Protein-nutritive assessment of sake lees obtained by brewing from liquefied rice

Sake lees obtained by brewing from liquefied rice were deprived of water and alcohol by lyophilization, and then examined for nutritional availability with the aid of proximate food analysis, amino acid analysis and animal experiment. Freeze-dried sake lees powder was comprised of 44.6% protein, 37.4% carbohydrate, 2.5% fat, 6.7% fiber, 1.8% ash and 7.2% moisture (alcohol < 0.1%), of which the nutritive value (amino acid score) was estimated as 89.6 when compared with the amino acid requirements for preschool children (FAO/WHO/UNU, 1985). Sake lees protein had been, however, appreciably improved in the limiting amino acid "lysine" relative to polished rice protein. As a result of an animal experiment, the rats fed a 50% sake lees powder diet proved to be equal in growth to those fed a 20% casein (control) diet, although the former diet had to be supplemented with vitamins and minerals, which were in shortage as compared to the control diet. On the other hand, the feeding of sake lees powder was effective in lowering the serum triacylglycerol concentration. Accordingly, sake lees powder can be assessed as a favorable candidate for not only protein-rich but also hypolipidemic provisions.