Nutritional evaluation of the protein of dried tomato pomace in the rat

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Abstract
1. Nutritional evaluation of dried tomato pomace (DTP-20) as a source of protein was carried out using weanling rats. Comparisons were made with casein (CS), soya-bean meal (SOM-45) and the hydrocarbon-grown yeast Toprina (BP-T). The growth-promoting effects of the diets were evaluated over a period of 28 d ofad lib.feeding.2. The unsupplemented DPT-20 had a protein efficiency ratio (per) of 2.18±0.13 and a net protein utilization (npu) of 0.55. The addition ofdlmethionine (5 g/kg) resulted in aperof 1.74±0.15 (t2.99,P< 0.01) and anpuof 0.40, while the addition of an amino acid mixture resulted in aperof 2.33±0.08 (t1.84,P< 0.1) and anpuof 0.70.3. The reason for the decrease in growth and the reducedperandnpuvalues recorded for the methionine-supplemented group of rats is not clear and it is discussed in connexion with an imbalance or a slight toxicity caused by the added amino acid.