EFFECTS OF A CONCENTRATE OF PEA ANTINUTRITIONAL FACTORS ON PEA PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY IN PIGLETS

Four experiments were designed to investigate the apparent ileal diges tibility of raw pea (Pisum sativum) and two of its components-an isola te of its proteins and a concentrate of its proteinaceous antinutritio nal factors (ANFs). Three varieties of peas were used: spring varietie s Finale and Solara, and winter variety Frijaune. Pea protein isolates , devoided of pea carbohydrates and characterized by low trypsin inhib itor activities, were produced from Finale and from Frijaune. Two conc entrates of ANFs were used; one from Finale and Frijaune (1:1) (batch a), one from Frijaune (batch b). The trypsin inhibitor activity was th ree times higher in batch b than in batch a. Eleven semi-synthetic die ts containing the pea protein isolate, the pea ANF concentrates or raw peas were fed to piglets (10-15 kg live weight) fitted with post-valv ular T-caecum cannula. For the raw pea diets, the apparent ileal N dig estibility coefficients were 69.1% (Finale) and 69.5% (Frijaune). For the diets based on pea protein isolate, they were 83.7% (Finale) and 8 5.4% (Frijaune). Incorporation of 2.9% ANF concentrate (batch a) reduc ed the N digestibility coefficient of the diet based on Finale pea pro tein isolate from 83.7% to 79%. Addition of 0.6% of the other ANF conc entrate (batch b) reduced the N digestibility coefficient when the die t was based on Solara raw pea (-3 units) and not when based on pea pro tein isolate.