Studies on Medicago lupulina saponins. 3. Effect of M. Iupulina saponins on the growth and feed utilization by mice

Abstract

The effect of <em>M. lupulina</em> saponins on the growth of mice and feed utilization was investigated. The nutritive value of diets containing different amounts of <em>M. lupulina</em> meal or saponins was evaluated using a diet containing clover meal as the control. Feeding expermients revealed that <em>M. lupulina</em> meal in concentrations higher than 5% in the diet caused significant growth depression in mice. The diet containing 30% <em>M. lupulina</em> meal was toxic to mice. It was shown that the fraction of saponins which contains medicagenic acid glycosides was responsible for the antinutritional properties of <em>M. lupulina</em> meal. The diet containing more than 0.1% of toxic <em>M. lupulina</em> saponins caused significant growth depression in experimental mice. A high dose of those saponins in the diet (0.5%, 'had a large inhibitory effect on mause growth and feed utilization.