Two methods of increasing the energy content of yellow lupin seeds for growing pigs were studied: (1) dehulling of seeds and (2) the addition of fat to diets containing lupin. An additional aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of lysine and methionine supplementation of lupin-containing feeds. Experiment I, lasting 39 days, was carried out on 25 barrows with an average body weight of 27 kg. Experiment II was carried out on 25 barrows weighing from 30 to 100 kg. In both experiments, the animals were fed individually using isoprotein feed mixtures. Daily weight gain, feed utilization, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and, in experiment II, carcass quality were determined.Supplementing lupin-containing mixtures with lysine and methionine increased daily weight gain by 10% and nitrogen retention by 21 % (Experiment I). The addition of fat to cereal-lupin diets led to 7.6% higher daily weight gains in Expteriment I (P < 0.05), and 14.2% higher gains in Experiment II (P<0.01) over the entire period of the experiment. The use of deulled lupin seeds increased weight gain by 4.8% (P>0.05) in Expt. I and by 13.5% (P<0.01) in Expt. II. It wasfound thatyellow lupin can completely replace soyabean oilmeal in the diets for pigs of over 30 kg body weight, under the condition that the diets are balanced in respect to lysine and methionine. The nutritive value of diets containing mostly barley and yellow lupin can be improved by adding fat or dehulling seeds.

The oligosaccharide content, fatty acid and amino acid compositions, protein digestibility and growth efficiency were determined in three low-alkaloid varieties of white lupin from the 1993 and 1994 harvest (Wat and Hetman) and the 1992 and 1993 harvest (Bardo). The a-galactoside content was relatively low (7.1-8.6% DM). Phytates constituted 0.7 to 0.9% of Wat and Bardo seeds, and from 1.2 to 1.6% of Hetman seeds. Saturated fatty acids comprised 13-18% of total fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids 51-57%, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, 27-35%. The lysine content was relatively low (4.70-5.25 g/16 g N), while the limiting amino acid was methionine. The chemical score (CS) calculated for methionine and cystine ranged from 35 to 45% as related to egg protein and 35 to 41 % in relation to the ideal protein for pigs. The true digestibility coefficient (TD, 83-86%) and the protein efficiency ratio (PER) for seeds supplemented with methionine (1.99-2.19) did not differ significantly. The obtained results do not, however, point to intervarietal differences in oligosac charide content and protein and fat quality. However, significant variability in the characteristics was found, depending on the year of harvest.

Removing of the seed coat by mechanic separation of fraction crushed yellow lupin var. Juno seeds increased the protein content from 41.6 to 52.4% and decreased dietary fibre content from 28.4 to 15.9% as compared to whole seeds. The chemical composition, the content of alkaloids (0.15%), dietary fibre (15.9%) and a-galactosides (11.66%) of hulled seeds was similar to the cotyledons obtained by manual dehulling. Due to a higher content of some essential amino acids, mainly tryptophan and lysine in the seed coat, the hulling lowered the value of EAAI index from 60.0 in whole seeds to 58.9 in hulled seeds and 56.6 in cotyledons. Substitution of whole lupin-meals with hulled seeds in rat diets did not increase digestibility of crude protein (86.8 and 86.2%, respectively) or the protein efficiency ratio (2.02 and 2.05, respectively).

The size, weight and chemical composition of seeds, cotyledons and seed coat of three Polish varieties of low-alkaloid white lupin, Wat, Hetman and Bardo, were determined in seed samples from the 1992-1994 harvests. In the oldest variety, Wat, the average proportion of the seed coat was nearly 21%, while crude protein content in seeds amounted to 34% of DM. The newer varieties, Hetman and Bardo, had a lower seed coat content (about 18%) and contained more protein (37 and 38% DM, respectively). The alkaloid content in Wat seeds was almost 1 mg/g, while the newer varieties had half this amount. Large differences were found in the contents of nutrients and alkaloids, depending on harvest year. Dehulling raised the protein content to 41 -46% DM and significantly decreased the seed fibre content. Large variations in trace element content were found, independent of the lupin variety, most notably in respect to Mn, Fe and Cu. The Mn content of seeds was relatively high, ranging from 0.44 to 1.45 g/kg.

Rats were fed for 6 weeks with diets containing seeds or their fractions (cotyledons and hulls) of two types of faba bean: colour-flowered varieties (dark seeds) and white-flowered strain (light seeds). Compared to dark seeds, the light seeds contained more crude protein (29.68% vs. 26.96) and less fibre (CF: 7.79 vs. 8.54% and DF: 24.74 vs. 28.93%). The light seeds contained also more -galactosides (3.88%) than the dark seeds (3.37%). Amino acid composition, e.g. the content of lysine, methionine and cystine in the seeds and cotyledons of different types of faba bean was similar. The content of total polyphenols in light seeds of white flowered faba bean (2.79 g kg -1 ) was about five times lower than in dark seeds of colour-flowered varieties (10.95 g kg -1 ). Proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins) consist about 65% of the content of total polyphenols in dark seeds and about 1% of polyphenols in light seeds. The content of proanthocyanidins in the diet (about 2.7 g kg -1 ) significantly lowered the body weight gain of rats and protein efficiency ratio (PER). Proanthocyanidins decreased also the activity of -glucuronidase in the caecal digesta, without affecting the activity of -and -glucosidase and -and -galactosidase. Different proanthocyanidin content in the diet had no effect on the content of glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol in the serum and activity of selected enzymes: aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transferase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase.