The following experiment tested the quality of proteins present in the diet of undernourished children in the city of Quissamã, Rio de Janeiro, and then conducted the same tests adding variables: multi-mixture or powder of cassava leaf. The subjects used were 48 Rattus norvergicus, Wistar, males, 24 days old, and weighing 58.95 g. They were fed water and ration ad libitum. In the first phase, called Undernourishment, the animals were divided into three groups: control group, Quissamã group and no proteins group. The control group was fed a ration based on casein and the Quissamã group was fed a ration based on the Quissamã diet. Both of these groups had 8 rats. The no proteins group, with 32 animals, was fed during 10 days a diet with no proteins. In the second phase, called Recovery, which lasted for 18 days, the control group and Quissamã group were fed the same diet. The no proteins group was subdivided into four groups: the undernourished control group, which was fed the same diet as that of the control group; the undernourished Quissamã group, which was fed the same diet as that of the Quissamã group; the undernourished Quissamã group plus powder of cassava leaf; and the undernourished Quissamã group plus multi-mixture. Then, the Protein Efficiency Ratio and the Net Protein Retention were determined for both the control group and the Quissamã group. The results showed significant statiscal differences between these two groups, with the Quissamã Group reaching relative Net Protein Retention and Protein Efficiency Ratio of 71.54% and 66.04 respectively, in relation to the control Group. The Protein Efficiency Ratio Modified was determined for the undernourished groups. The undernourished control group showed significant statiscal differences in relation to the other groups. In this case, the undernourished Quissamã group, the undernourished Quissamã group plus powder of cassava leaf and the undernourished Quissamã group plus multi-mixture reached Relative Protein Efficiency Ratio Modified of 78.10%, 75.72% and 74.67% respectively in relation to the undernourished control group. These tests showed that the presence of the multi-mixture or the powder of cassava leaf in the Quissamã diet had no positive effects in the diet quality since there were no signs of improvement of undernourishment in the animals tested.
multi-mixture; powder of cassava leaf; diet; rats; protein quality; food quality
