Nutritional Value of Lupine in the Diets for Pigs (a Review)

The seeds of sweet lupine cultivars (Lupineus species) have been used with increasing frequency as a source of proteins replacing proteins of animal origin or soybean in feed compounds. The seeds of sweet lupine cultivars contain an average of about 33-40% crude protein in dry matter, the lipid content ranges from 5 to 13%. The profile of amino acids is relatively beneficial, however, with slightly lower content of lysine (1.46%) and methionine (0.22%). The main storage carbohydrates in the seeds are the beta-galactans that comprise most of the cell-wall material of the kernel and the cellulose and hemicellulose of the thick seed coats. Lupine seeds contain about 40% non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and a negligible amount of starch. High coefficient of protein digestibility (> 90%) has been reported in sweet lupine cultivars, but lower digestibility of energy (similar to 60%). Lupineus species contain negligible amounts of trypsin inhibitor so they do not require preheating before being used as an ingredient in feeds for monogastric animals. The efficiency of lupine seeds in the diets for pigs is characterized by controversial results of growth and feed conversion under both mechanical treatment and enzyme supplementation. The results of production efficiency obtained at the testing of lupine cultivars (L. albus, L. angustifolius) for pigs were beneficial at supplementation of the lacking nutrients or dehulling. The submitted paper summarizes national as well as foreign knowledge of the nutritive value of cultural lupine seeds, and deals with the possibility increasing nutrition and production efficiency in the diets for pigs.