Plant Protein Sources Research Articles

Effect of Chlorella pyrenoidosa powder on rheological properties and fermentation characteristics of dough

Chlorella pyrenoidosa is naturally rich in comprehensive nutrients, and Chlorella foods are produced by its excellent source of nutrition. Therefore, Chlorella foods are more and more widely used in flour food applications. In this study, C. pyrenoidosa powder was added to the flour to study its influence on the quality parameters and rheological properties of the dough. After adding C. pyrenoidosa powder to flour, the ash, crude protein content of flour and damaged starch showed an upward trend. The gluten index decreased significantly with the increase of C. pyrenoidosa powder. The pasting properties, stretching properties, and fermentation properties of the dough showed significant changes with the addition of C. pyrenoidosa powder. Adding an appropriate amount of C. pyrenoidosa powder to flour could improve the pasting and rheological properties of flour. However, when the amount of C. pyrenoidosa powder exceeds 1%, it had a positive impact on fermentation characteristics of dough. Practical applications Chlorella pyrenoidosa is a high-quality natural single-cell protein source. Compared with other plant protein sources, the protein content of C. pyrenoidosa can reach 50%–65%, and has a short growth cycle. The influence of C. pyrenoidosa powder on rheological properties and fermentation characteristics of dough was evaluated. This provides a theoretical basis for the application of C. pyrenoidosa powder in flour foods, such as bread, Chinese bread, etc.

3D Printing of Textured Soft Hybrid Meat Analogues

Meat analogue is a food product mainly made of plant proteins. It is considered to be a sustainable food and has gained a lot of interest in recent years. Hybrid meat is a next generation meat analogue prepared by the co-processing of both plant and animal protein ingredients at different ratios and is considered to be nutritionally superior to the currently available plant-only meat analogues. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is becoming increasingly popular in food processing. Three-dimensional food printing involves the modification of food structures, which leads to the creation of soft food. Currently, there is no available research on 3D printing of meat analogues. This study was carried out to create plant and animal protein-based formulations for 3D printing of hybrid meat analogues with soft textures. Pea protein isolate (PPI) and chicken mince were selected as the main plant protein and meat sources, respectively, for 3D printing tests. Then, rheology and forward extrusion tests were carried out on these selected samples to obtain a basic understanding of their potential printability. Afterwards, extrusion-based 3D printing was conducted to print a 3D chicken nugget shape. The addition of 20% chicken mince paste to PPI based paste achieved better printability and fibre structure.

Nutritional Characteristics of the Seed Protein in 23 Mediterranean Legumes

The search for new sources of plant protein for food and animal feed is driven by an increasing demand in developing countries and the interest in healthy alternatives to animal protein. Seeds from 23 different wild legumes belonging to tribes Gallegeae, Trifolieae, and Loteae were collected in southern Spain and their total amino acid composition was analyzed, by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), in order to explore their nutritional value. Protein content in the seeds ranged from 15.5% in Tripodium tetraphyllum to 37.9% and 41.3% in Medicago minima and Medicago polymorpha, respectively. Species belonging to tribe Trifolieae, such as Melilotus elegans and Trifolium spp., showed the most equilibrated amino acid composition and the best theoretical nutritional values, although all species were deficient in sulfur amino acids. The amino acid composition of the seeds from some of these legumes was characterized by high levels of the anticancer non-proteic amino acid canavanine This amino acid was found free in the seeds from some of the species belonging to each of the three tribes included in the present work. Astragalus pelecinus in tribe Gallegea, Trifolium angustifolium in tribe Trifolieae, and Anthyllis vulneraria in tribe Loteae have 3.2%, 3.7%, and 7.2% canavanine, respectively. Seeds from Anthyllis vulneraria, Hymenocarpus lotoides, and Hymenocarpos cornicina have the highest contents in canavanine overall. In conclusion, the seeds from some of these legumes could be used for human consumption and for feeding animals because they contain protein of good nutritional quality. These plants could be useful in domestication and breeding programs for production of new varieties with improved nutritional and functional properties. In addition, some of these species may be of interest as a source of the bioactive compound canavanine.

