Amino-Acid Composition of Proteins in Hulled and Naked Oats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the balance of essential amino acids in proteins of hulled and naked oat varieties relative to the “reference” protein (defined on the basis of the FAO/WHO amino acid score) and find out whether it is possible to increase the proportion of essential amino acids in food products and compound animal feeds containing oats. The study was conducted in 2018–2022 in Samara oblast. The Konkur hulled oat variety and the Bekas and Baget naked oat varieties were examined. The highest content of essential amino acids was recorded in naked oat varieties: 39.9–41.0 g/kg. The total content of critical amino acids (lysine, methionine, and tryptophan) in naked oat varieties is 9.4–9.6 g/kg, which is 1.1–1.3 g/kg higher compared to the Konkur hulled variety. The content of essential amino acids per 1 g of protein in the Konkur variety is 249.7, 268.4 mg in the Bekas variety, and 262.9 mg in the Baget variety (69.4, 74.6, and 73.0% of the FAO/WHO recommended standards, respectively). The excess of some essential amino acids in naked oat varieties (whose amino acid scores exceed 100%) disrupts the balance between essential amino acids compared to the “reference” values, thus, increasing the amino-acid score dissimilarity factor (AASDF). It reaches 24.2% in the Konkur variety, 33.9% in the Bekas variety, and 35.5% in the Baget variety; as a result, the biological value of proteins in the Bekas and Baget naked varieties is lower compared to the Konkur hulled variety. The high content of essential amino acids in proteins of naked oat varieties makes it possible to use their grains as a balancing ingredient in food products and forages of high nutritional value.