ILEAL AND FECAL DIGESTIBILITY OF LIGHT-COLORED OR DARK-COLORED PEAS (PISUM-SATIVUM) IN GROWING PIGS

Apparent ileal and faecal digestibilities of dietary nutrients were determined in pigs fed diets based on barley and soya-bean meal or this diet substituted by 33% light- or dark-coloured peas. The two pea types had similar gross chemical composition and amino acid profile, although the dark-coloured peas had significantly higher contents of condensed tannins and Klason lignin, attributed mainly to polyphenols in the seed hulls. Apparent ileal digestibilities of nutrients in the pea diets varied from below 0% for Klason lignin to more than 90% for starch. However, no significant differences were obtained between the two pea diets, indicating that polyphenols in the seed hulls of dark-coloured peas did not interfere with ileal digestion of major nutrients or amino acids when fed to growing pigs. However, the faecal apparent digestibilities of fibre components were generally lower in the dark-coloured pea diet than in either the control or light-coloured pea diets.