Pea Diets Research Articles

Effects of a concentrate of pea antinutritional factors on pea protein digestibility in piglets

Four experiments were designed to investigate the apparent ileal digestibility of raw pea (Pisum sativum) and two of its components - an isolate of its proteins and a concentrate of its proteinaceous antinutritional factors (ANFs). Three varieties of peas were used: spring varieties Finale and Solara, and winter variety Frijaune. Pea protein isolates, devoided of pea carbohydrates and characterized by low trypsin inhibitor activities, were produced from Finale and from Frijaune. Two concentrates of ANFs were used; one from Finale and Frijaune (1:1) (batch a), one from Frijaune (batch b). The trypsin inhibitor activity was three times higher in batch b than in batch a. Eleven semi-synthetic diets containing the pea protein isolate, the pea ANF concentrates or raw peas were fed to piglets (10-15 kg live weight) fitted with post-valvular T-caecum cannula. For the raw pea diets, the apparent ileal N digestibility coefficients were 69.1% (Finale) and 69.5% (Frijaune). For the diets based on pea protein isolate, they were 83.7% (Finale) and 85.4% (Frijaune). Incorporation of 2.9% ANF concentrate (batch a) reduced the N digestibility coefficient of the diet based on Finale pea protein isolate from 83.7% to 79%. Addition of 0.6% of the other ANF concentrate (batch b) reduced the N digestibility coefficient when the diet was based on Solara raw pea (- 3 units) and not when based on pea protein isolate. © 1995.

Response of the calf pancreas to differently processed soya bean and pea diets.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of replacing skim-milk powder by differently treated soya bean or pea products on growth, pancreas size and pancreatic enzyme activities in calves. Three separate experiments have been performed. In experiments 1 and 2, 28 and 21 male Holstein calves were divided into 4 or 3 groups, respectively, and fed either dairy products or milk substitutes in which protein was mainly provided by soya bean products differing in their protein concentration due to the technological processing applied. In experiment 3, 45 male Holstein calves were divided into 3 groups and were fed either dairy products, or raw or flaked pea flour as a protein source. After an experimental period of 99 +/- 4 days in experiments 1 and 2, and of 88 days in experiment 3, animal growth rate was significantly lower with raw pea flour (16%) and with the soya bean diet, which was highly concentrated in carbohydrates and allergenic proteins (13-27%). Pancreas weight decreased significantly (16-18%) with pea diets and tended to be lower (NS) with the water extracted, concentrated and heated flour (soya bean). Amylase-specific activity increased significantly (43%) with pea diets but showed opposite tendencies with the most refined soya bean products. Proteolytic enzyme activities were slightly influenced by dietary protein source, but this was not as obvious as in the literature reviewed. Specific messenger RNAs corresponding to amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin seemed to increase (NS) with the soya bean diets, particularly with the less elaborated one. However, further investigations are required before any conclusions may be drawn concerning regulation levels of pancreatic adaptation to dietary protein. According to this study and the literature, results concerning pancreatic response to diets were different suggesting that the origin of soya bean, pea seeds and technological treatments applied to them were of great importance. Also, the level of incorporation into milk substitute and the presence of more or less antinutritional factors could influence pancreatic enzyme variations by complex mechanisms.

Immunological changes in growing mice fed on diets containing casein or peas (Pisum sativum var. Belinda) as the source of protein

Given the current interest in the cardiovascular complications of Mg deficiency, the aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of Mg deficiency on the time-course of lipoprotein oxidation and to assess whether short-term Mg deficiency results in vitamin E depletion that predisposes lipoproteins and tissues to subsequent oxidation. Weanling rats were pair-fed for 8 d with control and Mg-deficient diets respectively. Plasma triacylglycerol and alpha-tocopherol levels were significantly greater in Mg-deficient rats compared with control animals. The increase in plasma apolipoprotein B concentration indicated that a corresponding increase in plasma triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins (TGRLP) occurred in Mg-deficient animals. Hyperlipaemia was associated with modifications in the composition of TGRLP. The proportion of triacylglycerols was elevated whereas that of cholesterol and protein was reduced, and Mg deficiency resulted in a slight significant reduction in alpha-tocopherol content. When the TGRLP fractions were subjected to in vitro Cu-induced oxidation the lipoprotein fractions from Mg-deficient rats were more susceptible to oxidative damage than lipoprotein fractions from control rats. Mg deficiency did not modify the alpha-tocopherol content of liver, heart and skeletal muscle. However, after exposure of tissue homogenates to Fe-induced lipid peroxidation, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were significantly higher in tissues from Mg-deficient rats compared with those from control rats. These results complement previous findings, showing that Mg deficiency increases the susceptibility of TGRLP and tissues to peroxidation and suggest that oxidative damage is not the result of a decrease in vitamin E antioxidant status.

