Available amino acid score for evaluating protein quality of foods.

Amino acid scores corrected for true digestibility of individual amino acids (as determined by rat balance method) were termed "available amino acid scores" in the present investigation. Available amino acid scores were calculated for 7 protein sources and their 10 supplementary or complementary mixtures which have been tested in collaborative amino acid and rat growth assays for evaluating protein quality. The available amino acid scores were as follows: casein + methionine (100); egg white (100); rapeseed protein concentrate, RPC (94); casein (93); beef (89); soya assay protein, SAP (62); pea flour (61); whole wheat flour, WW (38); SAP + methionine (88); pea flour + methionine (72); WW + lysine (67); WW + casein (84); WW + egg white (79); WW + RPC (65); WW + beef (77); WW + SAP (70); and WW + pea flour (75). These scores were similar to the collaborative relative NPR values; the differences were less than 10 units (2-9 units) in most cases. The positive correlation (r = 0.92) between available amino acid scores and relative net protein ratio (RNPR, a rat growth method) values was highly significant (P less than 0.01) and the origin of the regression line (y = 0.92x + 1.88) was not significantly different from zero. Amino acid bioavailability has previously been a problem, preventing widespread acceptance of amino acid score. Available amino acid score solves this problem.