Question

Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) is used as a measure of growth expressed in terms of:

• A. Weight gain of an adult by consuming 1 g of food protein.
• B. Weight gain of an adult by consuming 100 g of food protein.
• C. Protein nitrogen that is retained by the body by consuming 1 g of food protein.
• D. Protein nitrogen that is retained by the body by consuming 100 g of food protein.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) is a widely used method to evaluate the quality of dietary proteins. It is defined as the gain in body weight (in grams) per gram of protein consumed. This measure is particularly useful in assessing the ability of a protein to support growth.

• Option A: Correct. PER is calculated by measuring the weight gain of a subject (usually a lab animal or human) per gram of dietary protein consumed.
• Option B: Incorrect. PER is not calculated per 100 g but per 1 g of protein.
• Option C and D: Incorrect. These relate to biological value or net protein utilization, which involve nitrogen retention, not PER.

Therefore, the most appropriate definition of PER is weight gain per gram of protein consumed.