Table 5 Protein quality of formulated complementary foods from maize, defatted groundnut and ginger flour blends in Wistar rats

Weight gained (g)

46.03 ± 0.82^d

68.75 ± 2.01^c

77.25 ± 1.31^b

92.25 ± 3.03^a

Food intake (g)

581.45 ± 5.11^c

552.76 ± 4.03^d

596.74 ± 4.22^b

684.76 ± 3.19^a

Feed Efficiency Ratio

0.08 ± 0.01^d

0.12 ± 0.03^c

0.13 ± 0.01^b

0.14 ± 0.01^a

Nitrogen Retention

14.51 ± 0.71^b

10.26 ± 1.02^d

18.91 ± 0.72^a

14.44 ± 0.21^c

True Digestibility (%)

78.29 ± 3.11^d

80.87 ± 2.08^c

84.44 ± 3.25^b

95.25 ± 2.11^a

Net Protein Utilization (%)

77.06 ± 5.04^d

83.63 ± 4.04^c

80.41 ± 2.78^b

95.25 ± 3.04^a

Biological value (%)

75.87 ± 3.43^d

78.40 ± 1.98^c

78.44 ± 3.33^b

93.48 ± 2.22^a

Protein Efficiency Ratio

2.86 ± 0.06^b

2.90 ± 0.02^b

3.03 ± 0.21^a

3.05 ± 0.16^a

Liver

1.12 ± 0.01^c

0.90 ± 0.01^d

1.37 ± 0.03^a

1.35 ± 0.02^b

Kidney

0.24 ± 0.01^c

0.21 ± 0.01^d

0.28 ± 0.02^a

0.25 ± 0.04^b

Heart

0.61 ± 0.03^c

0.56 ± 0.02^d

0.65 ± 0.01^b

0.69 ± 0.01^a