Effect of lupine and field pea on growth parameters and nitrogen balance in rats 107

Abstract

Legumes are a protein rich crop of interest for use in animal nutrition. The effect of lupine seeds (two species – white and yellow lupine) and field pea on nutrition properties, growth parameters and digestibility of crude protein have been evaluated in balance and growth experiment in rats. The experiment was carried out according to the method of Eggum (1973) and Heger et al. (1990). Twenty seven rats individually housed in metabolic cages were used in this experiment. We determined lower amount of nitrogen in excrements (55.1 mg) and in urine (59.9 mg) per day in rats fed white lupine, than in the group of rats fed yellow lupine (56.0 mg and 67.9 mg, resp.). White lupine had higher value of the BPV (99.6%), the CP digestibility (70.1%) and percentage of the retained nitrogen from nitrogen digested by rats (29.4 %) than yellow lupine. From the comparison between lupine and field pea we have found a lower BPV (97.9%) and a higher amount of N in excrements (58.5 mg) of rats fed field pea. The results of the observation between analyzed lupine and pea seeds were evaluated by the statistical programme Statistics, T-test, P<0.05.