In vitro digestibility of protein and amino acids in protein mixtures

Six protein sources, casein, field peas, peanut meal, wheat flour, rapeseed and soya bean concentrate and their blends (ratio 1:1) were subjected to in vitro enzymic digestion. Wheat flour had the lowest in vitro digestibility (30% in 6 h) while the other sources had similar digestibilities (40%). Basic and aromatic amino acids were the most readily liberated from these protein sources. Some protein combinations, such as a rapeseed/field pea blend, gave in vitro digestibilities higher than calculated from individual proteins. The type of response observed could not be predicted from either nitrogen digestibility or amino acid composition of the individual sources. The digestibility of some amino acids was modified and this could be due to varying affinity of digestive enzymes for the protein.     

Effect of frying various legumes under optimum conditions on amino acids,in vitro protein digestibility,phytate and oligosaccharides

The effects of optimum conditions of frying soybean, broad bean and Polish pea on proximate analysis and amino acid composition were investigated. Maximum water absorption of 192.93, 129.05 and 148.68% for soybean, broad bean and Polish pea was reached after soaking periods of 16.41, 17.84 and 16.45 h respectively. Sensory evaluation of different temperatures (150, 170 and 190 °C) and frying times (5, 10 and 15 min) for preparing soybean, broad bean and Polish pea indicated that there was a significant difference (P < 0.01) between treatments. The most acceptable fried soybean, broad bean or Polish pea was obtained after frying at 190 °C for 5 min. All the processed legumes under investigation had higher protein digestibility as measured in vitro and minimum reduction in total amino acid composition. The optimum frying process is an effective method for lowering phytate content (myo‐inositol hexaphosphate) by 89.77, 67.70 and 82.88% respectively as well as causing considerable loss of total oligosaccharides by 64.35, 16.16 and 49.44%. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of precooking time and drying temperature on the physico-chemical characteristics and in-vitro carbohydrate digestibility of taro flour

Achu is a thick porridge obtained by cooking and pounding taro (Colocasia esculenta) corms and cormels in a mortar. This study was undertaken with the objective of producing precooked taro flour that can be used in the preparation of achu. Taro slices were precooked to times of 0, 20, 45 and 90 min and dried in an air convection oven at varying temperatures of 50, 60, 70 or 80 °C before milling into flour which was then analysed for its water absorption capacity (WAC), water solubility index, emulsion activity and stability, bulk density, foam capacity and least gelation concentration (LGC). Achu made from the flours were equally analysed for their relative penetrometric index, bulk density and colour. The results showed that precooking induced significant (P<0.05) decrease in foam capacity, penetrometric index, and increase in LGC, emulsion stability and WAC. The drying temperature also induces significant reduction in emulsion capacity and stability, penetrometric index, and increase in LGC, WAC. Long precooking time (>45 min) and drying temperature (>60 °C) induced significant reduction of the in-vitro carbohydrate digestibility of taro achu.     

The apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids and the digestible energy content of naked oats (Avena sativa cv Bandicoot) fed to growing pigs

An experiment was conducted to determine the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids and the digestible energy (DE) content of two samples of naked oats (Avena sativa cv Bandicoot) and to compare these parameters in wheat (Triticum aestivum cv Machete) and dehulled oats (groats; Avena sativa cv Echidna). Four Large White male pigs were fitted with simple T-piece ileal cannulae and allocated to experimental diets in a 4×4 Latin square design. Amino acid digestibility coefficients were determined after continuous eight hour collections of digesta over two consecutive days using acid-insoluble ash as an indigestible marker. Digestible energy was determined using grab samples of faeces. No significant difference between the four test cereals was found in the digestibility of all amino acids, except for proline and lysine. The apparent ileal digestibility of lysine in wheat (0·87) and two samples of naked oats (0·89 and 0·82, respectively) was lower (P<0·05) than dehulled oats (0·91). The mean DE value of the naked oats samples was 16·96 MJ kg⁻¹ (air-dry basis). The results suggest that Bandicoot naked oats and dehulled oats are superior amino acid and DE sources to wheat and have potential for use in weaner and grower pig diets. © 1998 SCI.     

