Nutritional value of the proteins of soybeans roasted at a small-scale unit level in Africa as assessed using growing rats

Increasing the roasting time of soybeans from 15 (RSF15) to 25 (RSF25) min led to an important decrease in the antitryptic activity and immunoreactivi ty of the storage globulins, but it did not seem to greatly affect the conc entrations of the indispensable amino acids in the protein. The RSF15 and R SF25 flours were used as the only protein sources in balanced diets for gro wing rats, and they were compared to a diet based on casein in a pair-feedi ng experiment. When roasted as usually happens at the workshop level (RSF15 ), soybean flour induced a significant hypertrophy of the pancreas. Increas ing the roasting time by up to 25 min considerably improved the nutritional value of the soybean protein, without apparent consequence on the levels o f free amino acid peals in the plasma and muscles. The data also indicated that the tissues of the small and large intestines of the young rat were se nsitive to the hyperactivity of the intestinal microflora, and also possibl y to the residual activity of some antinutritional factors. (C) Inra/Elsevi er, Paris.