Nutritional response of rats to faba beans (Vicia faba L. minor black 'Kalimattar') and its fractions

The investigations on protein quality of raw faba bean seed meal (Vicia fab a L. minor) and its fractions were carried out using rats in two experiment s. Two varieties of faba seeds were used, locally grown faba bean 'Kalimatt ar' or 'black' (KSM) (492 g/kg diet) and its exotic counter-part Vicia faba L. minor 'White' (VFW) obtained from International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) (540 g/kg diet). The pulverized cotyled ons of 'Kalimattar' (KMC; 438 g/kg diet), hull (KMH; 78 g/kg diet) as well as cotyledons of 'White' faba bean (VFWC; 470 g/kg diet) and hull (VFWH; 82 g/kg diet) fractions were tested. All diets were made isocaloric and isoni trogenous, however, without addition of individual amino acids to the targe t requirements. Performance of rats fed on both locally grown KSM and exoti c FEW meal-fed rats were found to be inferior to those obtained from the ra ts fed on standard protein diet. The net protein utilization (NPU) of the r ats fed on this seed meal was comparatively better than those obtained from the VFW. Replacement of standard protein with cotyledons from the either o f the seed (KMC and VRWC) depressed food intake and protein utilization. Th is was due, in part, to the excretion of comparatively higher amount of nit rogen in faeces. Inclusion of KMH in the diet had no adverse effects on any variable studies as compared to the VFWH, which was found to impose severe restriction on the absorption of standard protein added to this diet. As a result, body weight gain, and NPU value were significantly lower than thos e obtained from the KMH. We conclude that the locally grown faba bean 'Kali mattar' is better than those of exotic 'White' cultivar and may contain les s antinutritional substances. However, this warrants further investigations .