Measurement of Digestibility of Alfalfa Protein Concentrates by in vivo and in vitro Methods

Abstract

The in vitro protein digestibility of alfalfa protein concentrate was assayed by two previously described methods, papain and pepsin–pancreatin, and by a pepsin-trypsin method developed in our laboratory. The values obtained with those two systems involving pepsin showed a high degree of correlation with protein digestibility values obtained in rat feeding trials. Poor correlation was obtained with the papain digestion. Protein concentrates prepared from alfalfa by the PRO-XAN process showed protein digestibilities in the range 80.5 to 99.9% digestible.