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Improvement in the nutritional quality of bread
1Western Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|January 1, 1991
Summary
The dipeptide glutamyl-lysine partially supports mouse growth, acting as a lysine source in bread fortification. Further research is needed to explore its potential in low-lysine foods.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional biochemistry
- Animal nutrition
- Food science
Background:
- Lysine is an essential amino acid crucial for growth.
- Low-lysine content in staple foods limits nutritional value.
- Dipeptides like glutamyl-lysine are potential lysine sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate glutamyl-lysine as a nutritional lysine source in mice.
- To compare glutamyl-lysine with lysine HCl in various dietary contexts.
- To assess glutamyl-lysine utilization in fortified bread.
Main Methods:
- Animal feeding trials with amino acid-based and wheat gluten diets.
- Supplementation of wheat bread with lysine or glutamyl-lysine (co-baked and not).
- Metabolic studies using U-14-C glutamyl-lysine.
Main Results:
- Glutamyl-lysine showed about half the growth response of lysine in amino acid diets.
- Lysine fortification effects on wheat gluten depended on concentrations.
- Glutamyl-lysine effectively improved weight gain in whole bread, similar to lysine.
- Bread crust had lower nutritive value than crumb or whole bread.
Conclusions:
- Glutamyl-lysine is digested in the kidneys and utilized as a lysine source in vivo.
- Glutamyl-lysine shows promise for fortifying low-lysine foods.
- Further investigation of glutamyl-lysine and related peptides is warranted.