Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2005, 50(4):169-174 | DOI: 10.17221/4011-CJAS

Amino acid contents and biological value of protein in various amaranth species

B. Písaříková1, S. Kráčmar2, I. Herzig1
1 Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic

Amino acid content before and after heat treatment was assessed in grain of six selected amaranth varieties and four species: Amaranthus cruentus, A. hypochondriacus, A. caudatus and A. hybridus, cultivated in the Czech Republic. High content of Lys and Arg was detected in both heat treated and untreated grains, as well as satisfactory content of Cys and lower levels of Met, Val, Ile and Leu. The latter three amino acids appear as limiting. Chemical scores of essential amino acids and essential amino acid index (EAAI) were determined. EAAI value of 90.4% shows the favourable nutritional quality of amaranth protein, which is almost comparable with egg protein. Heat treatment by popping at 170 to 190°C for 30 s resulted in decreased EAAI to 85.4%. Of the essential amino acids under study, Val and Leu contents decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The relatively high content of essential amino acids in amaranth grain predetermines its use as a substitution of meat-and-bone meals.

Keywords: amaranth grain; popping; essential amino acids; chemical score; EAAI

Published: April 30, 2005  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Písaříková B, Kráčmar S, Herzig I. Amino acid contents and biological value of protein in various amaranth species. Czech J. Anim. Sci. 2005;50(4):169-174. doi: 10.17221/4011-CJAS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Anonym (1986): Vzorkování krmiv. ČSN 46 7090.
    2. Anonym (2001): Postupy laboratorního zkoušení krmiv, doplňkových látek a premixů I. 266 s. ISBN 80-8605181-1.
    3. Andrasofszky E., Szöcz Z., Fekete S., Jelenits K. (1998): Evaluation of the nutritional value of the amaranth plant. I. Raw and heat-treated grain tested in experiments on growing rats. Acta Vet. Hung., 46, 47-59. Go to PubMed...
    4. Aritsuka T., Takeda H., Kiriyama S. (1994): Effect of dietary amino-acid-composition on antiamaranth activity of beet fibre in rats. Nippon Nogeikagaku Kaishi-Jap. Soc. Biosci. Biotechnol. Agrochem., 68, 23-31. Go to original source...
    5. Becker R., Whealer E.L., Lorenz K., Stafford A.E., Grosjean O.L., Betschart A.A., Saunders R.M. (1981): Composition and nutritional properties of amaranth. In: Paredes-Lopez O. (ed.): Amaranth, Biology, Chemistry and Technology. CRC Press. Chapter 10, 185- 205.
    6. Bressani R., González J.M., Zúňiga J., Breuner M., Elías L.G. (1987a): Yield, selected chemical composition and nutritive value of 14 selections of amaranth grain representing four species. J. Sci. Food Agric., 38, 347. Go to original source...
    7. Bressani R., Kalinowski L.S., Ortiz M.A., Elias L.G. (1987b): Nutritional evaluation of roasted, flaked and popped A. caudatus. Arch. Latioam. Nutr., 37, 525-531.
    8. Bressani R., Sánchez-Marroquín A., Morales E. (1992): Chemical composition of grain amaranth cultivars and effects of processing on their nutritional quality. Food Rev. Int., 8, 23-49. Go to original source...
    9. Carlsson R. (1979): Quantity and quality of amaranthus from plants on temperate, cold and hot and subtropical climates - A review. In: Proc. Second Amaranth Conference Rodale Emmaus, PA, 48-58.
    10. Correa A.D., Jokl L., Carlsson R. (1986): Chemical constituents, in vitro protein digestibility, and presence of antinutritional substances in amaranth grains. Arch. Latinoam. Nutr., 36, 319-326. Go to PubMed...
    11. Crim M.C., Munro H.N. (1984): Protein. In: Present Knowledge in Nutrition. The Nutrition Foundation. Inc., Washington. 131-146.
    12. Davídek J., Janíček G., Pokorný J. (1983): Chemie potravin. SNTL, Praha. 632 pp.
    13. Dodok L., Modhir A.A., Buchtova V., Halasova G., Polacek I. (1997): Importance and utilization of amaranth in food industry. 2. Composition of amino acids and fatty acids. Nahrung, 41, 108-110. Go to original source...
    14. Gorinstein S., Pawelczik E., Delgado-Licon E., Haruenkit R., Weisz M., Trakhtenberg S. (2002): Characterisation of pseudocereal and cereal proteins by protein and amino acid analyses. J. Sci. Food Agric., 82, 886-891. Go to original source...
    15. Imeri A., Flores R., Elias L., Bressani R. (1987): The effect of processing and supplementation with amino acids on the protein quality of amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus). Arch. Latinoam. Nutr., 37, 160-173.
    16. Herzig I. (2001): The use of amaranth for replacement of meat-and-bone meals (in Czech). Krmivářstvi, 3, 37-38.
    17. Jarošová J., Michalová A., Vavreinová S., Moudrý J. (1997): Pěstování a využití amarantu. Metodiky pro zemědělskou praxi. 37 pp.
    18. Kráčmar S., Gajdůšek S., Jelínek P., Zeman L., Kozel V., Kozlová M., Kráčmarová E. (1998): Changes in amino acid composition of goat's colostrum during the first 72 hours after birth. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 44, 541-545.
    19. Matoušková O., Chalupa J., Cígler M., Hruška K. (1992): STAT Plus - uživatelská příručka. VÚVeL, Brno. 168 pp.
    20. Official Journal L 206. Eighth Commission Directive 78/633/EEC of 15 June 1978 Establishing Community methods of analysis for the official control of feeding stuffs, July 29, 43-55.
    21. Pant K.C. (1985): Effect of heat processing (popping) on protein nutritional quality of grain amaranth. Nutr. Rep. Int., 32, 1089.
    22. Paredes-Lopez O. (1994): Amaranth, Biology, Chemistry and Technology. CRC Press, Chapter 10, 185-205.
    23. Pedersen B., Kalinowski L.S., Eggum B.O. (1987): Composition and nutritional properties of amaranth. In: Paredes-Lopez O. (ed.): Biology, Chemistry and Technology. CRC Press. Chapter 10, 185-205.
    24. Stratil P. (1993): ABC Zdravé výživy. Brno. 351 pp. ISBN 80-900029-8-6.
    25. Szelényi-Galántai M., Zsolnai-Harszi I. (1992): Chemical and biological investigation of some seeds of the amaranth species and improvement of their protein utilisation by supplementation of maize and wheat. Allatten. Takarm., 41, 337-348.
    26. Tovar L.R., Brito E., Takahashi T., Miyazawa T., Soriano J., Fujimoto K. (1989): Dry heat popping of amaranth seed might damage some of its essential amino acids. Plant Food Hum. Nutr., 39, 299-309. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Velíšek J. (1999): Chemie potravin I. OSSIS Tábor. 352 pp.
    28. Vetter J. (1994): Minerals and amino acids in the seeds of the new, cultivated cereal-like species Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Z. Lebensm. Unters. Forsch., 198, 284-286. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content