Physicochemical properties and volatile components of pea flour fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus L08

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important source of plant proteins. However, the use of pea flour as a food ingredient is greatly limited due to its strong beany flavor. In this work, we investigated the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus L08 (L. rhamnosus L08) fermentation on the physicochemical characteristics, amino acids composition and volatile flavor compounds of pea flour. We found that L. rhamnosus L08 had the probiotic potential of utilizing pea flour as fermentation substrate. L. rhamnosus L08 fermentation significantly increased the content of most amino acids, and total amino acid content increased from 222.18 mg/g at 0 h to 262.35 mg/g at 6 h. A total of 44 volatile compounds were identified in pea flour. L. rhamnosus L08 fermentation increased the variety of acids and esters, while reduced the unpleasant flavor such as nonanal, decanal, octanal, 1-hexanol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. The emulsifying stability and foam stability of pea flour were slightly enhanced during fermentation. Our results illustrate that lactic acid bacteria fermentation is a promising approach to eliminate undesirable aroma of pea flour. Moreover, this study provides theoretical support for the application of peas as high-quality protein source.

Drought deteriorated the nutritional quality of cottonseed by altering fatty acids and amino acids compositions in cultivars with contrasting drought sensitivity

Cottonseed is an excellent source of vegetable oil and plant protein for food industry due to its natural ability of high oil and protein content. This study is designed to examine the influence of drought stress on the yield and quality of cottonseed kernels. Cottonseed yield and kernel yield per plant, as well as oil yield and protein yield, were significantly decreased under drought. The oil concentration (%/dry weight) decreased, but protein concentration (%/dry weight) increased significantly in response to drought. Total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and total essential amino acids (EAA) concentrations decreased notably under severe drought. Moreover, the decrease of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio (PUFA/SFA), health-promoting index (HPI), unsaturation index (UI), and the increased atherogenicity index (AI), indicated the lower unsaturation of fatty acids which induced an unhealthy oil under drought stress. Otherwise, the variations of essential amino acids index (EAAI), nutritional value (NI), score ratio coefficient of amino acid (SRC) and biological value (BV) forecasted a diminished amino acids quality under drought stress. Results suggested that drought stress decreased cottonseed yield and deteriorated cottonseed nutritional values. The present research is a leading report describing the influences of drought on the nutritional quality indices in cottonseed. In addition, this study contributes to understanding the response of cottonseed nutritional value to soil moisture stress.

Chickpea varietal classification using deep convolutional neural networks with transfer learning

AbstractThe non‐availability of assessment tools among stakeholders often results in mixing of different chickpea varieties during its movement in the supply chain. Since each chickpea variety has unique physico‐chemical properties, it is important to prevent mixing with other varieties for maintaining the purity to obtain the intended quality for specific formulation. In this study, seven pre‐trained deep convolutional neural networks (AlexNet, GoogleNet, ResNet18, ResNet50, VGG16, VGG19, and MobileNetV2) with transfer learning were used for the classification of eight chickpea varieties (CDC‐Alma, CDC‐Leader, CDC‐Palmer, CDC‐Frontier, CDC‐Luna, CDC‐Orion, CDC‐Cory, and CDC‐Consul) using RGB images. For satisfying the input size requirement of the pre‐trained networks, the acquired images were cropped and resized using “Lanczos2” interpolation method for retaining maximum information from the original image. Furthermore, the hyperparameters of the pre‐trained networks (learning rate and batch size) were optimized to achieve high accuracy. The overall classification accuracy of the transfer learning models were 100, 100, 99, 92, 78, 72, and 50% for ResNet50, MobileNetV2, GoogleNet, ResNet18, VGG16, VGG19, and AlexNet, respectively. The study revealed that transfer learning is an effective way to derive the advantages of deep convolutional neural networks for varietal classification in chickpea.Practical ApplicationsClassification of agricultural crops according to their varieties is critical during production and postharvest processing operations. Due to the growing importance of pulses as a major source of plant protein, the classification of chickpea on varietal basis assumes great significance to maintain the physico‐chemical characteristic uniqueness of the varieties. Hence, this study aimed at utilizing machine vision and deep transfer learning to successfully classify the different chickpea varieties. The developed model can be further integrated to a mobile environment or an embedded device for use in production catchments, processing facilities which would help the stakeholders in real time classification of chickpea varieties.

