Rumen protection of heat-treated soybean proteins

Abstract

The effects of processing variables on soybean crude protein (CP) ruminal degradation were investigated. Soybean meal (SBM) was heated in a forced-air oven (90 °C, 1 h) with blood (0, 5, 10 and 20% dry matter) and/or xylose (3 mol mol −1 SBM-blood lysine) in a randomized complete block design. In another experiment, whole soybeans were utilized using the following treatments: raw; roasted (in Gem Co. unit exit temperature 150 °C) and steeped for 0 or 2 h; roasted, flaked (exit temperature 111 °C) and steeped for 0, 1, 2, 3 h or 1 h with 4% xylose and/or 10% blood. Solubility of SBM CP was reduced (P < 0.01) by the addition of xylose, without adverse effects on pepsin-digestible CP and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen. In situ degradation of CP (EDCP), assuming a passage rate of 5% h −1 , of SBM was reduced by the addition of blood (P < 0.05) and particularly xylose (P < 0.01). Soybean CP solubility was reduced (P < 0.01) by roasting and flaking (65.6 vs. 17.6% total CP). Not flaking the roasted beans further reduced (P < 0.01) CP solubility (to 10.4%) probably due to less rapid cooling. The EDCP of raw soybeans (87.6%) was reduced by roasting (64.2%), steeping whole (57.6%) or flaked (61.1%) beans. These data support xylose to effectively reduce ruminal degradation of SBM and simple steeping (1 h) with or without flaking to further reduce EDCP of roasted soybeans. Key words: Soybean meal, soybeans, xylose, blood, steeping, protein degradation