COMPARISON OF PROTEIN VALUE OF CERELAC WITH HOMEMADE FOOD (VETCH AND RICE)

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the quality of food proteins have a great importance because of biological and economical impacts. Among existing methods, NPR (net protein ratio), TPD (true protein digestibility) and PER (protein efficiency ratio) have been suggested as appropriate methods to determine the quality of proteins. This study was conducted to compare protein value of cerelac with homemade food (vetch and rice) in rats.METHODS: This experimental study was conducted on 64 male wistar rats, aged 21 days under 8 diets in 8 groups including: cases (cerelac and homemade food), standard (casein+methionine) and basal (protein free), 4 diets in order to determine NPR and PER and cases, standard and basal, 4 diets to study TPD. Period of study for NPR, TPD and PER were 14, 5 and 28 days. FINDINGS: NPR was 4.3±0.4, 4.3±0.9 and 4.2±0.4, TPD was 92.8±4, 87±8 and 81.1±6.1 and PER was 3±0.2, 2.5±0.4 and 2.7±0.6 for standard, cerelac and homemade food groups, respectively. Difference in NPR, TPD and PER between two baby food groups was not significant. CONCLUSION: The results showed that NPR and TPD for homemade food were nearly equal cerelac and PER was higher than cerelac.

Keywords

• protein
• food industry
• vetch
• rice