Karyotype Differentiation in Cultivated Chickpea Revealed by Oligopainting Fluorescence in situ Hybridization.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the main sources of plant proteins in the Indian subcontinent and West Asia, where two different morphotypes, desi and kabuli, are grown. Despite the progress in genome mapping and sequencing, the knowledge of the chickpea genome at the chromosomal level, including the long-range molecular chromosome organization, is limited. Earlier cytogenetic studies in chickpea suffered from a limited number of cytogenetic landmarks and did not permit to identify individual chromosomes in the metaphase spreads or to anchor pseudomolecules to chromosomes in situ. In this study, we developed a system for fast molecular karyotyping for both morphotypes of cultivated chickpea. We demonstrate that even draft genome sequences are adequate to develop oligo-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) barcodes for the identification of chromosomes and comparative analysis among closely related chickpea genotypes. Our results show the potential of oligo-FISH barcoding for the identification of structural changes in chromosomes, which accompanied genome diversification among chickpea cultivars. Moreover, oligo-FISH barcoding in chickpea pointed out some problematic, most probably wrongly assembled regions of the pseudomolecules of both kabuli and desi reference genomes. Thus, oligo-FISH appears as a powerful tool not only for comparative karyotyping but also for the validation of genome assemblies.

Sustaining Protein Nutrition Through Plant-Based Foods.

Proteins are essential components of the human diet. Dietary proteins could be derived from animals and plants. Animal protein, although higher in demand, is generally considered less environmentally sustainable. Therefore, a gradual transition from animal- to plant-based protein food may be desirable to maintain environmental stability, ethical reasons, food affordability, greater food safety, fulfilling higher consumer demand, and combating of protein-energy malnutrition. Due to these reasons, plant-based proteins are steadily gaining popularity, and this upward trend is expected to continue for the next few decades. Plant proteins are a good source of many essential amino acids, vital macronutrients, and are sufficient to achieve complete protein nutrition. The main goal of this review is to provide an overview of plant-based protein that helps sustain a better life for humans and the nutritional quality of plant proteins. Therefore, the present review comprehensively explores the nutritional quality of the plant proteins, their cost-effective extraction and processing technologies, impacts on nutrition, different food wastes as an alternative source of plant protein, and their environmental impact. Furthermore, it focuses on the emerging technologies for improving plant proteins' bioavailability, digestibility, and organoleptic properties, and highlights the aforementioned technological challenges for future research work.

The analysis and research of the composition a protein-vitamins product from plant materials

According to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there is a problem of a shortage of protein-rich foods in the world due to the influence of COVID-19 and other factors. Lack of protein in the body leads to disturbances in the processes in which protein is involved and a decrease in immunity. Since the main protein deficiency is associated with a drop in the rate of manufacturing of products containing animal protein, it is relevant to use modern technologies to create alternatives in the form of plant protein sources. To solve this problem, we have developed a product obtained from cedar oilcake by grinding and then processing it with ethyl alcohol in a microwave installation under vacuum for 5-10 minutes. The article presents results of the study of the chemical composition and substantiates the biological value of the protein-vitamins product. Research of the chemical composition of the developed product showed a high content of essential substances, protein 47%. The analysis of the amino acid composition established the presence of 18 amino acids, nonessential and conditionally essential amino acids were found in an amount of 43%. The indicators of the biological value of the protein of the developed product indicate the completeness and balance of the amino acid composition. This proves the high biological value of the protein contained in the protein-vitamin product. The mineral composition of the developed product is capable of meeting the daily requirement for minerals necessary for the human body by 50%. In the product identified water-soluble vitamins group B and vitamin C. The obtained data indicate the possibility of using a protein-vitamin product as an independent product for the prevention of protein-energy malnutrition, and as a functional additive in food production, to increase their nutritional value.

