Patent ID: 9738920
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: C12Q,G01N

Claim:
1. A method comprising: combining a sample containing a protein with at least one enzyme configured to simulate mammalian protein digestion, thereby at least partially hydrolyzing the protein and producing therefrom a hydrolyzed protein solution; adding a spectroscopic agent to the hydrolyzed protein solution that reacts with at least one of amine terminal and carboxylic terminal groups in the hydrolyzed protein solution, thereby forming a spectroscopic analysis solution; spectroscopically analyzing the spectroscopic analysis solution and determining therefrom a value indicative of at least one of a concentration of reactive amine groups in the spectroscopic analysis solution and a concentration of reactive carboxylic acid groups in the spectroscopic analysis solution; increasing or decreasing the value indicative of at least one of the concentration of reactive amine groups and the concentration of reactive carboxylic acid groups using amino acid concentration data for an amino acid selected from the group consisting of proline, lysine, arginine, histidine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cysteine, tyrosine, and combinations thereof from the sample to calculate at least one of an adjusted amine concentration value and an adjusted carboxylic acid concentration value; and determining an in vivo protein digestibility value for the sample based on the at least one of the adjusted amine concentration value and the adjusted carboxylic acid concentration value using data that relates adjusted amine concentration values or adjusted carboxylic acid concentration values to in vivo protein digestibility values.