Comparison of the protein nutritional value of food blends based on sorghum, bambara groundnut and sweet potatoes.
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Abstract
The protein quality of four blends based on sprouted sorghum, bambara groundnuts and fermented sweet potatoes had been evaluated by rat feeding experiments; casein served as a reference protein. The test proteins were incorporated to make up 1.6% total nitrogen. There was an inverse relationship between % nitrogen disgestibility and the proportion of sorghum protein in the blend; being highest (89.7%) in the diets based on sorghum:bambara groundnut:sweet potatoes with protein ratios of 52:46:2. This blend proved to be optimum when the biological value (93.6%) and the net protein utilization (84%) were used as protein indices. The findings imply that foods with good protein quality could be formulated from a blend of sorghum-bambara groundnut and sweet potatoes, provided appropriate processing and blending are taken into consideration.