U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Research on the Biochemistry of FoodProteins

该奖项支持食品蛋白质生物化学方面的合作研究。这项工作将由加州大学戴维斯分校的John Whitaker和他的同行，巴西坎皮纳斯大学的Valdemiro Sgarbieri共同领导。从普通豆类中提取的蛋白质营养质量相对较低，因为消化率低，必需氨基酸蛋氨酸含量低。不适当的储存条件会进一步降低这些品质。这项工作将有助于更好地了解蛋白酶和a-淀粉酶抑制剂作为抗营养因子的作用，并为蛋氨酸在储存过程中的损失提供基础。对巴西和包括美国在内的世界其他国家的营养来说，一个主要的好处将来自于种植豆类的营养价值的增加。此外，对豆类蛋白质的性质和特性以及影响这些特性的因素和机制的进一步了解，将在未来使这种对两国都很重要的食品材料得以更快地升级。调查人员的合作卓有成效。这项工作将扩大卓有成效的合作。

This award supports cooperative research in the biochemistry of food proteins. The work will be conducted by John Whitaker of the University of California at Davis along with his counterpart scientist, Valdemiro Sgarbieri of the University of Campinas in Brazil. Proteins derived from common beans have a relatively low nutritional quality because of low digestibility and low levels of an essential amino acid, methionine. These qualities are further reduced by improper storage conditions. This work will provide a better understanding of the role of protease (protein enzymes) and a-amylase inhibitors as antinutritive factors and the basis of methionine loss in storage. A major benefit to the nutrition of Brazil and other countries in the world, including the U.S., will result from increased nutritive value of cultivated beans. In addition, increased understanding of the nature and properties of bean proteins and the factors and mechanisms that influence those properties will, in the future, permit a more rapid upgrading of this food material important to both countries. The investigators have worked productively together. This work will extend a fruitful collaboration.