Animal Husbandry Mimeograph
Series No. 55-6


June, 1955


PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON GUAR SEED MEAL A POTENTIAL
PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT

L. R. Arrington, T. H. Jeffords and Sue Wagner1


Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) isa leguminous plant introduced

into this country from India. It is drought resistant and suitable

for cultivation in semiarid regions. The seeds are used primarily

for supplying a gum which is utilized as a stabilizer in food

processing. The remaining seed meal is used to some extent as a

fertilizer and the relatively high protein content places it in a

favorable position as a possible feed for animals. Guar has been

used for a long time as a human food in India, but there appears to

be no report of the use of guar or of the guar seed meal in animal

feeding.

This study was undertaken to determine some aspects of the feed-

ing value of guar seed meal.


Experimental


The seed meal used in the experiment was analyzed in the usual

manner for protein, ether extract, moisture and total ash. Calcium,

phosphorus and magnesium were also determined and the results are

recorded in table 1.


'Arrington, Assistant Animal Husbandman, Agricultural Experiment
Station; Jeffords, Graduate Assistant; Wagner, Laboratory Assistant.
Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition. Guar seed meal was
supplied by H. J. Baker and Brothers, Tampa, Florida.









TABLE 1. ANALYSIS OF GUAR SEED MEAL

Protein 35.13% Calcium 0.32%

Ether extract 4.62% Phosphorus 0.41%

Total ash 4.60% Magnesium 0.46%

Moisture 4.45%


Forty four rats and two calves were used in the feeding "este.

Long-Evans rats were weaned at 24-28 days of age and fed the diets

(table 2) ad libitum for a 12 week growth period. Following the

growth period, the rats receiving 40 per cent guar meal were

continued on this diet for a period of four months. One group of

rats was fed a similar diet (table 2) containing soybean oil meal

in place of guar meal so that growth comparisons could be made.

Preliminary feeding indicated that 40 per cent guar meal in the diet

was very unpalatable to rats and feed consumption was low. An additic:ca!

diet containing 10 per cent guar meal was prepared to determine if

this proportion of guar meal would be more acceptable. Of the total

protein in the two rat diets, 71 and 15 per cent was supplied by

guar. Thirty four per cent of the total protein of the calf ration

was supplied by guar.

The two calves used in the experiment were five and seven month

old dairy type calves. They were fed timothy hay and the grain

mixture (table 2) according to the Morrison standard for a period

of seven weeks. Weekly weights of the rats and calves were made

during the experimental period.


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TABLE 2. EXPERIMENTAL DIETS CONTAINING GUAR SEED MEAL


Calf Ration


Corn meal

Soybean oil meal

Guar seed meal

Dried brewers yeast

CaOO3

NaCl

Salt Mix No. 2


A B

57 :57

30

40 10

1 1

1 1

0.5 0.5

0.5 0.5


C

57

40



1

1

0.5

0.5


Cracked corn

Cottonseed meal

Guar seed meal

Ground snap corn

NaCl


Results and Discussion


Results with rats were unsatisfactory. A large proportion of the

weanling rats receiving 40 per cent guar meal died within four weeks,

and the growth rate of those which survived was greatly retarded.

The poor growth may be attributed to a large extent to poor palatability

and very low feed consumption. The diet containing 10 per cent guar

and 30 per cent soybean meal supported better growth but not equal to

a diet of 40 per cent soybean meal. When the 40 per cent guar diet

was pelleted and fed to one group of rats, the feed consumption and

growth was not improved.

An explanation for the large number of deaths of weanling rats

was not found, but it does not appear to be a toxic principle in the meal.


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Rat Diets


__ __ ___









TABLE 3. SUMMARY OF EFFECTS OF GUAR SEED MEAL UPON WEANLING RATS

Diet No. Sex No. dead at Weight gain at
Rats 4 weeks 12 weeks (gms)

11 8 106
40% guar 13 9 9 87

10% guar 7 0 142

40% soybean 7 c 0 216
meal 3 9 0 145



Those rats which survived for four weeks were continued on the 40 per

cent guar diet for four months. At that time they were in apparent

good health except for stunted growth. Three mature rats were fed

the 40 per cent guar diet for four months. They were not adversely

affected except for reduced feed intake and slight loss in weight.

The results with calves were more favorable than were results

with rats. The meal was palatable in the amount fed; the entire

portion being consumed from the first feeding. Growth comparisons

with other rations under similar conditions were not possible, but

weight gains for the seven week period were satisfactory. No

adverse effects were observed in the calves.


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Summary


Preliminary observations were obtained on guar seed meal which

was fed to weanling rats and to two growing calves. Palatability and

feed consumption were low for rats. Growth was poor and was attributed

in large part to low feed consumption. A large proportion of the

weanling rats fed 40 per cent guar meal died, but a like amount fed

to mature rats was not harmful except for slight loss in weight.

Guar meal was more palatable to calves and weight gains were

satisfactory on a ration containing 20 per cent guar meal.

If larger quantities of the meal become available, additional

research should be undertaken to obtain more information on its

value for various species. These limited observations should be of

value in future experiments.
























Animal Husbandry and Nutrition
6/9/55
100 copies