Development of a pluronic-zein-curcumin drug delivery system with effective improvement of hydrophilicity, stability and sustained-release

Curcumin (Cur) has been widely studied for its chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic effects against various types of human cancers, but the clinical application of curcumin is limited due to multiple delivery challenges, including poor water solubility, poor membrane permeability and easy degradation under alkaline conditions. Zein is an excellent carrier for pharmaceutical preparations because of its non-toxicity and biodegradability, but the plant protein source and hydrophobicity limit the application of zein in biomedical applications. The aim of this study is to overcome the limitations of Cur and zein in clinical therapy. To improve the hydrophilicity of zein and obtain a highly stable drug delivery system (DDS), zein was modified with carboxylated pluronic to prepare pluronic-zein (ZSP). The results indicated that the ZSP prepared not only has good hydrophilic and dispersibility properties, where the surface contact angle of the ZSP prepared is reduced by 33.1%–62.8%, but also its stability is not affected by pH and salinity compared with zein particles. After loading Cur into ZSP particles, Cur-ZSP DDS with good dispersibility and drug loading was prepared. Cur-ZSP DDS exhibited sustained release in the simulated in vitro environment. Cell experiments showed that ZSP presented as non-toxic. After loading with Cur, the cytotoxicity of Cur-ZSP DDS was significantly higher than that of raw Cur. The results provide new insight into the construction of zein-based oral drug delivery systems.

Market Handling Practices Effect on the Nutritional Profiles of Honey-beans and Groundnuts from Three Different Markets in Ibadan, Nigeria

Honey-beans and groundnuts serve as major plant protein sources, market handling practices may affect their nutrient profiles. This study evaluates market-handling practices effects on nutritional profiles of two protein-rich raw-foodstuffs from three markets in Ibadan, Nigeria. Raw honey-beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and groundnut seeds (Arachis hypogaea) were purchased from Dugbe, Sango and Oja-Oba markets (chosen based on their differences) in Ibadan. The samples were cleaned and assayed in triplicates for proximate and mineral compositions (Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and Calcium) according to standard procedures using 3 × 2 factorial method in a completely randomized design. Data were subjected to ANOVA using SAS (2002) and means separated with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (at α0.05), results of proximate analysis were in percentages while minerals were in mg/Kg. Results showed variations (p<0.05) in dry matter based on different markets. Dry matter content was similar (P>0.05) in Dugbe (91.37±0.67) and Sango (91.46±0.43) market samples but higher (P<0.05) in Oja-Oba (90.64±1.81) samples. Crude protein content of samples from Sango (28.40±11.11) was higher (p<0.05) compared with other locations. Crude fat of honey-beans (24.32±0.44) and groundnut (1.97±0.64) were significantly different (p<0.05). Similarly, crude fibre content of honey-beans (32.42±2.09) and groundnut (16.46±1.33) were different (p<0.05). Results showed similarities in ash content of honey-beans (5.16±0.32) and groundnut (4.85±0.65). Carbohydrate content varied according to sample-type and location; carbohydrate in groundnut (27.88±0.55) was higher (p<0.05) than in honey-beans (14.06±1.92) whereas, carbohydrate content of samples from Dugbe (21.75±7.37) and Sango (21.14±8.87) were different (p<0.05) from each other but both were similar (p>0.05) to samples from Oja-Oba (21.02±7.38). Magnesium content of honey-beans (40.06±9.18) was higher than groundnut (3.11±0.71) while Calcium in honey-beans (5.97±1.25) was also higher (p<0.05) compared with groundnut (2.23±0.54). Variations were observed due to interaction effects of sample-type and market handling. Conclusively, market practices affected nutritional content of selected protein-rich raw foodstuffs.

