True ileal amino acid digestibility and digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAASs) of plant-based protein foods

Yohan Reynaud (1, 2) , Caroline Buffière (3) , Benoît Cohade (3) , Mélissa Vauris (3) , Kevin Liebermann (3) , Noureddine Hafnaoui (3) , Michel Lopez (1) , Isabelle Souchon (4) , Didier Dupont (2) , Didier Rémond (3)

1 Improve SAS
2 STLO - Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Oeuf
3 UNH - Unité de Nutrition Humaine
4 SayFood - Paris-Saclay Food and Bioproduct Engineering

Plant-based protein foods are increasingly common, but data on their nutritional protein quality are scarce. This study evaluated it for seitan (wheat-based food), tofu (soya-based food), soya milk, and a pea emulsion. The true ileal digestibility (TID) of their amino acids was determined in minipigs, to calculate the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS). The TID of the proteins was high and not significantly different between the foods tested: 97% for seitan, 95% for tofu, 92% for soya milk and 94% for pea emulsion. There were only minor differences in individual amino acid TIDs. DIAAS ranking was thus essentially driven by the amino acid composition of the food: soya-based food > pea emulsion > seitan. Nevertheless, the lower TID of sulphur-containing amino acids in tofu than in soya milk induced a significant decrease in DIAAS (from 117% to 97%), highlighting the importance of the matrix effect on nutritional protein quality.

Mots clés: DIAAS; Digestibility; Food matrix; Pea; Plant protein; Soya; Wheat

Domaines: Alimentation et Nutrition

Yohan Reynaud, Caroline Buffière, Benoît Cohade, Mélissa Vauris, Kevin Liebermann, et al.. True ileal amino acid digestibility and digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAASs) of plant-based protein foods. Food Chemistry, 2021, 338, pp.1-7. ⟨10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128020⟩. ⟨hal-02946774⟩