Relative effects of heat and urea-treated jackbean (Canavalia ensiformis) and swordbean (Canavalia gladiata) on the performance of laying hens
A B I Udedibie
Department of Animal Production, Federal
University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
Summary
Two feeding trials were conducted with laying hens to
determine the relative effect of boiling alone and of ensiling
with urea followed by boiling of jackbeans and swordbeans,
incorporated at levels of up to 20% in the diet. In the first
experiment, boiled jackbeans and swordbeans were incorporated in
layer's diets at 10% and 20%. In the second experiment,
urea-ensiled and boiled jackbeans and swordbeans were
incorporated in layer's diets at 10% and 20%. In both
experiments, each diet was fed to 5 replicates of 20 layers.
The results of the 12 week experiments showed that the optimal
dietary level of boiled jackbeans for layers was about 10%. That
of boiled swordbean appeared to be less than 10%. Urea-ensiled
and boiled jackbeans could be incorporated in layers' diets at up
to 20% with good results while swordbeans treated by this method
could be included at 10% of the diet.
KEY WORDS: Poultry, layers, canavalia, jackbean, swordbean,
anti-nutritional factors, urea-ensiling, boiling
Introduction
The scarcity of locally produced protein supplements for
inclusion in animal diets in the tropics has created a need to
find alternative sources. Fluctuations in availability and cost
of agro- industrial byproducts such as oilseed meals and cereal
by-products have rendered the livestock industry unstable. There
is need, therefore, to turn attention towards the exploitation of
novel legumes such as the jackbean (Canavalia ensiformis)
and the swordbean (Canavalia gladiata).
The genus, Canavalia, comprises a small group of some 48
species which are distributed throughout the tropics. Two of
these species, Canavalia gladiata (swordbean) and Canavalia
ensiformis (jackbean) are fairly well known and cultivated,
particularly in the Far East, where the young pods and beans are
used as vegetables (Pursegrove 1982). The raw ripe seeds are rich
in nutrients, particularly protein and carbohydrates (Molina
et al 1974; Wyss and Bickel 1988; Udedibie and Nwaiwi 1988;
Bressani et al 1987) but are poisonous (Orru and Demel
1941; Borchers and Ackerson 1950). Jackbean and swordbean are
similar in vegetative parts and flowers but the seeds of the
swordbean are larger, typically claret coloured; those of the
jackbean are white. Both species are used in Nigeria as
ornamental plants and in some places are believed to be
"snake repellents".
Swordbean contains gibberellin A-15, a growth-promoting
hormone (Tokoya and Takama 1981) and its leaf meal has been shown
to be a good source of pigment for egg yolks (Udedibie 1987) but
information on its nutritive value is quite sketchy.
Research on the genus Canavalia seems to be concentrated on
the jackbean and it has been found that its nutritive value could
be improve to some extent by boiling or autoclaving (Borchers and
Ackerson 1950; D'Mello et al 1985; Udedibie and Nwaiwi
1988). Recent studies by Udedibie and Madubuike (1988) have shown
that the optimal dietary level of boiled jackbean for layers is
10%, indicating the presence of certain thermostable
antinutritional factors. The best known of these substances is
Concanavalin A (Con A), a lectin (Hague 1975; Jaffe 1980) which
has been reported to interfere with the absorption of nutrients
(Liener 1986). Canavaline, a thermostable, poisonous, alkaline
aminoacid, which is a structural analogue of arginine, has also
been reported to be present in jackbean seed at more than 3% of
the dry matter (Rosenthal 1972; Leon et al 1989). Soaking
of jackbean in a urea solution and ensiling it prior to boiling
has, however, been shown to remarkably improve the nutritive
value of jackbean for broilers (Montilla et al 1981;
Nkwocha 1988) with dietary inclusion of the bean of up 25%.
Udedibie and Nkwocha (1989) have recently reported that swordbean
is of inferior nutritive value for broilers than jackbean.
The studies reported here were designed to determine the
relative value of heat and urea-ensiled jackbean (JB) for laying
hens.
Materials and methods
Experiment 1
The jackbeans and swordbeans used for these studies were
produced at the Teaching and Research Farm Federal University of
Technology, Owerri, Nigeria and at the sub-station of the
national Root Crops Research Institute, Otobi, in Benue State of
Nigeria. Raw jackbeans and swordbeans were separately boiled for
one hour, dried in the oven at 60 °C for 48 hours and then
milled. Samples of raw and the boiled jackbeans and swordbeans
were analyzed, using standard methods (AOAC 1980) to determine
nutrient composition. Based on the results of the analyses, 5
dietary treatments were formulated (Table 1). Two of the diets
contained the boiled jackbean at dietary levels of 10% and 20%.
Another two diets contained the boiled swordbeans also at 10% and
20% dietary levels. The control diet contained no jackbeans or
swordbeans.
