Nutrient composition and bioavailability of protein and energy in common fruits and vegetables prepared for human consumption

Summary

Growing rats were used as animal model to evaluate the digestibility of energy and protein digestible corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) in some common fruits and vegetable grown during two subsequent growth seasons in different cultivation systems. The ingredients were cultivated by each of three different farming strategies: LIminusP: low input of feritlizer without pesticides, LIplusP: lowinput of fertilicer and high input of pesticides and LHplusP: high input of fertilizer and high input of pesticides.
The protein quality of the dietary ingredients gave rise to the following ranking: apples, carrots, potatoes, kale and peas. The amino acid pattern in peas and potatoes complemented each other fairly well as dietary sources, while lysine turned out to be the limiting amino acid in both carrot and kale.
Years, but not cultivation system influenced the protein and amino acid content of the foods.