The protein quality of a food is determined by the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), and the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS).
The study was done with growing pigs. All pigs were fed every day with their assigned diets. Three diets were prepared: 1) with protein from raw pistachios; 2) with protein from roasted pistachios; and 3) a nitrogen-free formulated to measure basal amino acid and crude protein. Pistachio proteins were included in each diet as the only amino acid containing ingredient.
After the analyses, the study showed that raw pistachios had a PDCAAS of 73 and roasted pistachios had a PDCAAS of 81. The DIAAS was numerically greater for raw pistachio nuts than for roasted pistachio nuts with values of 86 and 83, respectively. Both greater than 75, an indicator of good protein quality.
This is the first study to determine protein quality of pistachio nuts by both the PDCAAS and DIAAS methods. Results show that pistachios both raw and roasted can be considered a good quality protein source.
Bailey, H. M., & Stein, H. H. (2020). Raw and roasted pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera L) are "Good" sources of protein based on their digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) as determined in pigs. Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 10.1002/jsfa.10429. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10429
The study was done with growing pigs. All pigs were fed every day with their assigned diets. Three diets were prepared: 1) with protein from raw pistachios; 2) with protein from roasted pistachios; and 3) a nitrogen-free formulated to measure basal amino acid and crude protein. Pistachio proteins were included in each diet as the only amino acid containing ingredient.
After the analyses, the study showed that raw pistachios had a PDCAAS of 73 and roasted pistachios had a PDCAAS of 81. The DIAAS was numerically greater for raw pistachio nuts than for roasted pistachio nuts with values of 86 and 83, respectively. Both greater than 75, an indicator of good protein quality.
This is the first study to determine protein quality of pistachio nuts by both the PDCAAS and DIAAS methods. Results show that pistachios both raw and roasted can be considered a good quality protein source.
Bailey, H. M., & Stein, H. H. (2020). Raw and roasted pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera L) are "Good" sources of protein based on their digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) as determined in pigs. Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 10.1002/jsfa.10429. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10429