Soybean Lectins

Lectins are known to bind to the intestinal brush border membrane and induce antinuitritional effects such as disruption of the brush border membrane and reduced nutrient digestibility in laboratory rodents. Researchers at Auburn University conducted two studies to investigate the effects of soybean lectins on growth performance and nutrient digestibility when turkey poults were fed a semipurified diet supplemented with 0.24 or 0.48 percent soybean lectins. Including 0.24 percent soybean lectins in the purified diet had no significant detrimental effect on any parameter measured. Feeding the higher level of lectins gave inconsistent results for feed conversion and brush border enzyme levels. These results would indicate that feeding levels up to 0.24 percent lectins would not cause antinutritional effects in turkey poults starter diets.

Fasina, Y.O. and co-workers. 2004. Response of turkey poults to soybean lectin levels typically encountered in commercial diets: 1. Effect on growth and nutrient digestibility.