The use of simple methods of extracting the anti-nutritive factors in rapeseed meal to improve the growth of pigs and rats

Extract

The success of the oilseed rape crop in Northern Europe for the production of high quality oil has not been matched by the quality of the extracted meal as a source of supplementary protein for simple stomached farm animals such as pigs and poultry .The meal of most autumn-sown and winter-hardy varieties of rapeseed contains a range of antinutritive factors. These include glucosinolates, tannins, sinapines and saponins. Earlier attempts to improve the feed value using heat treament have been disappointing and it is clear that the same procedures which were so successful in enhancing the value of the soyabean crop are not particularly appropriate for rapeseed. The purpose of the study described below was to examine the effect of different treatments of defatted rapeseed on its nutitive value to rats and to project the work to simple methods for improving the feeding value of conventional rapeseed meals for pigs.