One hundred (100) layers at 6 weeks of laying life were
divided into 5 groups of 20 and randomly assigned to the
treatment diets; each group was further sub-divided into 5
replicates of four birds each, and each replicate housed in a
cage. The birds were fed ad libitum; water was also liberally
provided. Birds were weighed at the beginning and at the end of
the experiment. Feed consumption was recorded every week. At the
end of the 12 week trial, 10 birds (2 from each replicate) were
randomly selected from each group, sacrificed and their internal
organs removed and weighed.
| Table 1:
Composition (%) of treatment diets (Experiment 1) |
 |
| |
Control |
10%BJB |
20%BJB |
10%BSB |
20%BSB*** |
| Ingredients |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
|
| Yellow Maize |
50.0 |
48.0 |
45.0 |
48.0 |
45.0 |
| GNC |
25.0 |
20.0 |
15.0 |
20.0 |
15.0 |
| Jackbean |
---- |
10.0 |
20.0 |
---- |
---- |
| Swordbean |
---- |
---- |
---- |
10.0 |
20.0 |
| Wheat offals |
12.0 |
10.0 |
8.0 |
10.0 |
8.0 |
| Rice Offal |
3.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
| Bone Meal |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
| Limestone |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
| Common Salt |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
| TM/VIT, |
|
|
|
|
|
| Premix**** |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Analyzed %CP |
16.28 |
16.42 |
16.51 |
16.29 |
16.36 |
| Analyzed %Ca |
3.92 |
4.02 |
4.10 |
4.08 |
4.03 |
| Analyzed %P |
0.26 |
0.26 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.26 |
| Cystine +
Meth* |
0.50 |
0.56 |
0.58 |
0.52 |
0.53 |
| Lysine* |
0.69 |
0.74 |
0.76 |
0.70 |
0.74 |
| ME
(Kcal/gm)** |
2.74 |
2.80 |
2.81 |
2.78 |
2.80 |
|
* Calculated from data given by Bressani et al (1987) Values
for Jackbeans and swordbeans.
** Based on D'Mello et al (1985) values for Jackbeans.
*** BJB = Boiled jackbean; BSB = Boiled swordbean.
**** To provide the following per kg of feed: vit A 1000 iu; vit
D3 1500 iu; vit E 3 iu; vit K 2 mg; riboflavin 3 mg; path. acid 6
mg; macin 150 mg; choline 3 mg; vit B12 0.08 mg; folic acid 4 mg;
Mn 0.8 mg; Zn 0.5 mg; iodine 1.0 mg; Co 1.2 mg; Cu 10 mg; Fe 20
mg.
The data generated (body weight change, feed intake, egg
production, egg weights, feed conversion ratio) were subjected to
analysis of variance and whenever significance for treatment
effects was detected, means were compared using the Least
Significant Difference (LSD) (Snedecor and Cochran 1967).
Experiment 2
Raw ripe jackbeans and swordbeans were separately ensiled in a
45% solution of urea for 7 days at room temperature in plastic
containers, rinsed with fresh water thereafter and then boiled
for one hour before drying and milling. They were then analyzed
as in experiment 1 and used in formulating four layer diets; 2
diets contained 10% and 20% of the urea-ensiled/boiled jackbeans;
the other 2 diets contained 10% and 20% of urea-ensiled/boiled
swordbeans. The control diet did not contain jackbean or
swordbeans. The diets are shown in Table 2.
| Table 2:
Composition (%) of treatment diets (Experiment 2). |
|
| |
Control |
10%UJB |
20%UJB |
10%USB |
20%USB*** |
| Ingredients |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
|
| Yellow Maize |
50.0 |
48.0 |
45.0 |
48.0 |
45.0 |
| GNC |
23.0 |
17.0 |
12.0 |
17.0 |
12.0 |
| Jackbean |
--- |
10.0 |
20.0 |
--- |
--- |
| Swordbean |
--- |
--- |
--- |
10.0 |
20.0 |
| Wheat Offals |
12.0 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
9.0 |
| Rice Offal |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
| Bone Meal |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.5 |
| Limestone |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
| Common Salt |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
| TM/VIT, |
|
|
|
|
|
| Premix**** |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Analyzed %CP |
16.56 |
16.61 |
16.48 |
16.58 |
16.42 |
| Analyzed %Ca |
4.04 |
4.06 |
4.10 |
4.08 |
4.08 |
| Analyzed %P |
0.30 |
0.28 |
0.28 |
0.30 |
0.32 |
| Cystine +
Meth* |
0.54 |
0.59 |
0.60 |
0.58 |
0.61 |
| Lysine* |
0.72 |
0.78 |
0.82 |
0.78 |
0.80 |
| ME (kcal/g)**
|
2.69 |
2.78 |
2.78 |
2.80 |
2.78 |
|
* As in table 1
** As in table 1
*** UJB = urea-ensiled/boiled jackbean; USB = urea-ensiled and
boiled swordbean.
