Chemical composition and standardised ileal digestible amino acid contents of Lathyrus (Lathyrus cicera) as an ingredient in pig diets

Mullan, B.P., Pluske, J.R., Trezona, M., Harris, D.J., Allen, J.G., Siddique, K.H.M., Hanbury, C.D., van Barneveld, R.J. and Kim, J.C. (2009) Chemical composition and standardised ileal digestible amino acid contents of Lathyrus (Lathyrus cicera) as an ingredient in pig diets. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 150 (1-2). pp. 139-143.

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Abstract

Lathyrus cicera is a grain legume that is well adapted to grow in low rainfall regions. However, it contains a neurotoxin, 3-(-N-oxalyl)-l-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (ODAP), which can cause paralysis of the lower limbs, known as "lathyrism". An experiment was conducted to measure the nutrient content and ileal digestible amino acid content of a recently-released low ODAP Lathyrus variety chalus. Chemical analyses and total tract digestibility showed that the new Lathyrus variety chalus contained 0.9 g ODAP/kg, 265 g crude protein/kg and 13.5 MJ digestible energy/kg on an as-fed basis. The ileal digestible nutrient content of chalus was measured with six grower pigs (Large White×Landrace, 43 ± 0.3 kg) fitted with a simple T-piece cannula. The chalus contained 12.9, 1.4 and 5.4 g of apparent ileal digestible lysine, methionine and threonine, respectively/kg. Standardised ileal digestible amino acid content was calculated using published endogenous amino acid losses determined in 34-kg-growing pigs under a protein-free method. The chalus contained 14.3, 1.5 and 6.0 g of standardised ileal digestible lysine, methionine and threonine, respectively/kg.