Long-term dietary protein intake and subjective cognitive decline in US men and women

Diet is one of the modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline. However, studies on dietary protein intake and cognitive decline have remained limited and inconclusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations between long-term dietary protein intake and subsequent subjective cognitive decline (SCD). We included 49,493 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) (1984-2006) and 27,842 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) (1986-2002). For the NHS, average dietary intake was calculated from 7 repeated semi-quantitative FFQs (SFFQs), and SCD was assessed in 2012 and 2014. For the HPFS, average dietary intake was calculated from 5 repeated SFFQs, and SCD was assessed in 2008 and 2012. Poisson regression was used to examine the associations between dietary protein, amino acids, and various protein food sources with subsequent SCD. Higher protein intake compared with total carbohydrates was associated with lower odds of SCD. When substituting 5% energy from protein for the equivalent percentage of energy from total carbohydrates, the pooled multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were 0.89 (0.85, 0.94) for total protein, 0.89 (0.84, 0.94) for animal protein, and 0.74 (0.62, 0.88) for plant protein. When substituting 5% of energy from animal protein with plant protein, the OR was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.97). For protein food sources, higher intakes of beans/legumes, fish, and lean poultry were significantly associated with lower odds of SCD, but higher intake of hotdogs was associated with higher odds of SCD. Higher protein intake was associated with lower odds of SCD when compared isocalorically with carbohydrate. Plant protein sources were also associated with lower odds when compared with animal protein sources. Our findings suggest that adequate protein intake, and choices of protein sources could play a role in the maintenance of cognition and should be studied further.

A Review on the Use of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in Aquaculture Feeds

Abstract Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to replace fishmeal (FM) or other plant protein sources and its effects on an aquatic animal’s growth performance and health system is rarely discussed. In recent times FM use in aquafeed has been a problem for the aquaculture industry because of the depletion of fish resources in the ocean and the high cost of FM. For that reason, researchers are focusing on reducing the cost of aquafeed production by lowering the inclusion of FM in aquafeed. One of the low-cost alternative protein sources to replace FM is DDGS. The present review discusses the compilation of available literature review and other works on the use of DDGS to replace FM in aquafeed and how it improves the growth performance, immune health system, and disease resistance in an aquatic animal. It focuses on the production of DDGS, the nutritional composition of DDGS, the chemical and physical characteristics of DDGS, and the effects of the DDGS inclusion in aquafeed on the aquatic animal. Apart from improving the growth performance of the aquatic animal when included in aquafeed, it also helps improve the immune health system of the animal. It also helps boost the immune system of the aquatic animal to fight diseases and increase disease resistance when included in aquafeed. Furthermore, DDGS also contains some constituents like carotenoids that help improve the meat quality of the animal when included in aquafeed. The current review also discusses the management and use of technology to improve the aquaculture industry, educate farmers on reducing diseases during the culturing periods, and increase productivity and profit in a friendly environment.

Should and will "cultured meat" become a reality in our plates?

Produced from proliferating cells in bioreactors with a controlled culture medium, "cultured meat" has been presented by its supporters, who are mainly private actors (start-ups), as a sustainable solution to meet the growing demand for animal proteins without weaknesses of animal husbandry in terms of environmental impact, animal welfare or even health. The aim of this chapter is to take stock of current knowledge on the potential benefits and pitfalls of this novel product. Since robust scientific arguments are lacking on these aspects, there is no consensus on the health and nutritional qualities of "cultured meat" for human consumption and on its potential low environmental impact. In addition, many issues related to the market, legislation, ethics and consumer perception remain to be addressed. The way in which this new product is regarded appears to be influenced by many factors related mainly to its price, as well as to the perception of safety, sensory traits but also environmental and nutritional issues. Therefore, research by universities and public research institutes indicates that "cultured meat" production does not present any major advantages in economic, nutritional, sensory, environmental, ethical or social terms compared to conventional meat. Thus, a more balanced diet by diversifying our sources of plant and animal proteins, consuming other meat substitutes, and reducing food losses and waste appear to be more effective short-term solutions to the urgent need of producing enough food for the growing human population (while reducing environmental degradation and animal suffering).

Extraction, nutrition, functionality and commercial applications of canola proteins as an underutilized plant protein source for human nutrition.

