In Vitro Digestibility and Kinetic Modelling of Pea and Brown Rice Protein Powder Blends at Different Mixing Ratios
Keywords:
Bioavailability, Digestibility, Plant protein, Pea protein, Brown rice proteinAbstract
Global trend suggests a dietary shift from animal-based to plant-based diets, indicating a growing demand in related markets. As such, plant-based protein sources have raised scientific interest for their health benefits and sustainability. Plant-based protein powders are nutritional supplements derived from protein-rich plants and serve as an alternative of protein source for vegan, athletes and consumers with dietary restrictions. However, plant-based proteins often lack one or more essential amino acids and exhibit lower digestibility, thus requiring combination with other proteins to ensure nutritional adequacy. This study investigates the digestibility aspect of commercialized plant-based protein isolates. To overcome the imbalanced amino acid profile and low digestibility of plant-based protein powder, a blend of pea and brown rice protein isolate was formulated. The effects of mixing different blending ratios on digestibility were studied using in vitro digestibility test and FTIR spectroscopy. Protein release kinetics of digested protein samples were modelled using zero order, first order, Higuchi and Hixson-Crowell models. The results show that blending pea with brown rice protein isolate improved digestibility compared to pure protein isolates. Pea to brown rice ratio of 4:1 recorded the highest digestibility (75.14%), justified by the FTIR analysis result that indicated fewer functional groups and bonds. The optimal ratio was determined to be 7:3 pea to brown rice protein isolate. Majority of samples can best be described by Higuchi model suggesting a diffusion-controlled release mechanism.
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