Feasibility study for the quantification of total protein content by multiple prompt gamma-ray analysis

Protein is an important nutrient in foods. The classical nitrogen analysis method is the Kjeldahl technique, which is time-consuming and inconvenient. As a convenient method to quantify protein content in biological samples, the feasibility of application of multiple prompt gamma-ray analysis (MPGA) to the quantification was studied. Results for protein content are reported for several reference materials and prove the method to be reliable.

► Nitrogen contents were analyzed by multiple prompt gamma-ray analysis. ► The effect of neutron scattering was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation. ► Protein content can be calculated by nitrogen content. ► The protein contents of standard materials agreed with the certified values. ► The method is a rapid, non-destructive, feasible method to quantify protein.