Supplementation of pearl millet flour with soybean protein: effect of cooking on in vitro protein digestibility and essential amino acids composition

In vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) and amino acids profile of pearl millet (Dempy cultivar) supplemented with soybean protein (5–15%) were investigated. Supplementation of dempy flour with soybean protein steadily decreased IVPD with increasing the portion of soybean in the blend. The in vitro protein digestibilities of the cooked supplemented dempy flours were higher when compared with the raw ones, whereas the highest value was that of the 5% soybean protein. All essential amino acids of dempy flour were enriched on supplementation with soybean protein. The levels of amino acids increased with increasing the amount of soybean protein in the blend. Essential amino acids in dempy supplemented with 15% soybean are comparable to those in the FAO reference pattern. Supplementation increased significantly lysine to 1.5–2.4 folds. Essential amino acids content remained higher in the cooked composite flours when compared with the cooked native dempy flour.     

加热处理对大豆乳清中胰蛋白酶抑制剂活性以及大豆乳清蛋白体外消化率的影响

采用胃蛋白酶-胰蛋白酶两步体外消化法测定了加热对大豆乳清蛋白的体外消化率的影响。与没有经过加热的对照蛋白相比,适当的加热处理可以提高蛋白的体外消化率,80℃,10min处理的体外消化率达到最高。加热对抑制剂的破坏是正相关,加热处理的程度越高,胰蛋白酶抑制剂活性降低的百分比就越大。1000℃,50min处理以及120℃,8min处理可以将其活性降低到90％以下,达到充分消除豆制品中抗营养因子的目的。     

Ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of protein and amino acids in treated soybean meal products

Four lactating dairy cows equipped with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to determine the impact of different methods of treating soybean meal (SBM) on the ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of crude protein and AA. Solvent-extracted SBM (SE), expeller SBM (EP), lignosulfonate SBM (LS), and heat and soyhulls SBM (HS) were incubated in the rumen in nylon bags for 48, 24, 16, 8, 4, 2, and 0 h according to National Research Council (2001) guidelines. Additional samples of each SBM product were also incubated for 16 h in the rumen; the residues from these bags were transferred to mobile bags, soaked in pepsin HCl, and then used for determination of intestinal digestibility in situ or in vitro. Treatment of SBM (EP, LS, HS) protected the crude protein and AA from ruminal degradation, increasing rumen undegradable protein from 42% in SE to 68% in EP. Kinetic analysis of crude protein and AA degradation in the rumen revealed that, compared with LS and HS, EP exhibited slower rates of degradation but a shorter lag phase and a higher proportion of soluble protein. For all SBM products, the pattern of ruminal degradation, at 16 h of incubation, was characterized by extensive degradation of Lys and His, whereas Met and the branched-chain AA were degraded to the least extent. Estimates of intestinal digestibility of AA and crude protein were lower when measured in vitro than in situ; the magnitude of the difference between the 2 methods was greater (25%) with treated SBM products than with SE (10%). The availability of essential and nonessential AA was consistently greater (30%) with treated SBM than with SE. Among the treated SBM products, 4 essential AA (Ile, Leu, Phe, and Val) showed differences in availability, with values consistently lower for HS than for LS. This study showed that, based on in situ measures, heat and chemical treatment of SBM enhanced AA availability, and that compared with HS, EP and LS had a higher potential to enhance the AA supply to the small intestine of high-producing dairy cows.     

Ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of protein and amino acids in soybean and corn distillers grains products

