Effects of Dietary Lamb and Beef Meat on the Growth and Protein Utilization in Rats

양고기와 쇠고기의 식이가 흰쥐의 성장과 단백질 이용성에 미치는 영향

This study was carried out to compare the protein quality of lamb and beef meat. by feeding to growing rats. Sixty weanling rats, 30 males and 30 females, were blocked into 12 groups(6 gruops of males and 6 groups of females). They were fed casein. beef, or lamb as a protein source at two levels, 6 and 15%, for 5 weeks. The amount of food intake. food efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio. body weight gain. and the weights of skeletal muscles and liver were measured. Nitrogen retention, protein content in the liver and skeletal muscles, and the levels of protein and cholesterol in the serum were also assayed. Summarzing the results, there were no significant differences between lamb and beef on the growth and nitrogen utilization in the rats fed same percentage of protein diet. However. rats fed 15% protein diet showed significantly higher growth rate than those fed 6%. Therefore, it can be concluded that lamb is as good a protein food as beef in terms of protein quality.