M"y, L974 - MSpace at the University of Manitoba

Ëhe eventual developmenÈ of low or alkaloid free varietíes of the major
agricultural species of lupins (Barbacki et al. L962).
The isolation of 1ow alkaloid types led Ëo the broad, two parË
classification of lupins j-nto bíÈter and sr^ieeË types on the basis of
their alkaloid content. Bitter types may contain up to 27. alkaloids,
whereas the contemporary snTeet types have alkaloid contents Ëhat are 50
to 997á lor,rer than their bitter relatíves (Gustafsson and Gadd, L965;
Barbackí et al" L962).
The bitter straíns contain different amounts and types of alkaloids
which can differ ín marmnalian Ëoxicity (Marsh, Clauson and Marsh, 1916;
Gorden and Henderson, 1951). The dÍfferent species also vary in this
respect (Schwarze and Hackbarth, L957). Toxicity of lupin alkaloids vary
with the amount consumed and the animal being tested" Generally, Ëhey
may cause severe íntoxícation, which can be fatal or transienË, or perna-
nent damage Ëo Ëhe nervous system (Bennets, 1957; Marsh, Clauson and
Marsh, 1916) "
The sweet varieties have never been reported to cause toxiciËy when
fed to livestock (Gladstones, 1970b). The seed of sweet lupins can be
fed dírectly without special treatment and many tests have failed to
reveal anti-trypsin or other anti-metabolÍc factors.
1.72 Feeding Value
Gladstones (1970a) has surnnarized the v¡ork of Hackbarth and Husfield
(1939) and other authors on the digestibiliËy of the seed constituents of
L. Luteus and L" dqust¿folius" This is presented in Table 5.
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