An improved procedure for the assay of available lysine and methionine in feedstuffs using Tetrahymena pyriformis W

Nutritional and toxicological aspects of the Maillard browning reaction in foods

The Maillard, or nonenzymatic, browning reaction between carbonyl and amino groups is a common reaction in foods which undergo thermal processing. The Maillard reaction is a desirable consequence of many industrial and domestic processes and is responsible for the attractive flavor and brown color of some cooked foods. An early recognized consequence of the Maillard reaction was the destruction of some essential amino acids, such as lysine. More recently, research interest has focused on the production of toxic and antinutritive compounds. This review examines the nutritional and toxicological consequences of the Maillard reaction in light of the findings of such research. In particular, the effect of Maillard reaction products on the digestion, absorption, and excretion of nutrients is considered. The cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and immunochemical aspects of selected Maillard reaction products are also examined and suggestions are made for future areas of investigation.

Nutritional availability of methionine, lysine and tryptophan in fish meals, as assessed with biological, microbiological and dye-binding assay procedures

In vitro assay procedures were applied in the measurement of available amino acids in a selection of fish meals representing good- and poor-quality product. Results were assessed by comparing them with results from chick-growth assays. Available methionine and tryptophan were assayed microbiologically with Streptococcus zymogenes, after predigestion of the test samples with papain or pronase. Results for methionine were correlated with chick-growth assays (r 0.86 for papain, 0.91 for pronase; P less than 0.01). Compared with the chick assays, papain tended to give lower, and pronase higher, results. Finer milling of the test samples did not influence the pronase values. Results for available tryptophan were also correlated with chick-growth assays (r 0.95 for papain, 0.96 for pronase; P less than 0.001). Compared with the chick values, papain gave markedly lower results and pronase marginally higher ones. Finer milling of the test samples increased the papain values by about 50% but had no effect with pronase. Available lysine was assayed microbiologically with Tetrahymena pyriformis and with a dye-binding procedure (DBL). The results correlated with the chick-growth assays (r 0.99 for DBL, P less than 0.001; 0.85 for Tetrahymena, P less than 0.01) but both methods overrated the poorer-quality samples. True nitrogen digestibilities and amino acid digestibilities were determined with chickens by the 'ileal analysis' procedure: the amino acid digestibilities were significantly higher and similar to the corresponding availabilities as measured in chick-growth assays. Ball milling a poor-quality fish meal caused a marked fall in its N digestibility, whereas similar treatment of a good-quality meal caused a slight increase. An explanation for this finding is proposed. Strep. zymogenes assays following pronase digestion of the test samples gave precise and acceptably accurate measures of the biologically available methionine and tryptophan in the test samples. For available lysine, Tetrahymena and DBL values for the poorer-quality samples were notably higher than the chick-growth assay; possible reasons for this are discussed. The ileal analysis procedure underestimated true N digestibility.

Storage of milk powders under adverse conditions. I. Losses of lysine and of other essential amino acids as determined by chemical and microbiological methods

Whole-milk powders containing 25 g water/kg were stored for up to 9 weeks in sealed aluminium containers at elevated temperatures. Lysine and other essential amino acids were measured by chemical and microbiological methods. Storage at 60 degrees resulted in the progressive formation of lactulosyl-lysine. After 9 weeks, 30% of the lysine groups were present in this form. The powders still retained their natural colour and the levels of tryptophan, methionine, cyst(e)ine and leucine remained unchanged. Storage at 70 degrees resulted in the formation of lactulosyl-lysine followed by its complete degradation with the development of browning. Available tryptophan, methione, leucine and isoleucine decreased progressively during storage. The different methods for lysine determination gave widely dissimilar results. The direct fluorodinitrobenzene (FDNB) technique and reactive lysine from furosine were considered to be the most reliable methods. The FDNB-difference, dye-binding lysine, Tetrahymena and Pediococcus methods all seriously underestimated reactive or available lysine in heat-damaged milk powders. Tetrahymena and Pediococcus appeared to utilize lactulosyl-lysine as a source of lysine. The results are discussed in relation to storage and distribution of milk powders in hot climates.

