Research at the University of Illinois studied the digestion of conventional and low-oligosaccharide soybean meal produced from genetically altered soybeans. Five female dogs were fitted with T-type cannulas at the terminal ileum and fed five diets in a 5x5 Latin square design experiment. The corn and poultry meal based diet was formulated with 0, 18.55 or 37.1 % soybean meal. Each feeding period consisted of a 7 day diet adaption period and a 4 day collection period. Intakes of dry matter, crude protein, fat and gross energy was not affected by diet treatment, whereas, starch and fiber intakes were higher for the soybean meal treatments. Digestibilities of crude protein and starch at the ileum was higher for the dogs fed the higher levels of soybean meal. Total tract digestibility of crude protein was higher for dogs fed the soybean meal diets. There were no significant differences in nutrient digestibilities between the conventional and low-oligosaccharide soybean meals. Stachyose and raffinose intakes were significantly reduced in the dogs fed the low-oligosaccharide diets. Total tract digestion of all oligosaccharides was near 100 percent.

Zuo, Y., G.C. Fahey, N.R. Merchen and N.L. Bajjalieh. 1996 Digestion response to low oligosaccharide soybean meal by ileally-cannulated dogs. J. Animal Sic. 74(10):2441-2449.