Nutritive Quality of Simulated Milk Mixtures Prepared from Tropical Plant Products

Abstract

SUMMARY– Using products of tropical plants taro, soybeans and coconut for carbohydrate, protein and fat, mixtures to simulate cow's milk were prepared. These were tested on rats for the quality of protein, the utilization of calcium, the effect of vitamin B, and the composition of blood and liver. Calcium retention was significantly better for the milk than for the mixtures. The quality of the protein was measured by the PER and the NPU. Coconut milk in the diet raised the NPU of the mixtures from 36.5 to 41.2 by raising the nitrogen storage in the body. Vitamin B12 raised the NPU of Poi‐II from 40.4 to 50.0 by raising both the nitrogen intake and the nitrogen storage, the latter to a greater degree. The NPU of the mixtures Poi‐II ranged from 50.0 to 51.1 and were similar to the NPU of 54.4 for Sobee, were lower than the NPU of 76.6 for Similac and 80.8 for milk. Blood hemoglobin and liver lipid and moisture of rats fed the mixtures Poi‐II and milk were similar and within the normal range. It is concluded that the mixture Poi‐II is similar to Sobee for protein quality, similar to milk for hemoglobin formation and deposition of lipid and moisture in the liver, and poorer than milk for the retention of calcium.