Improving the nutritional properties of rapeseed

Effects of high-protein or conventional canola meal on growth performance, organ weights, bone ash, and blood characteristics of weanling pigs

An experiment was conducted to evaluate effects of 2 high-protein canola meals (canola meal A [CMA]: 45.69% CP and canola meal B [CMB]: 46.97% CP) and a conventional canola meal (CM-CV: 35.10% CP) on growth performance, organ weights, bone ash, and blood parameters of weanling pigs. Inclusion rates of canola meal (CM) in the diets were 10, 20, 30, or 40% for CMA and CM-CV, whereas inclusions were 10, 20, or 30% for CMB. A control diet containing no CM was also formulated. Therefore, 12 diets were used in this experiment. A total of 420 pigs (initial BW: 9.8 ± 1.1 kg) were divided into 3 blocks and randomly allotted to 1 of the 12 diets with 8 replicate pens per treatment and 4 or 5 pigs per pen. The ADG, ADFI, and G:F were calculated, and at the conclusion of the experiment, 1 pig in each pen was euthanized to allow measurements of organ weights, collection of blood, and collection of the third and fourth metacarpals from the left foot. Results indicate that ADFI was linearly (P < 0.05) decreased if inclusion of CMA, CMB, or CM-CV was increased. Average daily gain for pigs fed CMA tended to increase quadratically with the maximum response observed at 10 or 20% CM inclusion in the diet ( P= 0.06). However, G:F was linearly (P < 0.05) increased by adding CMA or CM-CV to the diets. Liver weights were also linearly (P < 0.05) increased if pigs were fed diets containing CMB, but kidney weights were linearly (P < 0.05) decreased by the addition of CM-CV to the diets. Thyroid gland weights increased linearly (P < 0.05) for pigs fed diets containing CMA. No differences were observed in heart and bone weights if CM was added to the diets. Addition of any of the 3 CM linearly (P < 0.05) increased bone ash percentage in the metacarpals. Inclusion of CMA or CM-CV linearly (P < 0.05) decreased concentrations of serum triiodothyronine, and the inclusion of CMA also linearly (P < 0.05) decreased serum thyroxine concentrations. No differences were observed for complete blood counts or blood urea nitrogen if CM was added to the diets. In conclusion, up to 20% high-protein CM or CM-CV may be included in diets for weanling pigs from 2 wk postweaning without reducing growth performance or negatively affecting organ, bone, or blood parameters. In some instances, it may also be possible to use greater inclusion rates.

Characteristics of lipids and their feeding value in swine diets

In livestock diets, energy is one of the most expensive nutritional components of feed formulation. Because lipids are a concentrated energy source, inclusion of lipids are known to affect growth rate and feed efficiency, but are also known to affect diet palatability, feed dustiness, and pellet quality. In reviewing the literature, the majority of research studies conducted on the subject of lipids have focused mainly on the effects of feeding presumably high quality lipids on growth performance, digestion, and metabolism in young animals. There is, however, the wide array of composition and quality differences among lipid sources available to the animal industry making it essential to understand differences in lipid composition and quality factors affecting their digestion and metabolism more fully. In addition there is often confusion in lipid nomenclature, measuring lipid content and composition, and evaluating quality factors necessary to understand the true feeding value to animals. Lastly, advances in understanding lipid digestion, post-absorption metabolism, and physiological processes (e.g., cell division and differentiation, immune function and inflammation); and in metabolic oxidative stress in the animal and lipid peroxidation, necessitates a more compressive assessment of factors affecting the value of lipid supplementation to livestock diets. The following review provides insight into lipid classification, digestion and absorption, lipid peroxidation indices, lipid quality and nutritional value, and antioxidants in growing pigs.

Pathological changes associated with the feeding of soybean oil or oil extracted from different rapeseed cultivars to single comb white Leghorn cockerels

A total of 384 Single Comb White Leghorn cockerels of the Hyline strain were fed either a basal (control) diet containing no added oil or a diet supplemented with 20% by weight of soybean oil, rapeseed oil from cultivars Tower, Candle, a mixture of Echo and Arlo high erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR), or R-500. Levels of erucic acid (22:1) in the rapeseed diets varied from .03 to 10.31%. Three birds from each unit were killed at 28, 56, 84, and 112 days and a wide range of tissues were examined histologically. A number of birds in all dietary groups had healed lesions of avian encephalomalacia. Two cockerels fed HEAR oil and 12 fed R-500 developed marked ascites, firm shrunken livers, hydropericardium, and cachectic muscular atrophy. Marked periacinar necrosis was present in birds dying with ascites. A significantly higher number of birds fed the rapeseed oils developed hepatic sinusoidal distention than birds fed the basal or soybean oil diets. Degenerative myocardial changes were seen only in R-500 and HEAR oil-fed birds. This, coupled with hepatic changes, producing shrunken firm livers, led to development of ascites, cachectic muscular atrophy, and periacinar hepatic necrosis. These changes were probably produced by the high erucic acid content of the HEAR and R-500 oils and the resultant grossly imbalanced diet.