Concerns about sustainability and nutrition security have encouraged the food sector to replace animal proteins in food formulations with underutilized plant protein sources and their co-products. In this scenario, canola protein-rich materials produced after oil extraction, including canola cold-pressed cakes and meals, offer an excellent opportunity, considering their nutritional advantages such as a well-balanced amino acid composition and their potential bioactivity. However, radical differences among major proteins (i.e., cruciferin and napin) in terms of the physicochemical properties, and the presence of a wide array of antinutritional factors in canola, impede the production of a highly pure protein extract with a reasonable extraction yield. In this manuscript, principles regarding the extraction methods applicable for the production of canola protein concentrates and isolates are explored in detail. Alkaline and salt extraction methods are presented as the primary isolation methods, which result in cruciferin-rich and napin-rich isolates with different nutritional and functional properties. Since a harsh alkaline condition would result in an inferior functionality in protein isolates, strategies are recommended to reduce the required solvent alkalinity, including using a combination of salt and alkaline and employing membrane technologies, application of proteases and carbohydrases to facilitate the protein solubilization from biomass, and novel green physical methods, such as ultrasound and microwave treatments. In terms of the commercialization progress, several canola protein products have received a GRAS notification so far, which facilitates their incorporation in food formulations, such as bakery, beverages, salad dressings, meat products and meat analogues, and dairies.

Utilization of microalgae Schizochytrium sp. in non‐fish meal, non‐fish oil diet for yellowtail ( Seriola quinqueradiata )

Two feeding experiments were conducted to develop non-fish meal and non-fish oil diet for yellowtail with plant protein sources and Schizochytrium meal. For the first experiment, three iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic diets were prepared. Control diet was composed with fishmeal and fish oil and the other diet was formulated with plant protein sources and fish oil [FO]. Fish oil in FO diet was totally substituted by rapeseed oil and Schizochytrium sp., which was rich in DHA [NFO1]. Duplicate groups of yellowtails (Seriola quinqueradiata, 190.6 g) were fed the diets for 99 days. NFO1 group showed the lowest palatability and growth. However, fatty acid profile of NFO1 group showed the similar trend to FO. Four non-fish meal diets were prepared for the second experiment with increased amount of feed attractant. 100FO diet was formulated similar to FO diet in the first experiment though higher amount of bonito peptide was contained. The other diets gradually employed Schizochytrium meal to substitute fish oil in 100FO diet for 35, 70 and 100%, respectively [65FO, 30FO, NFO2]. Duplicated groups of yellowtails (186.0 g) were fed the diets for 84 days. The growth result was improved by increasement of bonito peptide; however, it was inversely proportional to employment rate of algae meal. The results suggest possibility for developing non-fish meal diet for yellowtail with plant protein sources and Schizochytrium sp. by inducing enough amount of feed attractant. Moreover, it needs further study on essential fatty acid utilization for yellowtail while developing non-fish meal and non-fish oil diet with microalgae.

Nutritional evaluation of differently processed plant protein sources on the performance of broiler chickens

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to assess four differently protein sources on performance of broiler chickens. Two hundred and fifty (250) day old unsex Anak 2000 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four differently processed plant protein sources i.e. cooked soybean, salt treated African locust bean and sprouted Bambara nut with groundnut cake (GNC) based diet as control, the treatments were replicated five times (12 birds per replicate) in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD). Results showed that daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio were affected by different protein sources (p<0.05) at starter, finisher and overall phase. The carcass characteristics showed that live weight (1988-2160 g), slaughter weight (1610-1965 g) and plucked weight (1600-1814 g) were affected by different protein sources(p<0.05). The dressing percentage (83.31-86.25%) are not affected by different protein sources (p>0.05). The abdominal fat (0.61-0.64%), gizzard (1.61-1.77%), small intestine (40.80-43.20 cm) and large intestine (141.80-201.60 cm) were affected by the different protein sources (p<0.05). All the prime cuts were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the dietary protein sources. Total feed cost is highest in soya-bean based diet (N 379.30). The highest body weight (4.53 kg) is in soya bean-based diet. The feed cost per kg gain is highest in GNC based diet (N 158.34) and lowest in soya bean based diet (N 126.43). All the protein sources enhanced the growth performance of broiler chickens; however, soybean was more effective in enhancing the performance of broiler chickens.

