Abstract
Soybean is the most important protein source in animal nutrition and is widely used in poultry diets. Several factors influence the concentration of amino acids present in soybean grains cultivated in Brazil, such as climatic changes, genetics, topography, and soil fertility. Many technologies of soybean processing are used in order to eliminate or inactivate both heat-labile and heat-stable anti-nutritional factors. During processing, soybean by-products with different nutritional values are also produced. Processing conditions may as well affect the coefficients of digestibility of nutrients that are present in soybean protein sources. Furthermore, positive and negative effects of the environment may be masked by changes in processing conditions. This study aimed to compare the levels of crude protein and essential and non-essential amino acids in soybean samples collected in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina during the harvest of 2003/2004 in Brazil. Measurements were made using NIRS (Near Infrared System of Reflectance Spectroscopy), and expressed on an "as-fed" basis. Soybeans sampled in different states evidenced nutritional differences. It is worth noting that samples collected in Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul presented high levels of essential amino acids. The analyzed levels of essential amino acids were not always directly related to the protein concentrations of the samples. Because of the diversity of growing conditions in Brazil and worldwide, soybean produced in different environmental conditions is expected to show variable protein composition and quality, as demonstrated in the present study.
Highlights
The soybean chain should be noted among the many production chains that compose the agriculture and food system
Due to the diversity of climatic and soil conditions, and to the different cultivars of soybean grains available in the large geographic region where soybean is grown in Brazil, it is assumed that soybean produced under different environmental conditions and harvested in different years present considerable variation in their composition and nutritional quality
As soybean is the primary source of crude protein in feeds, it is important to study some of the external factors affecting its protein content and quality
Summary
The soybean chain should be noted among the many production chains that compose the agriculture and food system. Soybean production was estimated to account for approximately 20% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the Brazilian agribusiness (Fundação Getúlio Vargas, cited by Tavares, 2004), which corresponds to over US$ 35 billions per year, demonstrating the economic importance of soybean in this country. Soybean belongs to the family Leguminosae, subfamily Papilionoideae, and genus Glycine L. (L.) Merrill is used by the chemical and agricultural industries. Some final products that result from the processing of soybean might be used in the production of food, nutraceutics and soy isoflavones, animal feeding and manufacturing of adhesives, fibers, lining, foams, and fertilizers. The animal feed industry has become increasingly dependent on vegetable protein sources a situation related for example to the Goldflus F, Ceccantini M, Santos W
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