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Toxicity of kidney beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L). to conventional and gnotobiotic rats
Author(s) -
Rattray Edward A. S.,
Palmer Robert,
Pusztai Arpad
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740250819
Subject(s) - phaseolus , casein , weight loss , biological value , zoology , biology , kidney , food science , toxicity , chemistry , botany , endocrinology , obesity , organic chemistry
Raw and irradiated diets containing kidney beans as the sole source of protein and providing 10% crude protein (N × 6.25) produced severe weight loss, followed in some cases by death, in conventional hooded rats. The mean weight loss of the surviving rats exceeded the mean weight loss of control animals fed a non‐protein diet. When fed to gnotobiotic rats the irradiated bean diet produced a slight gain in the mean weight of the animals over the 10 day experimental period and a net protein utilisation (n.p.u.) of 16. This figure fell far short of the value of 52 estimated from the chemical score. Diets containing beans + casein, each providing 5% crude protein gave n.p.u. value of 53 in gnotobiotic rats, a figure which approached that anticipated from the chemical score of the diet (=61). In conventional rats the same diet gave n.p.u. values of 14 (non‐irradiated) and 16 (irradiated).