Influence of dietary golden pea proteins versus casein on plasma and hepatic lipids in rats

The cholesterol reducing properties of soy proteins and products have been overwhelmingly demonstrated. However, those of other legumes, especially pulse proteins have been neglected. The golden or yellow pea ( Pisum sativum ) protein is a pulse protein of similar nutritional quality to soy protein. To demonstrate its cholesterol reducing properties, we evaluated the plasma lipid lowering influence of dietary golden pea protein (P), casein (C), pea protein + cholesterol (PC) and casein + cholesterol (CC) at 20% dietary protein in matured male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 272 + 3g) fed for 4 weeks (N = 10 rats/group). Results indicated that dietary pea proteins significantly (p < 0.05) reduced rat plasma cholesterol (chol) and triglycerides (TG) and hepatic chol by 61, 47 and 94% respectively, versus casein, when chol is excluded from diets. Pea proteins also reduced plasma chol and TG by 27 and 40% respectively, when chol is included in diets. However, dietary pea proteins produced a higher hepatic chol than casein, when chol is fed. Dietary pea proteins produced a higher HDL-C as a % of plasma-C than casein when no chol is fed. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were slightly (not significantly, p > 0.05) lower in rats fed pea proteins than those fed casein. Apo Al levels were lower in rats fed pea proteins than in rats fed casein. In conclusion, this study suggest that dietary golden pea proteins may reduce plasma cholesterol and TG compared to dietary casein.

Effect of dietary starch origin on digestion in the rabbit. 1. Digestibility measurements from weaning to slaughter

Growth performance and digestion in the rabbit could be affected by the source of starch because of gradual changes in intestinal enzymic activity and cecal fermentation. Four starch-rich diets differing mainly in starch origin (purified maize starch (PMS), maize, barley or pea) were compared using groups of ten rabbits between weaning (25 days) and slaughter (75 days). Whole-tract digestibility of major nutrients was assessed at three physiological stages: P1 (28–33 days), P2 (49–54 days) and P3 (70–75 days). Daily feed intake and daily weight gain differed between diets mainly in P1, being respectively: PMS, 29.0 g and 25.8 g; maize, 42.4 g and 36.5 g; barley, 52.4 g and 39.4 g; pea, 50.0 g and 41.0 g. Except in the case of starch, the digestibility of nutrients decreased with age mainly between P1 and P2 (e.g. −9% for organic matter). Fecal losses were detected at weaning for maize (5.4%) and pea (2.2%) diets. Starch from barley and purified maize was completely degraded regardless of the period. Higher neutral detergent fiber digestibility, observed when starch was provided by maize, resulted mainly from a better degradation of the hemicellulosic fraction (53% in P1). High dietary inclusion of peas (60%) was well accepted by rabbits even at weaning.

Ileal and faecal digestibility of light- or dark-coloured peas ( Pisum sativum) in growing pigs

Apparent ileal and faecal digestibilities of dietary nutrients were determined in pigs fed diets based on barley and soya-bean meal or this diet substituted by 33% light- or dark-coloured peas. The two pea types had similar gross chemical composition and amino acid profile, although the dark-coloured peas had significantly higher contents of condensed tannins and Klason lignin, attributed mainly to polyphenols in the seed hulls. Apparent ileal digestibilities of nutrients in the pea diets varied from below 0% for Klason lignin to more than 90% for starch. However, no significant differences were obtained between the two pea diets, indicating that polyphenols in the seed hulls of dark-coloured peas did not interfere with ileal digestion of major nutrients or amino acids when fed to growing pigs. However, the faecal apparent digestibilities of fibre components were generally lower in the dark-coloured pea diet than in either the control or light-coloured pea diets.