Metabolism of heat-damaged proteins in the rat. Inhibition of amino acid uptake by "unavailable peptides" isolated from enzymic digests of heat-damaged cod fillet

1. An extract containing "unavailable" small peptides was isolated from an enzymic digest of heat-damaged cod fillet and examined for its influence on uptake of leucine in the rat small intestine, using the everted-sac technique. 2. The extract strongly inhibited the uptake of leucine. It had no effect on uptake of glucose or its metabolism to lactate. 3. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept (Buraczewski, Buraczewska & Ford, 1967) that the accumulation of "unavailable peptide" material in the intestine, found in rats given heat-damaged protein, might hinder the absorption of amino acids by blocking a mechanism involved in their transport across the mucosal barrier.

2-Aminoethylphosphonic acid as an indicator of Tetrahymena pyriformis W growth in protein-quality evaluation assay

1. The concentration of 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid (AEP) in 96 h cultures of Tetrahymena pyriformis W was studied in order to apply it as an indicator in the assay of the relative nutritive value (RNV; protozoa population with test protein:protozoa population with whole-egg powder) of protein. Foodstuffs and food mixtures of different protein contents and qualities were used as test samples. 2. RNV values based on AEP determination (RNVAEP) were compared with corresponding values calculated from protozoa counts (RNVpc), as well as with biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU) of the same proteins assayed on rats. 3. Both for foodstuffs and food mixtures highly significant correlations were found between RNVAEP and RNVpc, RNVAEP and both BV and NPU, and RNVpc and both BV and NPU. 4. AEP content in the protozoal suspension was preferred to cell count as a measure of growth response, since it took into account large differences in cell dimensions that were observed between cultures grown with different test proteins.

Analysis for availability of amino acid supplements in foods and feeds: biochemical and nutritional implications

In formulated diets based on cereal grains, lysine and/or methionine are usually deficient as well as often being the first amino acids limiting the nutritional value of such diets. Deficiency of these two amino acids in nutritional practice is compensated by synthetic L-lysine and DL-methionine supplementation or by the introduction of various protein sources - rich in lysine and methionine. Among all essential amino acids lysine is most liable and subject to damage during the processing of foods and feeds which can cause the "deepening" of the lysine deficiency not on the total but on the physiologically-available lysine basis. Hence, the simultaneous lysine deficiency and biological "sufficiency" problem is discussed using examples of practical diets in which a balance of biologically-active substances was achieved by the formulation and optimalisation according to the needs of animals, taking into account physiological lysine "accessibility" - "availability". Growth rate, nitrogen balance data and chemical composition of the tissue in long term trials are the most valid indication justifying the quantity of amino acid supplements to the practical diets. Prediction of the practical results of dietary amino acid balance from various short-term chemical and biological tests can give misleading results. Their application in nutritional practice is restricted to particular types of foods/feeds, and to specific processing systems and test conditions. Observations of the appearances of most limiting, dietary amino acids in the blood after the meal do not provide a complete nutritional characteristics of practical rations due to complex regulatory mechanisms in protein and amino acid metabolism much of which are not yet fully understood.

An improved method for the microbiological assay of available amino acids in proteins using Tetrahymena pyriformis

1. A standard microbiological procedure for the assay of available amino acids in proteins using Tetrahymena pyriformis has been modified by evaluating cell growth from the tetrahymanol content of the cultures by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). 2. This modification improves the precision of the method compared with cell-counting techniques and provided automatic injection facilities are available for the GLC, the procedure is not excessively time-consuming. 3. It has been confirmed that enzymic predigestion is essential for all except the most soluble proteins and a satisfactory method using pronase has been incorporated into the microbiological procedure. 4. After enzymic digestion of the sample, growth of Tetrahymena with many proteins can be measured turbidimetrically, but particulate matter still persists with a proportion of samples, particularly those of plant origin, and the GLC method is therefore more widely applicable. It is also more precise. 5. Good agreement has been obtained between a chick bioassay and the modified Tetrahymena assay for available lysine in eight different proteins, including heat-damaged fish meals. 6. The modified procedure appeared to give good results for available tryptophan and methionine. 7. When cystine was omitted from the standard culture medium it was possible to test for available methionine plus cystine, but further work is required to assess the reliability of this particular assay.