[Evaluation of protein quality in human and animal foodstuffs]

Having mentioned the present criteria for the evaluation of the protein quality, which are almost exclusively based on a numerical value, the author explains and discusses the principles of new criteria suggested since 1969. The following criteria are presented: the "Index d'Equilibre de la Protéine" of Arnould; the criteria "Total Amino Acid Value" and "Essential Amino Acid Value", outlined by GLEM-HANSEN and EGGUM; the "Nitrogen Efficiency Ratio" of EGGUM; the model of a nitrogen balance function, developed by RUFEGER; the multicompartment model for studying the resorption and metabolism kinetics of nitrogen and amino acids, as extended by KRAWIELITZKI; the functional conception of the relationships between the parameters of the nitrogen metabolism and of the laws of growth, according to GEBHARDT, and the method for determining the true amino-acid digestibility according to DAMMERS [7], EGGUM [8], WIESEMULLER [23], POPPE and co-workers [19], UHLEMANN [22] and HERRMANN [12]. Finally, the author gives suggestions for further research on the evaluation of protein quality.