Effect of detoxification on biological quality of wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernel.
BACKGROUND
Despite rich source of protein and oil, wild (bitter) apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernel is rarely exploited by food industries due to high amount of antinutrients and potentially toxic amygdalin. This study was aimed to assess the effect of detoxification on the biological quality of the wild apricot kernel (WAK)-supplemented diet in male Wistar albino rats.


RESULTS
In order to detoxify, WAK flour was soaked in 25% sodium chloride solution for 24 h followed by washing and drying. Results revealed that detoxification significantly (P < 0.05) improved the nutritional quality by reducing the content of antinutrients (tannins, flavonoids, trypsin inhibitor, saponins, oxalates, phytates and hydrocyanic acid) from raw WAK. When compared with the raw kernel group, the detoxified WAK group exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) higher values for growth performance parameters - namely feed consumed (169.14 ± 3.40 versus 152.14 ± 1.59 g), protein consumed (16.91 ± 0.63 versus 15.21 ± 0.68 g), weight gain (64.77 ± 2.59 versus 48.74 ± 0.62 g), protein efficiency ratio (3.83 ± 0.33 versus 3.20 ± 0.36), feed efficiency ratio (0.38 ± 0.017 vs 0.32 ± 0.02), biological value (73.62 ± 4.53 versus 65.26 ± 4.60%), apparent protein digestibility (78.55 ± 1.37 versus 70.35 ± 2.66%), true protein digestibility and net protein utilization, suggesting a prominent effect of detoxification in order to improve the biological quality of the WAK.


CONCLUSION
Detoxification improved the biological quality of the WAK-supplemented diet. Hence, detoxified kernel flour could be utilized as an economic and quality source of protein and oil for the supplementation of value-added food products. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
['Tanwar|Beenu|B|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5223-3207', 'Modgil|Rajni|R|', 'Goyal|Ankit|A|']
D000821:Animal Feed D000818:Animals D005433:Flour D005511:Food Handling D008297:Male D009753:Nutritive Value D010940:Plant Proteins D000068219:Prunus armeniaca D051381:Rats D017208:Rats, Wistar D012639:Seeds D013634:Tannins
detoxification biological quality wild apricot kernel nutritional quality antinutritional factors