Alkaline heating of canola and rapeseed meals reduces toxicity for chicks.

A simple method for improving the nutritive quality of canola and high glucosinolate rapeseed meals for monogastric animals (chicks) was developed; the meals were mixed with NaHCO3 and NH4HCO3, then heated in a conventional oven. Chicks fed untreated canola or rapeseed meals gained less weight than those fed a soybean meal diet, whereas chicks fed the alkaline-heated meals had weight gains not significantly different than those fed the soybean diet. The antithyroid effect of the untreated rapeseed meal was reduced by alkaline treatment of the meals, as shown by improved T4 and free T4 levels in chicks fed the processed products. In chicks fed untreated or alkaline-treated canola or alkaline heated rapeseed meal, all thyroid hormone levels were similar to those of birds fed the soybean meal diet. However, heart tissue of chicks fed diets containing rapeseed or canola meals showed muscle fiber degeneration, although relative heart weights were the same in all groups. Liver tissue from most of the chicks in all dietary groups appeared normal or only slightly abnormal. The nutritive value of both rapeseed and canola meals was improved by this simple processing technique.

Protective effects of cruciferous seed meals and hulls against colon cancer in mice.

Protective effects of diets containing cruciferous seed meals or hulls against chemically-induced colon tumors were examined in male CF1 mice. When commercial crambe meal, autolyzed crambe meal, crambe hulls, high glucosinolate rapeseed meal, or canola meal were fed as 12% of the diets of mice injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, 25-80% of the animals developed colon tumors. Animals fed a soybean meal control diet had a 100% tumor rate. Data suggest that cruciferous seed meals may contain a number of compounds that can exert protective effects against tumor formation and growth.

Physical and nutritional qualities of extruded weaning foods containing sorghum, pearl millet, or finger millet blended with mung beans and nonfat dried milk.

Sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet flours (60% of each) were blended with toasted mung bean flour (30%) and nonfat dry milk (10%) and extruded (Brabender single screw) to make precooked, ready-to-eat, weaning foods. The extruded foods had high cold paste viscosity, but their cooked paste viscosity was lower than that of the respective blends. Chemical scores of the extruded foods were 78 for sorghum, 80 for pearl millet, and 96 for finger millet. Protein digestibility corrected amino acid scores (PD-CAS) were similar for pearl millet (68%) and finger millet (69%); PD-CAS for sorghum was 57%. Total dietary fiber content of the foods ranged from 7.6 to 10.1%, with the soluble dietary fiber content of the foods being about 10% higher than that of the corresponding blends. Extrusion enhanced the in vitro protein digestibility of foods, but no marked difference occurred in the in vitro carbohydrate digestibility among the unprocessed blends and the extruded foods. The net protein ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and biological values were higher for the finger millet food than for the pearl millet food, probably because of the higher lysine content of the finger millet protein.

Effects of gamma irradiation on mycotoxin disappearance and amino acid contents of corn, wheat, and soybeans with different moisture contents.

The effects of gamma irradiation on degradation of aflatoxin B1 in wheat, corn, and soybeans and of T-2 toxin in wheat, deoxynivalenol (DON) in soybeans, and zearalenone in corn at 9, 13, and 17% moisture were studied. Radiation doses of 5, 7.5, 10 or 20 kGy were applied to spiked grain samples, and the residual toxins were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Irradiation does of up to 20 kGy did not significantly affect aflatoxin B1 in any of the three grains, but significant reductions occurred in T-2 toxin, DON, and zearalenone concentration at doses of 10 or 20 kGy and in T-2 toxin at the 7.5 kGy dose. Two-way analysis of variance with Tukey's Multiple Range Test showed no significant interaction between radiation dose and grain moisture level. Irradiation of the ground grains at doses higher than 5 kGy resulted in small, but significant, losses of lysine in corn (only at 7.5 kGy), wheat, and soybeans, and methionine was reduced in wheat and corn samples. In some cases, phenylalamine decreased in corn and wheat, and histidine levels in wheat were reduced in samples receiving 7.5 kGy of irradiation. Other essential amino acids were not affected significantly by irradiation.

Effects of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and fatty acids on lipid composition in cockerels.

Serum, aorta, heart, and liver tissues of cockerels reflected numerous changes in cholesterol and triglyceride composition when 5 or 10% oleic or palmitic acid, ascorbic acid, and vitamin E were added to their diets. Heart cholesterol concentration and liver cholesteryl ester content increased with the 10% oleic acid diet. Heart and liver cholesterol increased when ascorbic acid was added to 5% fatty acid diets, and heart cholesterol increased when ascorbic acid was added to the 10% palmitic acid diet. Vitamin E exerted a cholesterol- or cholesteryl ester-lowering effect on both 10% palmitic and 10% oleic acid diets. Heart and liver triglycerides were lower with the 5% oleic acid diet than with the 5% palmitic acid diet. The opposite effect was observed with the 10% fatty acid diet. Dietary ascorbic acid appeared to have some triglyceride-lowering effect. Dietary fatty acid composition was reflected in cockerel aorta, heart, liver, and serum fatty acid distribution, with oleic acid having the greater influence.

Effects of ascorbic acid and vitamin E on serum lipids of cockerels fed Wesson oil-cholesterol diets.

The major lipid changes caused by adding 5% Wesson Oil and 1% cholesterol to cockerel diets were large increases in serum cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, and triglycerides. Lecithin and cephalin were not affected. Ascorbic acid significantly increased serum triglycerides; vitamin E significantly lowered serum cholesterol. Percentages of the saturated acids (palmitic, stearic, and arachidonic) of cockerels on the Wesson Oil-cholesterol diet decreased significantly; unsaturated linolenic and linolenic acids increased, and oleic acid remained the same. Dietary ascorbic acid seemed not to affect fatty acid distribution significantly, but when vitamin E was added to the diet, the stearic acid percentage rose and oleic acid percentage was lower. Acrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed that changes the vitamin E caused in the lipid and protein constituents of cockerel serum differed from changes the Wesson Oil-cholesterol diet caused.

Effect of diethylstilbestrol, ascorbic acid and vitamin E on serum lipid patterns.

The effects of relatively high concentration of vitamin C, vitamin E and diethylstilbestrol, and various combinations of cholestyramine and diethylstilbestrol on the lipid compositions of chicken serum were studied were studied. After DES injection (at concentrations as low as 1 mg/day for 7 days), levels of triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol were much higher, the effect being much more pronounced in the hens. Cholestyramine caused a fourfold decrease in cholesterol in females, a 25% reduction males. DES consistently caused a redistribution of the esterfied fatty acids, increasing the percentage of oleic and reducing percentages of stearic and lionelic acids. Preparative TLC analysis of all constituents showed other variations in fatty acid composition, but there was no other common pattern of change. Vitamin E in the diet caused a significant rise in triglycerides and phospholipids in DES treated birds. When vitamins E and C were fed, triglyceride and phospholipid values decreased. Cholesterol concentration did not vary significantly. With birds receiving both vitamins, diethylstilbestrol seemes to have less effect in causing the shift to increase percentage of oleic acids in the total esterified fatty acids.