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Amino Acid Composition and Biological Value of Cereal Germs

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Amino Acid Composition and Biological Value of Cereal Proteins

Abstract

Cereal germs, rich in protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fiber, are well known for their nutritional contributions to foods and feeds. They are readily available in large quantities as a by-product of the huge yearly crop of cereals.

The composition of different cereal germs varies greatly. Rye and wheat germs have more protein and less fat than corn, rice and sorghum germs.

Cereal germs contain an adequate level of lysine. Since most cereal products are deficient in lysine, cereal germs are ideally suited to be used as nutrient fortifiers for cereal foods. So far as the protein composition is concerned, cereal germs are generally low in isoleucine, cystine, and methionine as compared to cereal endosperms. The nutritive value of proteins in cereal germs is approximately equivalent to that of animal proteins, as demonstrated by feeding studies.

The protein digestibility is reported in wheat germ to vary from 79.5 to 92.8%, in rice germ to range from 81.4 to 86.9%, and in corn germ to fluctuate from 76 to 85% by different investigators with in vitro or in vivo procedure.

Wheat and rice germs contain antinutritional factors including hemiagglutinin and trypsin inhibitors. However, corn germ does not show to have such factors to affect its protein digestibility.

Acceptable bakery foods and other cereal products have been successfully developed with cereal germs as one of their ingredients. Additional research and development work is needed to explore fully the potential use of cereal germs in foods to divert more germs from the feed lot to the food market to enhance their nutritional contribution and marketing value.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA

    Cho C. Tsen

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  1. Cho C. Tsen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Food Technology, Technical University of Budapest, Hungary

    Radomir Lásztity  & Máté Hidvégi  & 

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© 1985 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary

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Tsen, C.C. (1985). Amino Acid Composition and Biological Value of Cereal Germs. In: Lásztity, R., Hidvégi, M. (eds) Amino Acid Composition and Biological Value of Cereal Proteins. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5307-9_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5307-9_27

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8844-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-5307-9

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