Improving Pea Nutrition with Supplements and Breeding
Supplements: Addition of Formaldehyde to High Protein Legumes
Formaldehyde forms reactions with proteins
through addition or condensation reactions and should be reversible
under the action of diluted acid solutions and should not affect
amino acid composition or post abomasal protein digestion (Antoniewicz
et al. 1992 {586}). The addition of formaldehyde (20 g/kg) to
peas increased rumen crude protein residues from 22.4% to 28.3%
(Antoniewicz et al. 1992 {586}). Intestinal digestion estimated
by in vitro or mobile bag technique almost completely compensated
for the decline in the ruminal digestion (Antoniewicz et al. 1992
{586}). In another study, when peas were treated with formaldehyde
the undegradable protein increased from 21.6 to 33.3 % CP. The
soluble protein decreased from 50% to 30% CP at time 0 h, 75.1
to 60.9% CP at 6 h, 81.5 to 74.7% CP at 12 h and 98.4 to 94.3
at 24 h (Voigt et al. 1990 {617}).
Peas have been bred for increased protein content, but breeding objectives have been redirected towards reducing levels of anti-nutritional factors. The wide variation in anti-nutritional factors indicates that it may be possible to reduce their levels by breeding (Bond and Smith 1988 {634}). However, most anti-nutritional factors have evolved to protect the plant against pests or diseases and reducing these may increase the plant susceptibility.