The Influence of Dehulling on the Nutritional Quality of Lupine Seeds (Lupinus albus L.) and the Effect of Their Use in the Feed of Laying Quails on the Live Performance and Quality of Eggs

Abstract

Lupinus albus seeds from low-alkaloid varieties are a valuable alternative source of protein for reducing the dependence on soybean meal for the feeding of monogastric animals. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the dehulling influence of lupine seeds (L. albus, cv. Amiga) and the effect of their use in the laying quails feed on live performance and egg quality. A total of 200 laying quails (Coturnix japonica), with an age of 10 weeks, were randomly assigned to five experimental groups (five replicates/group). Each group was randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments: the control group (C) diet was based on soybean meal, while the experimental groups received either 200 g/kg (WLS20) or 250 g/kg (WLS25) of whole lupine seeds in their diets, or 200 g/kg (DLS20) or 250 g/kg (DLS25) of dehulled lupine seeds in their diets. The results show that by dehulling the lupine seeds, the nutritional value of the seeds increased. The use of dehulled lupine seeds in the diet of laying quails did not affect the live performance (egg production, feed intake, feed conversion ratio), yolk cholesterol content, and physico-chemical quality indices of the eggs, compared with control. The presence of dehulled lupine seeds in the diet improved the nutritional quality of the yolk lipids because of the increase in the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, the lipid quality indices of the yolk became more favorable to consumer health because of an increase in the h/H ratio (hypocholesterolemic/Hypercholesterolemic FA) and a decrease in the atherogenic index and thrombogenic index values. The higher content in carotenoids also contributed to the higher nutritional quality of the eggs obtained by lupine utilization. In conclusion, dehulling of lupine seeds had a positive influence on the nutritional quality of the seeds, the live performance of quails, and the quality of eggs.

Feeding Value of Lupins, Field Peas, Faba Beans and Chickpeas for Poultry: An Overview

“…The beneficial effects of dehulling on the nutritional value of faba beans [183,188,248], lupins [249][250][251] and field peas [105,252,253] are well documented [24,31,254]. Crude protein and crude fat contents have been reported to increase by about 10-35% and 11-20%, respectively, after dehulling (Table 24).…”

“…Dehulling has been shown to markedly improve the digestibility of DM [249], protein [105,249], AAs [251], starch [31,255], and AME [14,102] of grain legumes. It had been found that dehulling increased the AME by 18 and 30% for lupins and field peas, respectively, while increasing the apparent protein digestibility by 7 and 16%, respectively [56,102].…”

Plant-Based Beverages from Germinated and Ungerminated Seeds, as a Source of Probiotics, and Bioactive Compounds with Health Benefits—Part 1: Legumes

“…Probiotic drinks can be produced from various raw materials such as grains, millet, legumes, fruits, and vegetables [15]. L. albus seeds are lowalkaloid varieties and a valuable alternative source of proteins [16]. However, depending on the species, lupines contain varying contents of toxic alkaloids [17], which partly limits their utilization.…”