OBJECTIVE: The study was developed to evaluate the protein quality of four multimixtures distributed in communities in Alfenas, MG, Brazil, to combat malnutrition. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomaly assigned to one of six groups (n=6) and individually housed in stainless steel cages on controlled temperature (25ºC, standard deviation 2ºC) for 14 days. The standard group was fed a casein diet, control group was fed a free nitrogen diet and four-test groups were fed different multimixture diets. A biological assay was carried out to determine the protein quality by Protein Efficiency Ratio, Net Protein Ratio, Net Protein Utilization and True Protein Digestibility. RESULTS: The Multimixture test groups showed lower (p<0.05) Protein Efficiency Ratio, Net Protein Ratio and digestibility than casein group. The net retention protein from multimixture test groups was lower (p<0.05) than casein group, except the group fed with multimixture contained a higher powdered milk proportion and was not added with powdered seeds, leaf cassava and egg shell powders in their formula. The multimixture digestibility was roughty 89% however the protein retention was approximately 27%. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the multimixture showed low protein retention, did not promote adequate animal growth and was not capable of maintaining body weight in one multimixture test-group.
malnutrition; diet; multimixture; rats