Rapeseed: constituents and protein products. Part 3. Nutritional value of protein-enriched products

The review concerns the nutritional properties of protein preparations from Brassica seed with different species of animals. Special consideration is taken on the one side to the effect of feeding varieties with high and low glucosinolate content, on the other hand to the influence of technological treatment of this products.

Growth, heart weight, cardiac lipid, and pathology of chickens fed soybean oil or oil extracted from different rapeseed cultivars

A total of 384 male Single Comb White Leghorn chicks of the Hyline strain were randomized in 24 Petersime battery units of 16 birds per unit. Four replicate pens were fed either a basal (control) diet containing no added oil or a diet supplemented with 20% by weight of either soybean oil or rapeseed oil (RSO) from cultivars Tower, Candle, Regular, or R-500. Levels of crucic acid (22:1) in the RSO's ranged from .1 to 51.6%. Four birds from each unit were killed at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks for cardiac lipid analysis and pathology. Feeding RSO had no consistent effect on body weights, heart weights, or the heart-to-body weight ratio. Only the diet containing R-500 (51.6% 22:1) consistently increased cardiac lipid levels as measured gravimetrically. Maximum deposition of the long-chain monoenes (22:1) and eicosenoic acids (20:1) occurred in the cardiac lipids by 8 weeks, and the levels remained high throughout the 16-week trial. The relative concentration of these long-chain monoenes in the cardiac lipids was positively correlated to the dietary levels of these acids. The incidence of lesions found in heart, liver, and skeletal muscle was significantly higher in chickens fed RSO's high in 22:1 than in chickens fed control or soybean oil, and the incidence significantly correlated to the level of 22:1 in the diet. The incidence of heart and muscle lesions and sinusoidal distention in chickens fed RSO's low in 22:1 was not significantly different from that of chickens fed the control diet or soybean oil, but the incidence of hepatic necrosis was significantly higher for chickens fed RSO's low in 22:1 compared to those fed the control diet or soybean oil.

Reduction of myocardial necrosis in male albino rats by manipulation of dietary fatty acid levels

A comprehensive statistical analysis had shown a significant correlation between the incidence of myocardial lesions in male albino rats and the concentration of certain dietary fatty acids. To test this result under controlled conditions, male rats were fed for 16 weeks diets containing 20% by weight soybean oil or a low erucic acid rapeseed (LEAR) oil. Both dietary oils contained substantial amounts of linolenic acid, and both groups developed a high incidence of myocardial necrosis. The addition of dietary saturated fatty acids to the oil in the form of cocoa butter significantly lowered the incidence of heart lesions in both groups. The addition of cocoa butter resulted in increased absorption of saturates and increased growth. Replacement of the cocoa butter by at least an equal amount of synthetic triolein resulted in no significant changes in the cardiopathogenic response compared to the original oils, thus ensuring that the reduction in heart lesions associated with the addition of cocoa butter was not due to dilution of cardiopathogenic compounds in the original vegetable oils. These results support the hypothesis that myocardial lesions in male rats are related to the balance of dietary fatty acids and not to cardiotoxic contaminants in the oils. Changes in the dietary fatty acids did not appear to influence the proportion of the cardiac phospholipids, but their fatty acid composition was markedly influenced. Dietary linolenic acid affected the C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and dietary saturates increased the level of saturates in cardiac phospholipids. The level of arachidonic acid and total C22 PUFA did not appear to be affected by diet.

Functionality of vegetable proteins other than soy

In addition to the soybean, many other sources of vegetable protein have potential to provide a broad spectrum of functional properties. Among these sources are cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, and rapeseed. As with soy, the functional characteristics vary with the type of product, e.g., flour, concentrate, or isolate. In this discussion, functionality is defined as the set of properties that contributes to the desired color, flavor, texture, or nutritive value of a product. Utilization of these alternate sources of vegetable proteins will depend upon availability, economics of the product in any given country, and on the uniqueness and desirability of the functional properties of the product.