Grant et al., 1991. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 3 (3): 24-34

The nutritional potential of a number of raw tropical seeds has been assessed in a series of feeding trials with rats. Seed lectin reactivity was also monitored. Abelmoschus esculentus, Chenopodium quinoa, Delonix regia, Phaseolus calcaratus, Phaseolus lathyroides, Parkia biglandulosa, Papaver somniferum, Sesbania arabica, Terminalia catappa, Vigna sinensis and Voandzeia subterranea seeds supported moderate rat growth. The seeds contained only low levels of essentially non-toxic lectin and they have great potential as dietary protein sources for man and animals. Artocarpus communis, Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia maritima, Dioclea grandiflora, Phaseolus acutifolius, Phaseolus coccineus and Phaseolus vulgaris var. Processor, var. Rosinha G2 and var. Carioca 80 seeds were toxic and contained high levels of potentially toxic lectins. Albizia adinocephala, Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia violacea, Cassia nodosa, Cassia tora, Dioclea sclerocarpa, Entada phaseoloides, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Leucaena leucocephala and Moringa olifera seeds were also highly toxic but had only low levels of essentially non-toxic lectins suggesting that the toxicity was due to other antinutritional factors. Bauhinia reticulata, Dolichos biflorus and Tamarindus indica proteins were poorly digested and utilised. The seeds contained low levels of lectins which agglutinated only rat and cattle erythrocytes which had been pre-treated with suitable proteases. Brownea macrophylla had a similar lectin reactivity.