Nutritional quality of sunflower seed protein fraction extracted with isopropanol

This study investigated the nutritional effect of sunflower seed proteinfraction (SSPF) extracted with isopropanol on growth, plasma and tissuelipid profile, protein content and erythrocyte membrane lipid profile ofrats. Dehulled sunflower seeds were extracted with isopropanol at 50±1 ^°C resulting in a protein fraction (71.5%) with low residualchlorogenic acid (0.07%) and fiber (3.3%) contents. Rats fed thesunflower seed protein fraction had a similar body weight gain and foodefficiency ratios in comparison to those fed casein. Rats fed SSPF incontrast had a significantly higher growth and food efficiency ratio thanthe rats fed sunflower meal (SM), extracted with hexane. However,dietary proteins exerted a separate effect on plasma total cholesterol,low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein to highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C) ratio and triglyceridecontent. Sunflower seed protein fraction resulted in a significantdecrease in plasma cholesterol (p < 0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (p <0.02) levels compared to the casein fed rats. Membrane phospholipidprofile also showed a marked variation with the type of dietary protein.Rats fed SSPF and SM did not show much variation in plasma lipids, plasmaproteins, liver and brain lipids and membrane phospholipid concentrations.Protein content, liver and brain lipid profile of the groups fed SSPF andcasein were comparable, suggesting that the nutritional value of SSPF isbetter than SM and equivalent to that of casein.