Effect of detoxification of castor seed (Ricinus communis) protein isolate on its nutritional quality.

Nutritional quality of the castor meal protein isolate detoxified using boiling and lime cum heat treatments was evaluated in experiments with rats. Chemical scores of both the treated isolates were similar, threonine being the first limiting amino acid. The calculated nutritional indices (essential amino acid index) and PER were higher for the boiled isolate (1.3) than that was for lime-cum-heat treated (0.86). Though, necropsy examination of organs did not reveal any abnormalities, histopathological changes were observed in the organs-liver, kidney, intestine that could be attributed to the deficiency of essential amino acids in the detoxified castor protein isolates.