New fractionation and fermentation technologies in the ethanol industry have resulted in the production of different forms of distillers grains (DG). Such products are reduced-fat, high-protein, and “modified” wet feeds. Characterization of protein fractions of these co-products and other commonly used feedstuffs is important for the formulation of dairy cattle diets. In situ and in vitro techniques were conducted to compare crude protein (CP) availability in 4 DG products with commonly used soybean proteins. Soybean protein products included solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM; 44% CP), expeller soybean meal (ESBM), and extruded soybeans (ES). The DG products were conventional distillers dried grains with solubles, reduced-fat distillers dried grains with solubles (RFDGS), high-protein distillers dried grains, and modified wet distillers grains with solubles (MWDGS). Nylon bags containing 5 g of each feed were incubated in the rumen of 3 cannulated lactating cows for 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 48 h. The rapidly degradable CP fraction varied from 8.1 to 37.2% for SBM and MWDGS, respectively. The slowly degradable CP fraction was greatest for SBM, ES, and high-protein distillers dried grains (88.0% ± 3.7), followed by ESBM, distillers dried grains with solubles, and RFDGS (76.8 ± 4.1%). The MWDGS had the lowest slowly degradable CP fraction (61.1%). The rate of degradation of the slowly degradable CP fraction ranged from 11.8 for SBM to 2.7%/h for RFDGS. Rumen-undegradable protein varied widely (32.3 to 60.4%), with RFDGS having the greatest and SBM the lowest concentrations. Intestinal digestibility of rumen-undegradable protein (IDP) was estimated by pepsin-pancreatin digestion of ruminally preincubated (16 h) samples. The IDP was greatest for SBM, ESBM, and ES (97.7% ± 0.75), whereas IDP of DG products was 92.4% ± 0.87. Similarly, total digestible protein was greatest (99.0%) for soybean products, whereas DG products had a total digestible protein of 96.0%. Intestinal digestibility of most AA in DG products exceeded 92% and was slightly lower than for soybean products, except for Lys, where the digestibility was 84.6% for DG compared with 97.3% for soybean products. Absorbable Lys was lower for DG (7.0 g/kg of CP) compared with ESBM and ES (average of 23.8 g/kg of CP). Dried DG, ESBM, and ES provided more absorbable AA compared with SBM and MWDGS. These results suggest that the AA availability from DG products is comparable with that from soybean products.     

Comparative study of phytic acid content,in-vitro protein digestibility and amino acid composition of different types of flat breads

Phytic acid content of eight different types of leavened and unleavened flat breads was determined. It was highest in unleavened and non-fermented whole wheat chapati and lowest in the leavened and fermented white wheat flat bread roghni nan. The effect of baking conditions, bread composition and phytic acid content on in-vitro digestibility of protein was measured using a pepsin multienzyme pH stat technique. The amino acids released were separated by ultrafiltration. The rate of protein digestibility of flat bread and amino acid released depended upon the type of flour used, baking conditions, phytic acid content and other antiproteolytic constituents of breads. Leavening and fermentation of breads resulted in an increase of protein digestibility and availability of amino acids. Addition of soya flour increases the protein digestibility of breads whereas millet flour decreases it.     

Ruminal degradation and intestinal digestibility of protein and amino acids in high-protein feedstuffs commonly used in dairy diets

A study was conducted to determine the rumen degradation and intestinal digestibility of crude protein (CP) and AA, and AA composition of the rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) from 3 sources of blood meal (BM1, BM2, and BM3), canola meal (CM), low-fat distillers dried grains with solubles (LFDG), soybean meal (SBM), and expeller soybean meal (ESBM). Two Holstein cows fitted with ruminal and proximal duodenal cannulas were used for in situ incubation of 16 h and for the mobile bag technique. To correct for bacterial contamination of the RUP, 2 methods were used: purines and DNA as bacterial markers. Ruminal degradations of CP were 85.3, 29.8, 40.7, 75.7, 76.9, 68.8, and 37.0 ± 3.93% for BM1, BM2, BM3, CM, LFDG, SBM, and ESBM, respectively. Ruminal degradation of both total essential AA and nonessential AA followed a similar pattern to that of CP across feedstuffs. Based on the ratio of AA concentration in the RUP to AA concentration in the original feedstuff, ruminal incubation decreased (ratio <1) the concentrations of His, Lys, and Trp, and increased (ratio >1) the concentrations of Ile and Met across feedstuffs. Compared with purines, the use of DNA as bacterial marker resulted in a higher estimate of bacterial CP contamination for CM and lower estimates for LFDG and ESBM. Intestinal digestibility of RUP could not be estimated for BM1, BM3, and SBM due to insufficient recovery of residue. For the remaining feedstuffs, intestinal digestibility of RUP was highest for ESBM, followed by BM2 and LFDG, and lowest for CM: 98.8, 87.9, 89.7, and 72.4 ± 1.40%, respectively. Intestinal absorbable dietary protein was higher for BM2 compared with CM and LFDG, at 61.7, 17.9, and 20.7 ± 2.73% CP, respectively. As prices fluctuate, intestinal absorbable protein or AA may be used as a tool to aid in the selection among feedstuffs with different protein quality.     

