Effect of ratio of enzymes to substrate on amino acid patterns released from proteins in vitro.

Using an in vitro procedure, with both plant (gluten and edestin) and animal proteins (egg white and casein) as ratio of protein substrate to enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, erepsin) was increased in progressive stages, there was a change in the amino acids released; the proportions of some amino acids progressively increased, others progressively decreased while still others remained constant. The pattern of amino acids released was distinct for each protein and as substrate increased relative to enzymes, certain amino acids essential for the human increased with some proteins and decreased with others which suggests nutritional implications. The variations in amino acids released with changes in ratio of substrate to enzymes was not a random effect but an apparent orderly process. The phenomenon is termed "variable ratio effect".