[Changes in the nutritive physiological value of proteins modified by dialdehyde starch]

The reaction of dialdehyde starch with the proteins of certain model protein texturates produces changes in the nutrition physiological quality of the proteins. Under the experimental conditions chosen, these changes were barely or not at all detectable by amino-acid analysis. On using the technique of aminoacid liberation under in vitro conditions, these changes were evidenced only for lysine and arginine. The determination of the lysine availability, however, testifies to a reversible or irreversible change of lysine which reduces significantly the PER values (animal experiments) of protein texturates treated with 100% oxidized dialdehyde starch. The differences between the NPU values were but insignificant. In spite of the detectable change in protein quality, the quality of the model protein texturates tested still satisfies the criteria for proteins with a composition which is favourable from the viewpoint of nutrition physiology.