Evaluating the food consumption among Indonesian young adults lived in a different environment

Background: Indonesian young adults who live abroad usually buy meals from café or catering. These meals tend to be less nutritious, including high fat, low fiber, and high carbohydrate.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the pattern of food consumption among young Indonesian adults who lived in a different environment.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out with 497 participants (73 men and 420 women). Data were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) of 78 food groups. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to compare consumption patterns among study participants who lived in a different environment (Malang city, East Java, Indonesia, and Taipei City, Taiwan). Furthermore, the Chi-Square test and Fisher’s exact test analyzed the consumption level by gender.Results: Our study indicated no significant differences between food consumption of Indonesian young adults in Malang city, Indonesia, and Taipei City, Taiwan (p=0.623). Meanwhile, beverage (tea) was significantly different between gender in the home country (p=0.005). In contrast, participants who lived abroad showed significantly different consumption levels of fast food (instant noodle) and plant protein source (tofu) across gender (p=0.01 and p=0.02).Conclusion: The present study showed that fruits were often changed into juices, especially more frequent in a home country than abroad. Meanwhile, several food items, including beverages (tea), fast food, and plant protein source (tofu), showed significant differences across gender.

Heat-induced unfolding facilitates plant protein digestibility during in vitro static infant digestion

Soy protein is the main protein source for plant-based infant formula, whereas pea protein is considered as a potential alternative plant protein source. This study assessed the structural changes of soy and pea proteins after heating between 65 °C and 100 °C, and its effects on the in vitro digestibility in the context of infant digestion. We found that with increased heating intensity, both soy and pea proteins unfolded, manifested as the increased surface hydrophobicity, thereby potentially improving the accessibility to digestive enzymes. Their final in vitro digestibility increased from ∼ 30% of non-treated samples to ∼ 60% of 100 °C-heated samples for soy protein, and from ∼ 52% to ∼ 65% for pea protein. Surface hydrophobicity was strongly positively correlated to the overall digestibility. Therefore, the heating temperatures that enabled protein unfolding promoted the digestibility of soy and pea proteins under infant digestion conditions.

Factors Influencing Proteolysis and Protein Utilization in the Intestine of Pigs: A Review.

Simple SummaryIn order to minimize protein requirements and nitrogen emissions in pig production, it is important to understand the physiology of protein breakdown in the pig’s gastrointestinal tract and to find ways to improve the protein utilization efficiency of the animals. In this review, we summarize and discuss factors influencing protein degradation and thereby affecting the efficiency of the animals. We shed light on the individual pillars of protein breakdown, starting with the enzymatic breakdown of the fed protein, via the amino acid transporters absorbing in the intestine, to the proteolytic capacity of the microbial and animal-specific proteome. The available literature shows the specific activities and expression levels of proteolytic enzymes and AA transporters depending on the availability of free or bound AA in the feed. Improvements in nutrient digestibility result from changes in nutrient transporter and enzyme gene expression, as well as a change in microbial activity. We are of the opinion that in the future, also with the help of transcriptomics, more time should be invested in researching the physiology of protein degradation and the associated protein utilization efficiency using highly standardized animal trials.Pigs are among the most important farm animals for meat production worldwide. In order to meet the amino acid requirements of the animals, pigs rely on the regular intake of proteins and amino acids with their feed. Unfortunately, pigs excrete about two thirds of the used protein, and production of pork is currently associated with a high emission of nitrogen compounds resulting in negative impacts on the environment. Thus, improving protein efficiency in pigs is a central aim to decrease the usage of protein carriers in feed and to lower nitrogen emissions. This is necessary as the supply of plant protein sources is limited by the yield and the cultivable acreage for protein plants. Strategies to increase protein efficiency that go beyond the known feeding options have to be investigated considering the characteristics of the individual animals. This requires a deep understanding of the intestinal processes including enzymatic activities, capacities of amino acid transporters and the microbiome. This review provides an overview of these physiological factors and the respective analyses methods.