**** As in table 1
One hundred (100) layers at 10 weeks of laying life were
divided into 5 groups of 20 layers and each group assigned
randomly to the treatment diets. Each treatment group was also
further sub-divided into 5 replicates of 4 birds each and each
replicate housed in a cage. Feed and water were liberally
provided. Birds were weighed at the beginning and at the end of
the 12 week feeding trial. At the end of the trial, 5 birds from
each treatment group (one from each replicate) were randomly
selected and sacrificed and their internal organs removed and
weighed. Data collection and analyses were as in experiment 1
above.
Results and discussion
Experiment 1
Data on the nutrient composition of raw and heat-treated
jackbeans and swordbeans are shown in Table 3. Raw jackbean and
swordbean were about even in their crude protein contents (29.2%
vs 28.2%). There was however, about 9% reduction in their protein
contents after boiling, and an indication that during boiling
some nitrogenous substances in the raw beans were solubilized and
lost. The crude fibre content of boiled swordbeans was higher
than that of the boiled jackbean, which is probably a reflection
of the amount of seed coat in the swordbeans. Their crude protein
values agree closely with values of 26%, 30% and 28.4%
respectively earlier reported in Nebraska (Borchers and Ackerson
1950), Guatemala (Molina et al 1974) and Zurich (Wyss and
Bickel 1988). Ether extract, total ash, nitrogen free extract,
calcium, phosphorus and gross energy of the two species were
similar and were only slightly affected by cooking.
| Table 3:
Proximate composition of raw processed jackbeans and
swordbeans* |
|
| Nutrient** |
RJB |
BJB |
UJB |
RSB |
BSB |
USB |
|
| CP |
29.22 |
26.74 |
26.68 |
28.16 |
25.82 |
25.9 |
| CF |
16.81 |
5.95 |
6.02 |
9.47 |
9.06 |
9.02 |
| EE |
2.93 |
2.88 |
2.92 |
2.76 |
2.62 |
2.66 |
| Ash |
3.42 |
3.16 |
3.22 |
3.74 |
3.44 |
3.47 |
| Ca |
0.12 |
0.11 |
0.12 |
0.16 |
0.14 |
0.14 |
| P |
0.64 |
0.65 |
0.62 |
0.58 |
0.61 |
0.62 |
| NFE |
57.62 |
61.27 |
61.16 |
55.87 |
59.06 |
58.96 |
| GE(Kcal/g) |
4.72 |
4.68 |
4.66 |
4.82 |
4.64 |
4.58 |
|
* RJB = raw jackbean; BJB = boiled jackbean; UJB =
urea-ensiled/ boiled jackbean; RSB = raw swordbean; BSB = boiled
swordbean; USB = urea-ensiled/boiled swordbean.
** All values expressed on 100% dry matter basis.
Data on performance of the layers are shown in Table 4. At 20%
dietary level, both boiled jackbean and swordbean significantly
(P<0.05) reduced body weights. Feed intakes at this same
dietary level were also significantly (P<0.05) reduced. At the
10% dietary level, the swordbean slightly depressed feed intake
although this was statistically non-significant (P>0.05). The
mean percent hen- day egg production followed a similar pattern.
Hen-day egg production was significantly (P<0.05) depressed at
20% dietary level of boiled jackbean and 10% dietary level of
boiled swordbean. The depression was much severe at 20% dietary
level of boiled swordbean (P<0.01). Consequently feed
conversion ratio was adversely affected by boiled swordbean at
the 20% dietary level. Egg weights were not affected by
treatments.
The weights of the internal organs, liver, gizzard and heart,
expressed as percent of final body weights were also not affected
by treatments. There was no reason to believe that the deaths
recorded during the trial were due to the inclusion of jackbean
or swordbean in the diets.
