Protein and amino acid digestibility of 15 N Spirulina in rats
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Protein and amino acid digestibility of 15N Spirulina in rats Romain Tessier1 · Juliane Calvez1 · Nadezda Khodorova1 · Claire Gaudichon1 Received: 24 December 2019 / Accepted: 14 August 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Purpose Spirulina is often used as dietary supplement for its protein content and quality. However, in vivo data on protein digestibility are lacking. This study aims to determine nitrogen and amino acid digestibility in rats. A secondary objective was to test the effect of sonication prior to ingestion to break cell walls. Methods Wistar rats were fed a single test meal containing 15N Spirulina that was either sonicated (n = 11) or not (control, n = 13). Rats were euthanized 6 h after the meal ingestion. Spirulina nitrogen digestibility was measured by assessment of 15 N recovery in digestive contents. Amino acid digestibility was measured by quantification of the caecal amino acid content and their 15N enrichment. Results Real fecal nitrogen digestibility was 86.0 ± 0.7%, without any differences between groups. Mean 15N amino acid caecal digestibility was 82.8 ± 1.3%, and values ranged between 77.9 ± 1.9% for serine and 89.4 ± 1.0% for methionine. No effect of sonication was observed. The most limiting AA was histidine, with a chemical score of 0.98 and a PD-CAAS of 0.84. Lysine was also limiting in a lesser extent. Conclusion The nitrogen and amino acid digestibility of Spirulina is relatively low, and showed no effect of prior sonication. Its amino acid composition is relatively well balanced but not enough to compensate for the poor digestibility. Keywords Bioavailability · Amino acid composition · PD-CAAS · Stable isotopes Abbreviations AA Amino acid Asx Aspartate and asparagine APE Atom percent excess CS Chemical Score DM Dry matter EA Elemental analyzer GC-C Gas chromatography coupled to a combustion furnace Glx Glutamate and glutamine IAA Indispensable amino acid IRMS Isotope-ratio mass spectrometer N Nitrogen SEM Standard error of the mean PD-CAAS Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score
* Claire Gaudichon [email protected] 1
Université Paris‑Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR PNCA, 75005 Paris, France
SS Sonicated Spirulina UHPLC Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography
Introduction Spirulina is a cyanobacteria of the genus Arthrospira. Two species, A. platensis and A. maxima, are primarily used in food supplements for their high protein content, which varies between 50 and 70%, depending on growing conditions [1]. They also contain large amounts of β-carotene, vitamin B12 and iron [1], which are presumed to have health benefits such as anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral effects [1]. Furthermore, it has been shown that the protein amino acid composition of Spirulina meets FAO requirements [2]. Although Spirulina contains less histidine and methionine than bovine milk [3], its composition is more balanced than many plant protein sources, making it a potentially useful
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