COMPOSITION, FUNCTIONAL AND NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF LEAF PROTEIN-CONCENTRATES AND PLASTEINS FROM VICIA-SATIVA L AND VICIA-VILLOSA ROTH

Leaf protein concentrates (LPC) and their corresponding plasteins were prepared from Vicia sativa and Vicia villosa. The estimated yields of protein recovered were 322 and 250 kg ha(-1) for V. sativa and V. vil losa, respectively. The LPC from Vicia sativa had the following nutrit ional properties: apparent digestibility (AD), 79.3%; true digestibili ty (TD), 84.6%; biological value (BV), 68.4%; net protein utilisation (NPU), 57.8%. The values for the LPC from Vicia villosa were: AD, 83.6 %; TD, 88.8%; BV, 75.9%; and NPU, 67.4%. The nutritional properties of the LPC from Vicia villosa were consistently better than those of the LPC from Vicia sativa. The plastein reaction removed the enzyme inhib itors present in the LPCs and diminished the tannin and ash content to quite acceptable levels. The protein content increased from 50.9 and 63.7% in the LPCs to 86.6 and 87.4% in their respective plasteins. Sod ium metabisulphite was added during the protein extraction step to red uce the tannin content of the LPCs. The nutritional properties of the plastein from Vicia sativa were: AD, 84.9%; TD, 90.1%; BV, 79.4%; NPU, 71.6%. The plastein from Vicia villosa had the following values: AD, 84.6%; TD, 89.8%; BV, 79.5%; NPU, 71.3%. There were no statistically s ignificant differences among the nutritional properties of the plastei ns.