Technical note: Methodological and feed factors affecting prediction of ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of essential amino acids

We hypothesized that ruminal degradability of essential AA (EAA) and the intestinal digestibility of the ruminally undegraded EAA residue in feeds could be evaluated in a meta-analysis. The objective was to characterize methodological factors for ruminal incubation (time of incubation of feed in situ) and method of simulating digestion of the ruminally undegraded AA (incubation of residue in digestive enzymes in vitro or in mobile bags inserted into the duodenum). To increase numbers of observations, feeds were categorized before ANOVA. An approach is described to predict differential ruminal degradability (or undegradability) of individual EAA by normalizing them as a proportion of total AA (TAA) degradability (undegradability) and similarly to normalize the intestinal digestibility of EAA using TAA. Interaction of feed category with individual EAA justifies future studies with a broader range of feeds and more replication within feed to bolster this approach. With broader data, the approach to normalize EAA as a proportion of TAA should allow a better defined EAA library to be integrated with more robust CP databases (that can be updated with specific feed information from more routine laboratory analyses) in dairy supply-requirement models.     

In vitro digestibility of individual amino acids in rumen-undegraded protein: The modified three-step procedure and the immobilized digestive enzyme assay

Three soybean meal, 3 SoyPlus (West Central Cooperative, Ralston, IA), 5 distillers dried grains with solubles, and 5 fish meal samples were used to evaluate the modified 3-step in vitro procedure (TSP) and the in vitro immobilized digestive enzyme assay (IDEA; Novus International Inc., St. Louis, MO) for estimating digestibility of AA in rumen-undegraded protein (RUP-AA). In a previous experiment, each sample was ruminally incubated in situ for 16 h, and in vivo digestibility of AA in the intact samples and in the rumen-undegraded residues (RUR) was obtained for all samples using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay. For the modified TSP, 5 g of RUR was weighed into polyester bags, which were then heat-sealed and placed into Daisy^II incubator bottles. Samples were incubated in a pepsin/HCl solution followed by incubation in a pancreatin solution. After this incubation, residues remaining in the bags were analyzed for AA, and digestibility of RUP-AA was calculated based on disappearance from the bags. In vitro RUP-AA digestibility estimates obtained with this procedure were highly correlated to in vivo estimates. Corresponding intact feeds were also analyzed via the pepsin/pancreatin steps of the modified TSP. In vitro estimates of AA digestibility of the feeds were highly correlated to in vivo RUP-AA digestibility, which suggests that the feeds may not need to be ruminally incubated before determining RUP-AA digestibility in vitro. The RUR were also analyzed via the IDEA kits. The IDEA values of the RUR were good predictors of RUP-AA digestibility in soybean meal, SoyPlus, and distillers dried grains with solubles, but the IDEA values were not as good predictors of RUP-AA digestibility in fish meal. However, the IDEA values of intact feed samples were also determined and were highly correlated to in vivo RUP-AA digestibility for all feed types, suggesting that the IDEA value of intact feeds may be a better predictor of RUP-AA digestibility than the IDEA value of the RUR. In conclusion, the modified TSP and IDEA kits are good approaches for estimating RUP-AA digestibility in soybean meal products, distillers dried grains with solubles, and fish meal samples.     

True ileal amino acid digestibility of goat and cow milk infant formulas

Goat milk is used as an alternative to cow milk for the production of infant formulas. However, little is known about the protein quality and, specifically, about the digestible AA pattern of goat milk formulas compared with their cow milk counterparts. In this study, the true ileal AA digestibility of a goat milk infant formula was compared with a premium cow milk infant formula. The 3-wk-old piglet was used as a model for the 3-mo-old infant. Both milk formulas were prepared as described by the manufacturer, with titanium dioxide added as an indigestible marker. The formulas were fed to the piglets over a 2-wk trial period. Digesta from the terminal ileum were collected post euthanasia and analyzed for AA content, along with samples of the formulas. True AA digestibility was determined after correcting for endogenous AA loss at the terminal ileum of pigs fed an enzyme-hydrolyzed casein-based diet, followed by ultrafiltration (5,000 Da) of the digesta. Total urine and feces collection was also undertaken to determine the nitrogen retention from the diets. The true ileal AA digestibility was similar between the goat and cow milk infant formulas for all AA except Gly and Trp. There was no significant difference in the nitrogen retention of piglets fed the two different formulas. The goat milk infant formula and the premium cow milk infant formula were similar in terms of protein quality.     

