The nutritive value of different soybean meals and the biological effe
cts of their ingestion were studied in rats. Soybean meal (GO), heated
soybean meal (GOCH), meal prepared from 1,3 or 5-day germinated seeds
(G1, G2, G5) and heated G5 meal (G5CH) were compared to casein. The d
uration of soybean germination influenced the food intake and the biol
ogical characteristics in rats. The goitrogenous substances induced by
germination are thermolabile. The lecithin content of soybean seeds i
ncreased during seedling growth. Phytic acid, available lysine and lip
ase inhibitor activity decreased in germinated seeds. The ingestion of
G5 meal caused a low food intake and a thyroid hypertrophy in rats bu
t it had no effect on the liver weight of rats; it resulted in a low P
ER. The steam treatment (100-degrees-C, 20 min) induced a significant
increase of the food intake, of the final weight of rats and a slight
decrease in the liver weight of rats fed GO or G5 diet.