APPARENT DIGESTIBILITY OF BEAN PROTEIN EVALUATED IN HUMANS, RATS AND INVITRO ASSAYS

Common black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) protein digestibility was evaluated with rats, humans and in vitro assays. Four products were studied: A) Cotyledons and seed coats cooked together, evaluated without cooking liquor; B) Cotyledons and seed coats cooked together, evaluated with cooking liquor; C) Cotyledons and seed coats cooked together, evaluated without cooking liquor nor seed coats and D) Cooked cotyledons evaluated without cooking liquor. After cooking and elimination of the fractions indicated, all materials were drum-dried. Statistically different values among diets were obtained for apparent protein digestibility, in rats and in the in vitro assays. Diets A and B dit not differ statistically in rats, humans or in vitro assays. Diet D had a tendency to be different in rats, humans and in vitro values. The values for apparent digestibility in rats are considerably higher than the ones obtained for humans or in the in vitro assays, but they correlate well (p < 0.01) with the in vitro values; human apparent digestibility correlates with in vitro digestibility (p < 0.05).