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Objective: The aim of this work was to evaluate the protein quality and the effects of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) ingestion on liver, spleen and tibial length in experimental animals. Method: For analysis of protein quality and feed efficacy, a 28-day biological assay and 18 Wistar rats were used, calculating the protein efficiency coefficient (PER), net protein ratio (NPR), chemical score corrected for protein digestibility (PDCAAS), utilization of liquid protein (NPU), in vivo digestibility and food efficiency coefficient (CEA) (AOAC). Results: Significant differences were found between PER, NPR, NPU and CEA values for quinoa (0.54; 2.58; 26.22 and 0.05, respectively) and casein (2.04; 3.84; 59.9; 0.2, respectively). As for the proximate composition, values of 11.31% of protein, 11.28% of moisture, 2.04% of ash, 7.9% of lipids and 67.47% of carbohydrates were found. No significant differences were found between digestibility values of casein (96.93%) and quinoa (92.2%). The PDCAAS value found for quinoa was 0.97. There were significant differences in relation to organ weights, except for the weight of the tibia, with casein having greater weight. Conclusion: The lowest PER, NPR, NPU and CEA values demonstrated that quinoa protein had a lower quality than milk, but that the digestibility and PDCAAS values prove that it has good protein quality and an interesting amino acid profile, requiring further studies to assess its nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: the excessive consumption of fructose can cause liver damage, characteristic of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated with changes in lipid metabolism and antioxidant defenses. Açai, the fruit of Euterpe oleraceaMart., has demonstrated numerous biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid metabolism modulating action.Objective: we evaluated the benefits of açai supplementation on liver damage caused by replacing starch with fructose in rats.Methods: thirty male Fischerrats were divided into two groups, the control group (C, 10 animals), which consumed a standard diet (AIN-93M), and the fructose (F, 20 animals) group, which consumed a diet containing 60% of fructose. After eight weeks, 10 animals from the fructose group received 2% of lyophilized açai, and were called the açai fructose group (FA). The animals were fed ad libitumwith these diets for another ten weeks. Serum, hepatic and fecal lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and carbonylated protein were assessed and histopathological characterization of the liver was performed.Results: açai promoted the reduction of ALT activity in relation to the fructose group (F), reduced alkaline phosphatase to a level similar to that of the control group (C) in relation to the fructose group (F), and reduced catalase activity. The fruit also increased the ratio of total/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) and reduced the degree of macrovesicular steatosis and the number of inflammatory cells.Conclusion: the replacement of starch by fructose during this period was effective in promoting NAFLD. Açai showed attenuating effects on some markers of hepatic steatosis and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]