Six varieties of white-flowered and three varieties of coloured-ftowered peas were analysed for content of nutrients and some antinutritional factors. In a trial on cannulated pigs, ileal and fala) digestibility of protein and amino acids wcre estimated. The coloured-flowered varieties of pea contained significantly more NDF (P <0,051, Klason lignin and tannins (P <0.01) Chan the white-flowered ones. The trypsin inhibitor activity ranged widety in both white-and coloured-flowered peas. Methionine, cystine and threonine were negatively correlated with the protein content of the tested seeds. The true ileal and faecal digestibilifies ofpea protein ranged from 66 to 83 and from 74 to 88, respectively. The greatest differences among the peas in ileal amino acid digestibility occurred for methi oni ne, cystine and tryptophanc. It was found that among the analyscd factors (NDF, tannins, trypsin inhibitor) only NDF significantly decreased the ileal digestibility of protein. The faccal digestibility was mainly reduced by tannin content.

We investigated the effects of various protein sources on the apparent ileal digestibilities (AID) of CP and amino acids (AA) and on the recoveries of ileal endogenous nitrogen (N) in pigs. Ileal endogenous N losses (ENL) were measured using the 15N-isotope dilution method. Thirteen pigs (BW of 13 to 20 kg) were fitted with a post-valve-T-cecal cannula and two indwelling blood catheters. They were fed twice daily at a level of 2.6 times ME for maintenance. Cornstarch-based diets contained a soy concentrate (SC; 180.5 g/kg), soybean meal (SBM; 295 g/kg), or a mixture of toasted and untoasted soybean meal (mSBM; 330.4 g/kg) in Trial I or three rapeseed cakes, dehulled-toasted (RC1; 395 g/kg), non-dehulled-toasted (RC2; 458 g/kg), and dehulled-untoasted (RC3; 390 g/kg) in Trial II. The protein sources provided diets with similar levels of apparent ileal digestible CP (108 g/kg as-fed diet) and Lys, Met+Cys, Thr, and Trp. The AID of CP was greater (P < .05) for the SC (86.8%) and SBM (82.8%) than for the SBM (68.1%) diet. In Trial II, the AID of CP was greater (P < .05) for RC1 (76.2%) and RC3 (75.8%) than for the RC2 (69.5%) diet. For all diets, the differences in the AID for most of the AA corresponded to the differences in the AID of CP. The ENL (g/kg DMI) were greater (P < .05) for the mSBM diet (3.75) than for the SC (2.53) and SBM (2.53) diets in Trial I but were similar (P > .05; 2.24, 3.03, and 2.89 for RC1, RC2, and RC3, respectively) among diets in Trial II. We concluded that AID of CP of the soybean diets were associated with endogenous and dietary N losses. For these diets, increased ENL and dietary N losses were associated with a higher dietary trypsin inhibitor activity. For the rapeseed diets, dehulling increased AID of CP and AA, due to reduced ENL (P = .08) and dietary N losses (P < .05). Toasting of dehulled rapeseed cake did not affect the AID of CP and AA (P > .05) while reducing the true ileal CP digestibility (P < .05).

The nutritional value of four varieties of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) originating from Poland (var. Kamir and Martin) and the Netherlands (var. Toret and Pistache) was evaluated on young pigs (20-35 kg) in two experiments. The condensed tannin content in the beans was from <0.1 % (white-flowered var. Toret) to 0.55% (coloured-flowered var. Martin). In the ileal digestibility experiment (PVTC-cannula) the experimental diets consisted of 70% basal diet and 30% faba beans (FB). In the N balance/growth performance experiment the diets contained 50% of crude protein (CP) from FB and 50% from the basal diet. The apparent ileal CP digestibility of FB decreased from 74.3 to 68.8% with an increase of tannin content. The ileal amino acids (AA) digestibility of var. Toret was higher as compared to that of var. Martin. The apparent faecal digestibility of CP depended on the tannin content in FB (R 2 = 0.70, P ^ 0.01). The N retention and body weight gain (BWG) of pigs fed the Toret diet were higher (P^O.01) as compared to those fed the Martin diet. It was concluded that the low content of condensed tannins in FB (< 0.1 %) had a positive effect on ileal digestibility of CP and AA and on growth rate of young pigs.