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Proteins: Protein Composition

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PROTEINS

👉🏼PROTEIN COMPOSITION

Proteins: This name was suggested by Mulder in 1838 to the complex organic
nitrogenous substances found in animal and plant tissues. Protein is the basic
material for every living cell and is the most important of all known substances in
organic kingdom. It is the only nutrient that can make new cells and rebuild the worn
out cells.

Definition: Proteins are large, complex, organic compounds made up of carbon,


hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The presence of nitrogen distinguishes proteins from
carbohydrates and fats. Apart from nitrogen some other elements such as sulphur,
phosphorus, copper and iron are also found in some proteins.

The basic units of proteins are the amino acids. Each amino acid contains an acidic
group and an amino group. Proteins consist of chains of amino acids that are linked
to each other by a peptide linkage.

Amino acids:- Proteins are made up of small units called amino acids. Some 24
Amino acids are stated to be needed by human body of which 9 are called Essential
Amino Acids (EAA) because our body cannot synthesize them in required amounts.
So they must be obtained from dietary proteins. A protein is said to be "biologically
complete" if it contains all essential amino acids in required amount. When one or
more EAA is lacking that is called "biologically incomplete". The quality of dietary
protein is closely related to its pattern of amino acids. From nutritional stand point,
animal proteins are rated superior to vegetable proteins because they are biologically
complete.

👉🏼EIGHT ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS

Essential Amino Acid

➖ Leucine

➖ Isoleucine

➖ Histidine

➖ Lysine

➖ Tryptophan

➖ Phenylalanine

➖ Methionine
➖ Threonine

➖ Valine

Semi EAA

➖ Arginine

➖ Tyrosine

➖ Cysteine

➖ Glycine

➖ Serine

Non EAA

➖ Glutamic acid

➖ Aspartic Acid

➖ Alanine

➖ Proline

➖ Hydroxy proline

➖ asparagine

Non essential amino acids does not mean that these amino acids are not required by
the body. If they are lacking in the diet, they can be synthesized by the body from
other amino acids.

👉🏼 CLASSIFICATION OF PROTEINS

Proteins may be classified in two ways:-

1) On the basis of their structure.

2) On the basis of their quality.

➡️ Classification by structure: On the basis of structure, we can classify them in three


following types.

Simple Proteins: These proteins are made up of amino acids only e.g. zein in corn,
albumin in egg white and globin in haemoglobin, etc.

Conjugated proteins: These are the proteins which are combined with a non-protein
molecules. eg. Haemoglobin (Protein + Haem), mucin (Protein + Carbohydrate) and
lipoprotein (Protein + Lipid).
Derived Proteins: These are produced by the actions of acids, alkalies, heat and
enzymes on native proteins, eg. peptones and polypeptides are formed when
digestive enzymes begin their action on proteins.

➡️Classification by quality: Proteins are again classified into three groups on the
basis of their quality.

Complete Proteins or first class proteins:- These proteins contain all essential amino
acids in sufficient proportions and amounts to meet the body's need. A complete
protein food has high BV and they are found in animal foods. This protein is also
called 'biologically complete' protein. Eggs, milk, meat, fish and poultry are complete
protein foods.

Partially complete proteins or second class proteins. They do not contain all the
essential amino acids in required amount. They are capable of maintaining life but
cannot promote growth. They are found in plant foods. Cereals, pulses, nuts and oil
seeds are partially complete protein foods.

Cereals contain inadequate amounts of essential amino acid lysine and pulses are
deficient in methionine.

Incomplete proteins: They are deficient in a lot of amino acids and are incapable for
growth and repair of body cells. They cannot maintain life. One or more essential
amino acids may be completely lacking, e.g. gelatin lacks three essential amino acids
and is the only animal protein which is incomplete.

👉🏼 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEINS

Important functions of proteins are as follows

1) Growth and body building :- The primary function of protein is the synthesis of body
cells. All body tissues and fluids except urine and bile are made up of protein.
Proteins are the major constituent of muscles, organs, endocrine glands and
collagen. Collagen is the main structural protein of bones, tendons, ligaments, skin,
blood vessels and connective tissue. All enzymes and some hormones are made up
of proteins. During periods of rapid growth, additional proteins are needed.

2) Maintenance of wear and tear: Protein is required by all age groups for continuous
maintenance of all body cells. Cells have a varying life span and protein is needed to
replace the old and worn out cells.