Reducing crude protein content with supplementation of synthetic lysine and threonine in barley - rapeseed meal - pea diets for growing pigs

This study was conducted to determine the possibility to use synthetic amino acids to lower the nitrogen output from pig production. A performance experiment was carried out with 120triplet-fed growing pigs whose dietary crude protein was reduced from 179 g/feed unit (FU= 0.7 kg starch equivalent) to 160, 140 and 122 g/FU, respectively. The diets were supplemented with synthetic lysine and threonine to keep the level of these amino acids constant. Dietary protein reduction did not affect the growth performance or feed conversion ratio of the pigs, but it did linearly increase the portion of fat to lean in the carcass. Significant linear effect was found in back fat (p

A note on the effect of white-flowered peas on sow reproductive performance

The effect on sow reproductive performance of including 100 g white-flowered peas (Pisum sativum hortense, cv. Vreta and Lotta) per kg, replacing barley, wheat and soya-bean meal in gestation and lactation diets, was studied over four parities using 24 pairs of crossbred littermate sows. Net sow weight gains and changes in backfat thickness over the complete reproductive cycle were similar for both treatments. Piglet live-weight gains and mean litter size at birth were not influenced by treatment, although litter size at weaning was 0·5 pigs higher (P &gt; 0·05) for the control sows, due to higher post-natal mortality rate in the litters from the sows given the pea diets. It can be concluded that inclusion of white-flowered peas at a rate of 100 g/kg had no adverse effect on reproductive performance, with the exception of slightly higher post-natal piglet mortality.

Effects of Raw Pea Flour on Nutrient Digestibility and Immune Responses in the Preruminant Calf

Two milk substitute diets for which the protein was provided either exclusively by skim milk powder (control) or partially (34%) by dehulled raw pea flour were given for 2 and 4 wk, respectively, to five preruminant calves, each fitted with a reentrant ileocecal cannula. Ileal apparent digestibility was lower with the pea diet during wk 1 than with the control diet. Four of the cannulated calves exhibited significant intolerance to the pea diet, resulting in lower digestibility during wk 4. In contrast, fecal digestibility of the pea diet, measured in four additional calves without reentrant cannulas, did not significantly decrease between wk 1 and 4. The AA composition of ileal digesta from the first group of calves did not vary greatly, suggesting that the differences observed in their apparent digestibility of proteins were due mainly to changes in the loss of endogenous proteins. However, pea legumin survived digestion in the small intestine in amounts generally equivalent to 1 to 3% of intake. Most of that undigested fraction was smaller than the native legumin: 40 to 200kDa instead of 360kDa. Also, a 45-kDa fragment was detected in the urine. Increased intestinal permeability could have favored the development of the high systemic anti-pea antibody titers that were observed in all of the calves.

Digestion of complex carbohydrates and large bowel fermentation in rats fed on raw and cooked peas (Pisum sativum).

Rats were fed on four semi-purified diets in which raw or cooked peas (Pisum sativum var. Sentinel) provided 250 or 500 g/kg diet. Pressure-cooking of peas followed by rapid freezing and freeze-drying increased the proportion of starch resistant to alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) without previous treatment with dimethyl sulphoxide. There were only minor effects of cooking on the digestibilities of non-starch polysaccharides and their constituent sugars. With the higher dietary pea concentration there were marked increases in the flow of organic matter to, and fermentation in, the large bowel. These increases were associated with significant increases in colonic tissue and contents weights, and in colonic transit time. Both cooking and dietary pea inclusion rate altered the pattern of volatile fatty acids in caecal contents and in portal blood.

Large bowel fermentation in rats given diets containing raw peas (Pisum sativum)

The digestion of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) was studied in rats given semi-purified diets containing 0-500 g raw peas (Pisum sativum)/kg. NSP were equally well digested at all inclusion levels with digestibilities for individual constituents ranging from 0.58 for xylans to 0.99 for arabinose-containing polymers with a total NSP digestibility of 0.79. Increasing the dietary pea inclusion rate increased the amount of substrate flowing to the large bowel (LB) and this was associated with marked increases in caecal tissue and contents masses, a reduction in caecal transit time from 0.88 to 0.43 d and a threefold increase in faecal bacterial output. Caecal pH fell as did the molar proportions of acetate, isobutyrate, isovalerate and valerate whilst butyrate increased when peas were included in the diet. Possible mechanisms for these fermentation end-product changes are discussed. Pea inclusion in the diet was associated with increased volatile fatty acid and 3-hydroxy butyrate concentrations in portal and heart blood. It was concluded that peas are a rich source of fermentable polysaccharides which produce a LB fermentation pattern of potential health benefit.

