Abstract

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AMINO ACID COMPOSITION IN SELECTED ANIMAL AND PLANT PROTEINS: NUTRITIONAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Sujatha Perumal Sivakumar*, Pavithran Saminathan

ABSTRACT

This study compares the amino acid composition of selected animal and plant proteins to evaluate their nutritive value and biological significance. Animal proteins, such as casein (Sample A) from milk and gelatine (Sample B) from China grass, and plant proteins, such as gluten (Sample C) and soybean protein (Sample D), were hydrolyzed under acidic and alkaline conditions, and the resulting amino acids were separated by two-dimensional paper chromatography. The study revealed that casein and soybean proteins contain all essential amino acids, conferring high biological value, whereas gelatine and gluten were deficient in certain amino acids, such as tyrosine and lysine, respectively. These findings confirm that protein source and processing conditions significantly influence amino acid availability. The results also underscore the toxicological importance of a balanced amino acid intake, as deficiencies or excesses of specific amino acidscan disrupt metabolic pathways and contribute to oxidative stress or cellular dysfunction.

Keywords: Animal protein, Plant protein, Casein, Gelatine, Gluten, Soybean, Amino acid composition, Nutritional value, Paper chromatography, Toxicology, Oxidative stress.