Limiting amino acids in bengal gram (Cicer arietinum) as determined from blood amino acid levels and amino acid supplementation studies in the rat.

The limiting amino acids of Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum) were determined from plasma amino acid score and ratio and growth response of weanling rats to supplements of amino acids. The results indicated that methionine, threonine and tryptophan are the most limiting amino acids. Protein efficiency ratio of raw and cooked Bengal gram fed at a dietary level of 10% protein increased from 2.7 to 3.7 and 2.4 to 3.4, respectively, on supplementing the diets with methionine, threonine and tryptophan. Plasma levels of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan were similar in rats fed raw or cooked Bengal gram, indicating that the trypsin or other inhibitors that may be present in the raw gram do not affect the biological availability of these amino acids.