Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2007
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Department
Human Nutrition and Foods
Committee Chair
Janet C. L. Tou.
Abstract
Despite its abundance and nutritional value, krill has not been widely utilized for human consumption due to the lack of proper technology for protein recovery. The study objectives were to isolate krill protein concentrate (KPC) and to determine the nutritional value, health benefits, and safety of KPC for human consumption. Proximate analysis indicated KPC on a dry basis is composed of ∼78% protein and ∼8% fat of which ∼27% are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (o-3 PUFAs). The amino acid composition of KPC indicated that all nine essential amino acids were present in amounts that met the requirements for adult humans assuming sufficient protein was consumed. Protein quality measurements were determined by feeding KPC or casein diets to growing female rats. In regards to bioavailability, KPC was equal to that of casein in digestibility, protein digestibility corrected for amino acid score (PDCAAS), and protein efficiency ratio (PER). In terms of safety, there were no differences in the absolute weights of the major organs except for the kidneys. Kidney weights and total mineral content were higher ( P<0.001) in rats fed the casein compared to the KPC diet. Based on the nutritional and safety analysis, KPC appears to be a promising high quality protein source for human consumption with the advantage of being a rich source of o-3 PUFAs.
Recommended Citation
Gigliotti, Joseph Christopher, "Determination of the nutritional value, protein quality and safety of krill protein concentrate isolated using an isolelectric solubilization/precipitation technique" (2007). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 2555.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/2555