Cereal proteins

By definition, the term ‘cereal’ applies strictly to those genre and species of the grass family – Gramineae) that have been domesticated for food and feed production, most often as seed products.

Cereals protein in general are low in the amino acids tryptophan and methionine and lysine, but most cereals contain the essential amino acids required by humans, as well as vitamins and minerals. Oats have higher levels of indispensable (essential) amino acid and are thus nutritionally superior to other cereal.

Cereal proteins are characterized in two ways, by determination of amino acid composition and by the relative proportions of the fractions characterized by solubility and other criteria.

Barley, sorghum, rye and oat proteins have lower digestibilities (77-88 percent) than those of rice, maize, and wheat (95-100 percent).

The biological value and net protein utilization of cereal proteins is relatively low due to deficiencies in essential amino acids and low protein availability.

All cereal products are deficient in the amino acid lysine, but the deficiency may be greater in ready to eat cereals than in bread because of the changes that occur in the protein at the high temperature treatment.

Cereal proteins