Influence of irradiated cotton seed meal on biochemical responses of growing albino rats

Abstract EN

This study was carried out determine the impact of gamma- irradiation at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 kGy on total and free gossypol content, available lysine, in-vitro protein digestibility of cottonseed meal (CSM).

Alongside, influence of feeding growing Albino rats, for 35 days, irradiated CSM at 10, 20 and 30 kGy on their physiological and biochemical aspects.

Gamma rays showed significant dose-dependent decrease in total and free gossypol content (P-trend = 0.001), available lysine reduced linearly and improve in vivo protein digestibility of CSM.

The regression equation for available lysine was: AL (g /16 g N) = 3.15- 0.021(±0.001) X.

The feeding study for 35 days clearly proved that irradiation treatment of CSM masked and dumped the adverse effects of raw CSM on the physiological and biochemical aspects of growing rats.

A specific dose of gamma-irradiation can be chosen depending on the technical criteria to be achieved (e.g., increase in growth rate and improvement of the biochemical parameters of rats fed the irradiated CSM).

In general, the data suggest that the irradiation of CSM at 20 and 30 kGy used in the feed industry would improve its nutritive value.

The other benefits of irradiated CSM are to eliminate fungal toxin producer and preventing food-borne diseases and the unique possibility of treating it after packaging, which in view of the importance of cross contamination in the feed industry is of great value.