Review on nutritional limitations and opportunities of using rapeseed meal and other rape seed by-products in animal feeding

Abstract

Mustard seeds (Brassica napus) also know as Rape seeds and oil seed rape is very widely cultivated crop throughout the world as major source of oil and protein meal [1]. The oil recovery from mustard seed ranges between 38-44% depending upon the variety and crushing processes [2]. Rapeseed ranks, third in the world production of other oil seed crops [2]. The protein of rapeseed has a well balanced amino acid profile and in terms of essential amino acids which is far better than cereals [1,3]. The remain after oil extraction is used as meal for livestock feed. Despite the significant amounts of highly valued nutrients, use of rapeseed in human diets and in animal feeding has been limited, mainly because both oil and protein in rapeseed are accompanied by certain anti-nutritional factors which limited its use as animal feed called Glucosinolates and others [4-5]. Glucosinolates are group of sulphur-containing secondary plant metabolites produced mainly in Brassica vegetables [4]. Glucosinolets themselves are not toxic, however, their hydrolytic products are. Brassica seed meals contain an enzyme myrosinase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of Glucosinolates to harmful products, including goitrogenic and potential hepatoxic compounds, such as isothiocyanates and thiocyanates [4].