Weight Gain, Protein Utilization, and Liver Histochemistry of Rats Fed Low- and High-Thioglucoside-Content Rapeseed Meals

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Abstract
Utilization of a low-thioglucoside-content rapeseed meal (LoRSM) by growing rats was compared with that of a high-thioglucoside-content rapeseed meal (HiRSM) and casein (Cas). Each protein source served as the sole source of dietary nitrogen (2.4%). In experiment 1, three males and three females were allotted to each diet. Apparent protein digestibility was lower for the rapeseed meals (80 and 82%) than for casein (94%). However, 4-day nitrogen retention was significantly lower (P < 0.05) only for rats fed HiRSM (169, 440, and 526 mg for HiRSM, LoRSM, and Cas, respectively). In experiment 2, 48 rats were allotted to the same three diets for an 8-week growth study. Weight gains by rats fed Cas or LoRSM were nearly three times that of animals fed HiRSM. Thyroid size (milligrams per 100 g body weight) was similar for the LoRSM and Cas groups, whereas a pronounced thyroid enlargement as well as increased size of liver, kidneys, adrenals, and testes were observed in rats fed HiRSM. Histochemical examination of hepatic tissue revealed marked changes in activity and localization for acid and alkaline phosphatases and adenosine triphosphatase of animals fed HiRSM but only slight changes in the patterns of rats fed LoRSM. Males fed LoRSM and both sexes fed HiRSM exhibited lipid infiltration in the liver. The results suggest that thioglucosides are responsible for the poor performance reported for animals fed rapeseed meal.

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