Technical note: A comparison of alkali treatment methods to improve neutral detergent fiber digestibility of corn stover

The objective of this study was to compare neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility of corn stover that had been treated by 2 alkali treatment methods. Two experiments were conducted to test a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment method that uses an ethanol/water co-solvent (NaOH/ethanol-H₂O, United States Patent No. 20140220228) and a calcium hydroxide (CaOH) treatment method, which uses water as a solvent (CaOH/H₂O). An in situ trial was conducted to compare NDF digestion kinetics between NaOH/ethanol-H₂O-treated stover, CaOH/H₂O-treated stover, untreated corn stover, and soy hulls. The digestion rate of potentially digestible NDF (k_d) of NaOH/ethanol-H₂O-treated corn stover (5.36%/h) was higher than CaOH/H₂O-treated stover (2.27%/h), or untreated corn stover (1.76%/h) and similar to the k_d of soy hulls (4.93%/h). The indigestible NDF (iNDF) fraction of untreated corn stover (35.1% of NDF) was reduced by CaOH/H₂O treatment (27.3% of NDF) and by NaOH/ethanol-H₂O treatment (2.8% of NDF). The iNDF fraction in soy hulls (3.6% of NDF) was similar to iNDF of NaOH/ethanol-H₂O-treated stover. An in vivo digestibility trial was also conducted to compare fiber digestibility of diets supplemented with untreated corn stover, NaOH/ethanol-H₂O-treated corn stover, or soy hulls. Total-tract apparent dry matter (DM) and NDF digestibility were measured with 8 lactating Holstein cows in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square with four 21-d periods. Apparent DM digestibility (DMD) was improved when supplemental soy hulls were added to the base diet (60.0% DMD) compared with the base diet with no supplemental fiber (57.7% DMD). Apparent DM digestibility was reduced when diets were supplemented with untreated stover (52.4%). Dry matter digestibility of NaOH/ethanol-H₂O-treated stover was similar (54.8% DMD) to all other treatments. Digestibility of NDF was lowest when cows were fed the diet with supplemented untreated stover (35.5% of NDF), and improved when soy hulls (40.6% of NDF) or NaOH/ethanol-H₂O-treated stover (43.8% of NDF) were added to the diets. The NaOH/ethanol-H₂O treatment process improves the DM and NDF digestibility of corn stover to values similar to those of soy hulls.     

Effects of alkali or acid treatment on the isomerization of amino acids

The effect of alkali treatment on the isomerization of amino acids was investigated. The 100×D/(D+L) values of amino acids from peptide increased with increase in the number of constituent amino acid residues. Furthermore, the N-terminal amino acid of a dipeptide was isomerized to a greater extent than the C-terminal residue.     

Digestibility of amino acids in soya-bean,sunflower and groundnut meal,measured in pigs with ileo-rectal anastomosis and isolation of the large intestine

Each of four littermate male pigs of 25 kg liveweight was surgically adapted to create a bypass of the large intestine by ileo-rectal anastomosis. The large intestine was sealed at both ends and a cannula was exteriorised from the lumen to allow any products of residual fermentation to escape. Ileal digesta were excreted via the anus. Three isonitrogenous diets were formulated containing soya-bean or groundnut (dehulled) or sunflower (not dehulled) meals as the sole protein sources. Each diet was fed, in turn, for 7 consecutive days to all pigs, and Heal digesta from feeds on days 5 and 6 (indicated by chromic oxide addition to feeds) were collected. This procedure was conducted twice for each diet. Apparent digestibility coefficients (AD) of nitrogen (N) and amino acids were calculated (as percentages of the respective intake). AD of N and the majority of amino acids of soya-bean and groundnut meals were greater (P<0.05) than those of sunflower meal. In the order soya-bean, groundnut and sunflower meal, coefficients were: for lysine, 87.7, 83.5, 71.0% (standard error of the differences between means (SED) 1.06); for threonine, 81.0, 80.5, 74.4% (SED 1.03); for methionine, 89.1, 84.9, 88.5% (SED 0.49); and for the sum of the amino acids, 85.4, 88.1, 78.8% (SED 0.75).     