| Table 4: Effect
of boiled jackbean and swordbean on the performance of
laying hens. |
|
| |
Control |
10%BJB |
20%BJB |
10%BSB |
20%BSB |
| Parameter |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) SEmean |
|
| Body weight
(kg) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Initial |
1.72 |
1.74 |
1.71 |
1.74 |
1.74 0.012 |
| Final |
1.76a |
1.74a |
1.62b |
1.71a |
1.60b 0.016 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mortality (%)
|
2 |
- |
1 |
2 |
2 - |
| Feed intake
(g/d) |
112.20a |
113.80a |
80.02b |
96.80ab |
84.10b 2.840 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hen-day egg |
|
|
|
|
|
| prod. (%) |
62.60a |
63.20a |
51.00b |
56.20b |
43.40c 2.240 |
| Average egg
wt (g) |
58.20 |
57.80 |
58.00 |
57.40 |
57.00 0.020 |
| Feed/kg eggs
(kg) |
3.08a |
3.12a |
2.91a |
3.00a |
3.38b 0.011 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Internal
organs, |
|
|
|
|
|
| % bodyweight |
|
|
|
|
|
| Liver |
1.71 |
1.68 |
1.66 |
1.62 |
1.60 0.006 |
| Gizzard |
1.91 |
2.01 |
1.98 |
2.07 |
2.02 0.010 |
| Heart |
0.46 |
0.44 |
0.48 |
0.46 |
0.48 0.002 |
|
ab means within a row with differents subscripts are different
(P<0.05)
ac means within a row with differents subscripts are different
(P<0.01)
These results tend to confirm the earlier observations by
Udedibie and Madubuike (1988) on boiled jackbeans and, in
addition, show that swordbean appears to be an inferior feed
ingredient to jackbean when subjected to the same heat-treatment.
The fact that 20% dietary level of boiled jackbean and 10%
dietary level of boiled swordbean adversely affected the
performance of the layers showed that there were still some
anti-nutritional factors in the two beans after boiling for one
hour.
Experiment 2
Data on the nutrient contents of urea-ensiled/boiled jackbean
and swordbean are presented in Table 3. Both boiling alone and
ensiling with urea prior to boiling had similar effects on the
nutrient composition of the two species of Canavalia. The process
reduced the protein contents of the raw seeds to about the same
degree as boiling alone in Experiment 1.
Data on performance of the layers on the urea-ensiled/boiled
swordbean and jackbean are shown in Table 5. Urea-ensiled/boiled
swordbean at the 20% dietary level significantly (P<0.05)
reduced the body weights, feed intake and hen-day production of
the layers. Egg weights, feed conversion ratio and the visceral
organs of the layers were not affected by treatments. It appears,
therefore, that the optimal dietary level of urea-ensiled and
boiled swordbean for layers is about 10%. The layers on both 10%
and 20% dietary level of urea-ensiled and boiled jackbeans
compared very favourably with those on the control diet in all
the parameters measured. From the data in Table 5, it is apparent
that 20% dietary inclusion of urea- ensiled and boiled jackbeans
is feasible without affecting performance of layers.
| Table 5: Effect
of urea-ensiled/boiled jackbean and swordbean on the
performance of laying hens. |
|
| |
Control |
10%UJB |
20%UJB |
10%USB |
20%USB |
|
| Parameter |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
SEmean |
|
| Bodyweight
(kg) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Initial |
1.72 |
1.74 |
1.73 |
1.74 |
1.72 |
0.002 |
| Final |
1.73a |
1.76a |
1.73a |
1.75a |
1.64b |
0.016 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Feed
intake(g/d) |
112.40a |
114.80a |
116.60a |
109.60a |
84.40b |
2.840 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hen-day egg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| prod. (%) |
63.80a |
65.40a |
66.00a |
64.20a |
48.30b |
2.240 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hen-day egg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| prod.
(g/day). |
36.90a |
37.90a |
38.50a |
37.00a |
28.20b |
0.031 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Average egg
wt.(g) |
57.90 |
58.00 |
58.10 |
57.90 |
58.00 |
0.020 |
| Feed/kg eggs
(kg) |
3.05 |
3.02 |
3.02 |
2.98 |
3.01 |
0.010 |
| Mortality (%)
|
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Internal
organs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (%
bodyweight) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Liver |
1.68 |
1.64 |
1.71 |
1.68 |
1.68 |
0.002 |
| Gizzard |
2.01 |
1.99 |
2.00 |
2.04 |
2.02 |
0.001 |
| Heart |
0.46 |
0.49 |
0.47 |
0.50 |
0.48 |
0.001 |
|
ab means within a row with differents subscripts are different
(P<0.05).
The reason for the difference in performance of the layers on
the jackbean and swordbean diets cannot immediately be adduced.
Available literature indicates that both jackbean and swordbean
are relatively high in the essential aminoacid lysine (5.73g/16g
N and 5.62g/16g N, respectively) although fairly low in
methionine (Bressani et al 1987; Leon et al 1989).
However, their methionine contents are higher than that of
groundnut cake, the main protein supplement in the control diet
(1.9g/16g N) (NRC 1971). The process of ensiling in urea prior to
boiling seems to remove the thermostable anti-nutritional factors
in raw jackbean, thereby rendering available to the layers
nutrients contained in the diet. The failure of the swordbean to
respond as positively to these treatments as the jackbean, could
in part be attributed to the very thick seed coat of the
swordbean which Bressani et al (1987) have reported to be
about 20.3% of the seed as against 10.8% in the jackbean.
Acknowledgement
The funds for this study were provided by the International
Foundation for Science (IFS), whose assistance is highly
appreciated.
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