Nutritional quality of sesame seed protein fraction extracted with isopropanol.

The nutritional effect of diet containing decorticated sesame seed extracted with isopropanol (DSS-Iso) was evaluated on growth performance, food efficiency ratio, plasma and tissue lipid profile, plasma protein content, and erythrocyte membrane lipid profile of rats on a comparative basis with diets containing casein (control), soybean meal, and decorticated sesame seed extracted with hexane (DSS-Hex). Rats fed a DSS-Iso-based diet showed body weight gain and food efficiency ratio similar to those of the control groups fed diets prepared with casein, soybean meal, and DSS-Hex. However, dietary proteins exerted a separate effect on plasma lipid concentrations of the rats. Rats fed a DSS-Iso-based diet showed significant decreases in plasma total cholesterol (p < 0.01), triglyceride (p < 0.01), and VLDL+LDL cholesterol (p < 0.01) concentrations in comparison to the rats fed diet containing casein. No significant differences in plasma lipid concentrations were observed for the rats fed diets prepared with soybean meal, DSS-Hex, and DSS-Iso. Rats fed the different dietary proteins did not show much variation in plasma proteins, liver lipids, and erythrocyte membrane lipid concentrations, which suggests that DSS-Iso could be a suitable edible protein like casein or soybean meal.