氨酸对嗜酸乳杆菌生长及冻干的影响

探讨了氨基酸对嗜酸乳杆菌生长的影响.采用单因子试验研究了16种氨基酸对嗜酸乳杆菌增菌效果和抗冷冻效应,结果表明,谷氨酸、精氨酸、亮氨酸、赖氨酸、甲硫氨酸、脯氨酸、苯丙氨酸显著促进嗜酸乳杆菌生长,丙氨酸、异亮氨酸、半胱氨酸、丝氨酸、苯丙氨酸、大冬氨酸、甘氨酸、脯氨酸能提高嗜酸乳杆菌抗冷冻能力.研究发现,向发酵液中添加异亮氨酸0.03g/L、半胱氨酸0.03g/L、天冬氨酸0.03g/L、丝氨酸0.03g/L、甘氨酸0.03g/L组成的复合氨基酸或半胱氨酸0.03g/L、天冬氨酸0.03g/L、丙氨酸0.03g/L、甘氨酸0.03g/L组成的复合氨基酸,均可使嗜酸乳杆菌冻干存活率达到95%以上,而对照组只有42.95%.     

Effect of gamma irradiation parameters on the in-vitro digestibility of β-lactoglobulin

Radiation level and protein conformation during irradiation may modify a protein's response to ionising energy and change its nutritional value. Effects of gamma irradiation on protein in-vitro digestibility and amino acid release were investigated using β-lactoglobulin as a model protein. Irradiation with ⁶⁰Co was performed at a range of 1–50 kGy on liquid or frozen samples atA_w 0.93, with pH adjusted to 5.2 or 7.0, and on dry samples atA_w 0.13. Amino acid composition, in-vitro protein digestibility and amino acid release were not impaired by irradiation at the highest dose of 50 kGy. Thus the nutritional quality of β-lactoglobulin was not affected by irradiation in a dose range likely to be used in food processing.     

Effects of Trolox and ascorbic acid on the riboflavin photosensitised oxidation of aromatic amino acids

The effects of 0, 100, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 ppm Trolox and ascorbic acid on the singlet oxygen oxidation of aromatic amino acids viz. phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine in the presence of 25 ppm riboflavin were determined by measuring depleted headspace oxygen by gas chromatography and aromatic amino acid content by high performance liquid chromatography. The coefficients of variations (CVs) for headspace oxygen analysis and HPLC analysis of aromatic amino acids were 1.4% and 4.7%, respectively. Samples were stored under light (1000 lux) at 30 °C for 10 h. Both Trolox and ascorbic acid acted as antioxidants. As the concentration of Trolox and ascorbic increased from 0 to 1000 ppm, the head space oxygen depletion increased. This was due to the oxidation of Trolox and ascorbic acid along with amino acids in the presence of riboflavin. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of the samples clearly indicated that both Trolox and ascorbic acid minimised the degradation of phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine significantly (p < 0.05), but did not prevent their oxidation completely. Trolox acted as a better antioxidant than ascorbic acid in protecting phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine. Type-I mechanism was mainly responsible for riboflavin photosensitised degradation of aromatic amino acids.     

Quantitative gas-liquid chromatography of amino acids in enzymic hydrolysates of food proteins

A method is described for analysing amino acids released from food proteins by the combined but sequential action of papain and pronase E. Amino acids liberated in this way were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography (g.l.c.) as their N-trifluoroacetyl n-butyl esters. Prior to proteolysis, presolubilisation of the proteins was achieved in 0.05MHCl. Of over 30 different food proteins analysed, more than 90% of the total nitrogen was recovered, showing that the process achieved virtually complete enzymic hydrolysis with little destruction of amino acids. The amino acid data obtained by g.l.c. analysis of enzymic hydrolysates were compared to those of cation-exchange (CIE) analysis and to profiles obtained from acid, performic acid and alkaline hydrolytic procedures. Intraclass repeatability analysis was used to test reproducibility of each amino acid value within the three procedures used to obtain the profile. Although individual amino acid values differed somewhat, on the whole, there was good agreement (r=0.742) between values from g.l.c., CIE analysis of enzymic hydrolysates and CIE analysis of acid, performic acid and alkaline hydrolysates.