Changes in ruminal and intestinal digestion during and after weaning in dairy calves fed concentrate diets containing pea or soya bean meal. 1. Digestion of organic matter and nitrogen

Quantitative changes in the ruminal and intestinal digestion of dry feeds were studied in dairy calves during and after weaning. Animals were offered, from 7 to 20 weeks of age, high-concentrate diets differing in the source of protein (pea vs. soya bean meal). Weaning was completed at 10 weeks of age. Partial digestion of dry-feed organic matter (OM) within the rumen, small and large intestines was reasonably constant with the pea (PM) diet throughout the trial. A similar pattern was also noted with the soya bean meal (SBM) diet from the 15th week of age if the low ruminal OM digestion observed during weaning (probably underestimated) is not considered. Nitrogen (N) metabolism within the rumen was characterized by a high proportion (65% of microbial N in the duodenal N flow) and efficiency (24 g microbial N synthesised per kg truly fermented OM) of microbial N synthesis with both diets from weaning onward. Ruminal N degradation was unaffected with age for the PM diet (0.73) but increased from 0.47 to 0.74 for the SBM diet, a trend resulting partly from an unexpectedly high duodenal N flow during weaning. The ruminal function of the young calf reaches mature levels within a few weeks after the beginning of dry-feed intake.

Effets de l'extrusion du pois (Pisum sativum) sur le flux intestinal d'azote chez la vache

Six Friesian heifers fed a 40% pea diet were used in a cross-over design. Ground and extruded peas were compared. Decreased nitrogen (N) solubility produced by extrusion was associated with an increase in non-ammonia-N flow (+ 36%; P less than 0.001) resulting from improvements in bacterial N flow (+ 53%; P less than 0.01) and in feed N flow (+ 19%; P greater than 0.05).

Effects of dietary fibres on blood glucose and liver glycogen in rats

Effects of three types of dietary fibres on blood glucose and liver glycogen were studied in male rats. The fibres were used as 10% of the diet supplemented from dietary sources, white beans, peas and carrots. The experiment continued for 5 weeks. At the end of the experiment, fasting blood glucose and liver glycogen were determined. The results showed that replacing carrot fibres and pea fibres by white bean fibres produced significant reduction of blood glucose by 28% and 43%, respectively, while exchanging pea fibres by carrot fibres produced no significant reduction of blood glucose gy 20%. Liver glycogen level (mg/100 g liver) was not affected by altering the fibre type in the diet.

Influence of peas (Pisum sativum) as a dietary ingredient and flavomycin supplementation on the performance and intestinal microflora of broiler chicks

1. Two experiments were carried out to study the effects of diets containing various concentrations of pea meal (Pisum sativum L.), with or without flavomycin supplementation, on the performance and intestinal microflora of broiler chicks. 2. During the 7 to 28-d period, chicks fed on diets containing 300, 600 and 800 g pea meal/kg consumed more food and gained more weight than chicks receiving a maize-isolated soyabean protein control diet. The addition of flavomycin to the diets had similar effects on the performance of both the control and the pea groups. 3. Pea diets, with and without supplemental flavomycin, had little influence on the composition of intestinal microflora. The counts of enterococci in the small intestine and Clostridium perfringens and coliforms in the caeca of pea-fed chicks exceeded those of control chicks.

Digestion des protéines de pois et de soja chez le veau préruminant. I. Taux circulants de nutriments, formation d'anticorps et perméabilité intestinale aux macromolécules

Three milk-substitutes (control, pea and soya-bean)were given to 6 preruminant calves. In the control diet protein was almost entirely provided by skim milk powder. In the pea diet a pregelatinized dehulled pea flour provided 33.5% of the protein, the remainder being supplied by skim milk powder. In the soya-bean diet, 73.2% of the protein were provided by a soya-bean isolate and the remainder by whey powder. The concentrations of plasma triglycerides and the free alpha-amino nitrogen in the peripheral blood were lower with the pea and soya-bean diets than with the control diet before the morning meal, but became higher after feeding. That suggested a faster abomasal emptying of fat and protein with the pea and especially the soya-bean diet. Systemic antibody responses were induced against pea protein but not against soya-bean protein. No effect of the diet on the plasma concentration of immunoreactive beta-lactoglobulin was apparent after 6 days, suggesting there was no important change in gut permeability at least at that time.

