Resumen 454

Jokl,-L; Carlsson,-R

Biochemistry Dep., ICB, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Nutrition-Reports-International. 1984, 30: 1, 87-94; 19 ref.

Weaning female Holtzmann rats were given freely diets with 10% crude protein supplied by leaf protein concentrate (LPC) prepared from the tropical legumes Canavalia ensiformis, C. gladiata, Glycine wightii and Stizolobium sp., and the trees Eucalyptus saligna and Lecytis pisonis for up to 4 weeks. Best results were for rats given samples of LPC of C. ensiformis and C. gladiata which gained 33 to 55 g; protein efficiency ratio was 1.42 to 1.81 and apparent digestibility 69 to 81%. Rats given G. wightii lost weight during the first week but recovered during the next 2 weeks. Those given Stizolobium lost more weight during the first than the second week. Rats given tree LPC died after 2 or 3 days; when polyvinylpyrrolidone was added (0.1 and 1.0 g/g protein) survival increased to 4 to 6 days. Treatment of the toxic LPC with Aspergillus sp. gave a product on which the rats survived.