Nutritional value of rapeseed meal containing lecithin gums precipitated with citric acid

The composition and nutritional value of 00-type industrial rapeseed meals containing lecithin gums either precipitated with citric acid (meal ALAC) or removed from oil by hydration (meal BLH) were determined. Control meals without lecithin (A and B) were included in the study. The ether extract content was over 20 g/kg greater, while the protein content was slightly lower in meals containing lecithin gums. The amino acid composition (g/16 g N) of all meals was uniform while the FDNB-available lysine content was lower in the meal with acidified lecithin than in the control meal without lecithin and in the meal with hydrated lecithin gums (4.85 versus 5.16 and 5.28 g/16 g N in ALAC, A and BLH meals, respectively). Meal ALAC had a lower pH and lower solubility in KOH than other meals. Neither the two indices determined in vitro simulating energy digestibility and ileal protein digestibility for pigs, nor indices of protein value determined in rats were affected by the type of lecithin added to the meal. Feed intake and body gain of rats tended to be slightly lower on the diet containing acidified lecithin than on other diets.