Relationship between dietary proteins, their in vitro digestion products, and serum cholesterol in rats

A relationship was assessed between the amino acid composition of 9 protein sources or of their in vitro digestion products and total serum cholesterol in rats. Three animal proteins (casein, beef, fish) and 6 vegetable proteins (soy, pea, peanut meal, rapeseed, oatmeal, wheat gluten) were tested. The intact protein sources were submitted to an enzymatic proteolysis according to a new in vitro digestion method. Each protein source was hydrolyzed for 30 min with pepsin at pH 1.9, then with 10 mg pancreatin at basic pH in a dialysis cell. The digestion products diffused through the dialysis membrane of the cell and were collected by a circulating sodium phosphate buffer over a 6-h period. They were likely to correspond to end products luminal in vivo digestion. The aromatic and the basic amino acids were present in higher proportions in the digestion products than in the intact protein sources, reflecting the specificity of the proteolytic enzymes. Total serum cholesterol was measured on male Sprague-Dawley rats fed cholesterol-free or cholesterol-enriched (1% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid) semipurified diets containing protein sources. Total serum cholesterol ranged from 70 mg/dl with the pea diet to 98 mg/dl with the peanut meal diet in rats fed cholesterol-free diets and from 163 mg/dl with the wheat gluten diet to 313 mg/dl with the casein diet in rats fed the cholesterol-enriched diets. These results suggested no specific effect of protein from animal or vegetable origin on total serum cholesterol in rats. In rats fed cholesterol-enriched diets, significant correlations were observed between total serum cholesterol and tyrosine content or leucine/isoleucine ratio of digestion products. These correlations were stronger than those observed with intact protein sources.

Field peas (Pisum sativum) as a feed for growing and finishing pigs. 1. Nutrient levels in commercial crops

Ninety-one samples of field peas (Pisum sativum, cv. Early Dun) were taken from commercial crops grown in South Australia. Crude protein (N x 6 25) ranged from 2 1 .3 to 26.2% (92% dry matter basis) with mean 23.8 and standard deviation 0.8%. Seed mass was a poor indicator of protein level. Changes in the amino acid profile which accompanied changes in crude protein level appeared to be of only minor nutritional significance. The mean gross energy level was 16.8 � 0.1 MJ/kg; an indirect estimate suggested a digestible energy level for pigs of around 14 MJ/kg. Deficiencies in calcium and phosphorus for the growing pig were confirmed and it is suggested that selenium deficiency could occur on grain and pea diets in which both ingredients had been grown on soils deficient in selenium.

Blood animo acid studies: prediction of limiting amino acids in mixtures of dietary proteins.

Diets containing mixtures of cereals and protein supplements were fed ad libitum to male weanling rats 18 h daily for 5 days. The cereals consisted of rice, wheat, and corn, and the supplements included peanut, soy, cottonseed, and chick pea flours. Levels of plasma lysine, methionine, threonine, trytophan, leucine, and isoleucine were determined. Two methods designated as plasma amino acid (PAA) score and PAA ratio were tested for predicting the limiting amino acids in the diets utilizing the PAA data. Chemical score values were calculated from the amino acid content of the mixtures. Growth tests were also carried out with the diets, with or without a supplement of the amino acids indicated to be limiting by PAA score and PAA ratio methods. PAA ratios, PAA scores, and protein efficiency ratio data of rats indicated that lysine and threonine were equally limiting in rice–peanut, rice–soy, rice–cottonseed, rice – chick pea, wheat–peanut, and wheat–cottonseed diets. Plasma methods were also correct in showing that lysine was the limiting amino acid in corn–peanut, corn–soy, and corn–cottonseed mixtures. Plasma methods did not indicate a methionine deficiency when this amino acid was co-limiting with lysine and threonine. Chemical score failed to detect the threonine deficiency present in 8 of 12 diets. Limiting amino acids were not established for the corn – chick pea diet. It was interesting that the effective amino acid supplement for 8 of 12 diets required threonine in addition to lysine. It was concluded that the PAA methods are effective for predicting a deficiency of a single amino acid or of two co-limiting amino acids, but less satisfactory for predicting multiple amino acid deficiencies.

Seromucoid-levels in osteolathyrism in the rat.

SCHWARTZ1 has recently reported significant increases in mean levels of serum mucoproteins in lathyric rabbits, and has interpreted these as reflecting an increased depolymerization of ground substance. Grant, Hathorn and Gillman2 have reported increased levels of serum mucoproteins in rats made lathyric by feeding sweet pea diets. They have suggested the occurrence in these animals of an increased synthesis and discharge of mucoproteins by the liver, associated with a decreased rate of utilization of mucopolysaccharide by the aorta and other connective tissues during synthesis of new fibrillar components. Our own unpublished observations of seromucoid-levels made over a period of years in a number of series of rats in which osteolathyrism had been produced by feeding β-aminopropionitrile are not in agreement with these reports.