic acid: 0.33 (guinea fowl). Also, guinea fowl egg had the highest total essential amino acid (TEAA) (49.6 g/100 g protein), i.e., % TEAA (55.1%), while exotic chicken egg had the lowest (41.1%), but the highest % NEAA (58.9%). Conclusion Guinea fowl eggs had the highest EAA and TAA content. Its consumption should particularly be encouraged for children as this can significantly reduce the risk of protein-energy malnutrition and prevent protein deficiencies.

Production of cultured fat with peanut wire-drawing protein scaffold and quality evaluation based on texture and volatile compounds analysis

Cultured meat is an emergent technology that cultivates cells in three-dimensional scaffolds to generate tissue for consumption. Fat makes an important contribution to the flavor and texture of traditional meat, but there are few reports on cultured fat. Here, we demonstrated the construction of cultured fat by inoculating porcine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) on peanut wire-drawing protein (PWP) scaffolds. First, we demonstrated that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) promoted cell proliferation and maintained adipogenic differentiation ability. Then, we generated cultured fat and found that cultured fat decreased the texture of PWP scaffolds. Moreover, 43 volatile compounds were detected by headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), of which 17 volatile compounds showed no significant differences between cultured fat and porcine subcutaneous adipose tissue (pSAT), which indicated that cultured fat and pSAT had certain similarities. Collectively, this research has great promise for improving the quality of cultured meat.

Bioactive Compounds, Amino Acid Content/Score of Composite Wheat, African Walnut, Moringa Biscuits

Moringa and African walnut seeds were processed into flour and evaluated for tannin, total phenol and anti-oxidant activity. Different formulations of wheat, African walnut and Moringa seed composite flour (A: WHF 100%: AWF 0;MSF 0, B= WHF 77.5%:AWF 20%: MSF 2.5%, C=WHF 75%: AWF 20%: MSF 5.0%, D= WHF 72.5%: AWF 20%: MSF 7.5%. E = WHF 70%: AWF 20%: MSF 10%, F = WHF 90%: AWF 0 : MSF 10%, G = WHF 80% : AWF 20% : MSF 0 ) were used in the production of biscuits. The Amino acid content of the prepared biscuits were determined and the Amino acid score using Hens egg and FAO standard to evaluate protein quality. Results reveal that Tannin and Total phenol content of African walnut flour was significantly higher with values 49.82mg/100g and 54.90mg/100g respectively, with Moringa seed flour having an anti-oxidant activity of 60.55%. Amino acid content of the biscuits showed that glutamic acid was higher in all the samples ranging from 10.96 – 12.33g/100g. Amino acid score results indicate that the amino acid content of the composite biscuits were higher than the FAO standards for adults above 18years.

Using the dual isotope method to assess cecal amino acid absorption of goat whey protein in rats, a pilot study.

Measurement of ileal amino acids (AA) bioavailability is recommended to evaluate protein quality. A dual isotope tracer method, based on plasma isotopic enrichment ratios, has been proposed to determine true digestibility in humans. In a pilot study, we aimed to evaluate whether this method could be implemented in rats to determine AA bioavailability based on isotopic enrichment ratios measured in cecal digesta or plasma samples. Goat milk proteins were intrinsically labeled with 15N and 2H. Wistar rats were fed a meal containing the doubly labeled goat whey proteins and a tracer dose of 13C-spirulina. Blood samples were collected 0, 1h and 3h after meal ingestion from the tail vein. The rats were euthanized 4h (n = 6) or 6h (n = 6) after meal to collect plasma and intestinal contents. True orocecal protein digestibility and AA bioavailability were assessed by means of 15N and 2H enrichment in cecum content and compared with absorption indexes determined at the plasma or cecum level using isotopic ratios. Plasma kinetics of isotopic enrichment could not be completed due to the limited quantity of plasma obtained with sequential blood collection. However, the absorption indexes determined from cecal 15N or 2H/13C ratios gave coherent values with true orocecal AA bioavailability. This dual isotope approach with measurements of isotopic ratios in digestive content could be an interesting strategy to determine true AA bioavailability in ileal digesta of rats.