Research Article
Protein Quality Evaluation of Some Commonly Consumed Bird
Egg Varieties Using Amino Acid Scores
Eridiong O. Onyenweaku ,
1,2
Levi U. Akah ,
3
Hema Kesa ,
2
David A. Alawa ,
4
Patricia A. Ebai ,
5
Ukoha U. Kalu ,
6
Ikutal Ajigo ,
4
and Valentine J. Owan
7,8
1
Department of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
2
School of Tourism & Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
3
Department of Human Kinetics & Health Education, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
4
Department of Vocational Education, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
5
Department of Home Economics, ENSET, Douala University, Douala, Cameroon
6
Department of Zoology & Environmental Biology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
7
Department of Educational Foundations, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
8
Ultimate Research Network (URN), Calabar, Nigeria
Correspondence should be addressed to Valentine J. Owan; owanvalentine@gmail.com
Received 15 April 2022; Revised 25 May 2022; Accepted 3 June 2022; Published 12 July 2022
Academic Editor: N´ estor Guti´ errez-M´ endez
Copyright © 2022 Eridiong O. Onyenweaku et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Objective. Food proteins provide amino acids (AAs) and serve as building blocks of all vital organs, muscles, hormones, and
biological fluids such as blood. Eggs are known as a good source of protein. is study compared the protein quality of bird eggs
(raw and boiled), using their AA scores since some individuals consume raw eggs for various reasons. Research Methods. Eggs
studied were exotic chicken, local chicken, turkey, quail, and guinea fowl eggs. e eggs were shelled and their contents (boiled and
raw) lyophilized. e standard AOAC method (Kjeldahl) was used to determine protein content, while the amino acid com-
position was measured using an AA analyzer. e total AA scores were calculated based on the whole hen’s egg AA profiles.
Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05. Results. e Guinea fowl egg had the highest total amino acid score (TAAS) of
0.92. e other scores ranged as follows: 0.82 (quail) >0.81 (turkey) >0.75 (exotic chicken), and the lowest score was 0.65 (local
chicken). e least scores were phenylalanine: 0.34 (exotic chicken), phenylalanine and serine: 0.36 (local chicken), leucine and
aspartic acid: 0.41 (turkey), methionine: 0.31 (quail), and glutamic acid: 0.33 (guinea fowl). Also, guinea fowl egg had the highest
total essential amino acid (TEAA) (49.6 g/100 g protein), i.e., % TEAA (55.1%), while exotic chicken egg had the lowest (41.1%),
but the highest % NEAA (58.9%). Conclusion. Guinea fowl eggs had the highest EAA and TAA content. Its consumption should
particularly be encouraged for children as this can significantly reduce the risk of protein-energy malnutrition and prevent
protein deficiencies.
1. Introduction
Diets and nutritious meals are necessary for sustaining good
health and avoiding sickness. Recent global increases in
malnutrition have prompted many studies on the impact of
different cuisines on human health and well-being.
Depending on their nutritional composition, certain foods
are deemed healthier than others [1]. “e nutrient
composition/quality of various foods depends on several
factors: species, breeds, cultivars, ecological factors, post-
harvest handling, preservation, and storage techniques” [1].
In this study, we focused on different eggs and the variation
in their protein content.
Foods may be grouped broadly into cereal grains, eggs,
fat replacers, fats and oils, fish, fruits, herbs and spices,
legumes, meat and poultry, milk and milk products, nuts and
Hindawi
Biochemistry Research International
Volume 2022, Article ID 6536826, 7 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6536826