Protein Quality Evaluation of Some Commonly Consumed Bird Egg Varieties Using Amino Acid Scores

Abstract

Objective. Food proteins provide amino acids (AAs) and serve as building blocks of all vital organs, muscles, hormones, and biological fluids such as blood. Eggs are known as a good source of protein. This study compared the protein quality of bird eggs (raw and boiled), using their AA scores since some individuals consume raw eggs for various reasons. Research Methods. Eggs studied were exotic chicken, local chicken, turkey, quail, and guinea fowl eggs. The eggs were shelled and their contents (boiled and raw) lyophilized. The standard AOAC method (Kjeldahl) was used to determine protein content, while the amino acid composition was measured using an AA analyzer. The total AA scores were calculated based on the whole hen’s egg AA profiles. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05 . Results. The Guinea fowl egg had the highest total amino acid score (TAAS) of 0.92. The other scores ranged as follows: 0.82 (quail) >0.81 (turkey) >0.75 (exotic chicken), and the lowest score was 0.65 (local chicken). The least scores were phenylalanine: 0.34 (exotic chicken), phenylalanine and serine: 0.36 (local chicken), leucine and aspartic acid: 0.41 (turkey), methionine: 0.31 (quail), and glutamic acid: 0.33 (guinea fowl). Also, guinea fowl egg had the highest total essential amino acid (TEAA) (49.6 g/100 g protein), i.e., % TEAA (55.1%), while exotic chicken egg had the lowest (41.1%), but the highest % NEAA (58.9%). Conclusion. Guinea fowl eggs had the highest EAA and TAA content. Its consumption should particularly be encouraged for children as this can significantly reduce the risk of protein-energy malnutrition and prevent protein deficiencies.

Effect of habituation and gene silencing on blood biochemical traits in local chicken indicative of their level of welfare

“…High total protein in the blood plasma could be the result of an increase in the concentration of immunoglobulins in the plasma (Abdulateef et al, 2021), which occurs as a result of pathological infection. The analysis of total protein in the blood compares the amount of albumin to globulin, whilst globulin constitutes 40% of the proteins in the blood, and albumin constitutes 60% of the total proteins (Onyenweaku et al, 2022).…”

Impact of Habituation and Gene Silencing on Blood Biochemical Indicators and Welfare in Local Chickens

“…As for the level of total protein, T3 recorded a significant superiority under probability (P≤0.05) overall treatments. The reason for the high level of total protein in the fourth treatment may be attributed to inflammatory diseases, immune disorders (Bagno et al, 2021), or hepatitis, whereas, the increase in total protein in the plasma could be the result of an increase in the concentration of immunoglobulins in the plasma (Abdulateef et al, 2021), which occurs as a result of the pathological infection, where the analysis of total protein in the blood compares the amount of albumin to globulin, globulin constitutes 40% of the proteins in the blood, while albumin constitutes 60% of the total proteins (Onyenweaku et al, 2022).…”

Haematinic and Hepatoprotective Properties of Telfairia occidentalis Fruit Mesocarp on Phenylhydrazine-Induced Anaemia in Experimental Rats

“…In addition, the increase in malnutrition globally has prompted several studies on the impact of different foods on human health and well-being. Depending on their nutritional value, certain foods are considered healthier than others [ 11 ]. According to FAO [ 12 ], the composition/quality of various foods depends on several factors: species, breeds, cultivars, ecological factors, postharvest handling, preservation, and storage techniques.…”