Rat serum proteins and nutritional quality of full-fat soy flour: application of response surface methodology

A study was conducted to diagnose nutritional status by determining total serum proteins and electrophoretic patterns of protein reserves. Serum proteins are affected by privation of several amino acids. The purpose of the present research work was to evaluate protein quality of full-fat soy flour (FFSF) obtained from various hydrothermal processes by measuring changes in the serum proteins of Wistar rats. Response surface methodology was used as tool to determine the optimum conditions of hydrothermal process. The mean values of total serum proteins for the experimental group fed treated FFSF, were beta 0 = 5.12 +/- 0.13 g%; for the untreated FFSF group, C1 = 4.60 +/- 0.28 g%, and for the control group fed casein, C2 = 5.63 +/- 0.33 g%. All these values differ at 5% of significance (p less than or equal to 0.05). Results confirmed that treated full-fat soy flour is nutritionally superior to untreated FFSF, but not to casein.