3) Regulatory functions:- Certain amino acids and proteins have highly specialized
functions in the regulation of body processes and protection against diseases. Their
regulatory functions are listed below:

a) Haemoglobin, an iron containing protein in the red blood cells, carries the oxygen
to the tissues.

b) Plasma protein maintains water balance and regulates the osmotic pressure in the
body.

c) Antibodies are made up of proteins which protect us by increasing the body's


resistance to diseases.
d) All enzymes and some hormones, i.e. insulin, regulate blood sugar level. Enzymes
act
as specific catalysts to metabolic processes in the body.

e) Some amino acids have specific functions, eg. tryptophan serves as a precursor
for niacin. Tyrosine helps to form thyroxine in combination with iodine.

f) Energy Proteins are a potential source of energy. Each gram of protein yields on
the average 4 kcal. If the diet does not supply adequate calories from fats and
carbohydrates, the protein will be oxidized to meet the energy needs of the body.

g) Synthesis of certain substances like antibodies, enzymes, hormones and


coagulating factors is another important function of the protein.

h) Others:- Protein provides amino acids for growth of foetus in pregnancy and for the
production of milk during lactation; so extra proteins are advisable during pregnancy
and
lactation.

👉🏼DIETARY SOURCES OF PROTEINS

We obtain proteins from two main dietary sources :-

(1) Animal sources: Milk, meat, eggs, cheese, fish and fowl. These proteins contain all
the EAA in adequate amounts. Egg proteins are considered to be the best among
food proteins because of their high biological value and digestibility.

(2) Vegetable sources: Vegetable proteins are found in pulses, cereals, beans, nuts, oil
seeds. They are poor in EAA. In developing countries like India, cereals and pulses are
the main sources of dietary protein because they are cheap, easily available and
consumed in bulk.

👉🏼Protein contents (range) of different groups of foods.

Food groups Protein content in g/100g.

Eggs ➖ 12-14

Meat, fish ➖ 18-24

Milk fresh ➖ 3.5-4

Milk dried whole ➖ 26-28

Milk dried skimmed ➖ 33-38

Oilseeds and nuts ➖ 18-40

Pulses ➖ 18-24

Cereals and millets ➖ 6-14


Fresh vegetables (roots and tubers) ➖ 1-1.5

👉🏼 Supplementary action of proteins :- Man derives protein from variety of food


sources. Some sources like cereal proteins are deficient in lysine and threonine and
pulse proteins are lacking in methionine. These are known as "limiting" amino acids.
So when we eat two or more of vegetarian foods together (e.g. rice and dhal) their
proteins supplement each other and provide a protein equal to animal protein in
respect to EAA. This is known as supplementary action of proteins and it is very
helpful to the nurses and other medical staff for counselling the people to eat mixed
diet. Thus with proper planning, it is possible to guide vegetarian to obtain a high
grade protein at low cost from mixed diets of cereals, pulses and vegetables.

👉🏼 Assessment of Protein Status :-Growth monitoring is an important yardstick for


protein assessment. Other tests include arm circumference, serum albumin,
transferrin and total body nitrogen, etc. The best measure is serum albumin
concentration. It should be more than 3.5 g/dl. Below this level, it indicates
malnutrition.

👉🏼 Digestion and absorption: The digestion of proteins takes place in the stomach
and intestines. The proteolytic enzyme present in gastric juice is called pepsin. It acts
on proteins in an acid medium and hydrolyses them to simpler componds known as
polypeptides. In the intestine, proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin and
peptidases) present in the pancreatic and intestinal juices hydrolyse the polypeptides
to free amino acids. The aminoacids are absorbed in the small intestines and enter
the blood circulation through the
portal vein. Blood carries them to all parts of the body.

👉🏼 Protein Metabolism - The chief use of protein is to provide material for body
building. Protein can also be used as body fuel. Excess protein and unsuitable protein
are split up in the liver to form body fuel in the form of glucose and secondly urea or
nitrogenous waste matter. This process is known as the deamination of the amino
acids. The nitrogenous content of the amino acids is converted first into ammonia
which, for the most part, combines with carbonic acid and splits up into urea and
water in the liver. The glucose is either burnt or stored as required. The urea is readily
soluble and being useless for fuel is carried away by the blood stream and excreted
by the kidneys. Protein also serves as fuel in condition of starvation.

The waste products of protein metabolism are urea, uric acid and creatinine. All these
protein wastes are excreted by the kidneys in the urine.

About 30 gm of urea leave the body each day in this way, as also to traces of uric acid
and creatinine.

👉🏼 Biological value of protein - It is an index of protein quality. It is defined as the


amount of absorbed nitrogen retained in the body. Biological Value (BV) is a
quantative measure of the nutritive value of a protein food. A protein of high BV will
retain more nitrogen than a protein of low BV. The perfect protein has a BV of 100.
Egg has 100 BV, milk and fish has 85 and of meat it is 75. Cereals and pulses
consumed together will have a higher BV than the individual cereal or pulse. Amino
acids deficient in cereals will be compensated by the amino acids present in pulses.

Write RDA of protein as I have given in class..


Notes by :
Justin sir

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