[Intestinal alterations and reduction of growth in prepuberal rats fed with soybean]

Weanling rats from the inbred lines alpha and beta were fed with a soybean-cereal mixture used for human consumption (AN). A group fed with laboratory rat chow was used as reference (AC). Growth and other nutritional parameters as well as intestinal morphohystometry were evaluated from 22 to 44 days of age. Growth rate and final weight were greater with AC in both lines of rats. The greater initial food conversion efficiency of AN diet, compared to AC, decreased rapidly with the progression of age, particularly in the beta strain. Nitrogen (N) and lipid fecal contents were significantly larger for AN in both lines. Apparent nitrogen digestibility, expressed as the difference between N intake and fecal N with respect to N intake was AC < AN (p < 0.01) for line alpha and AC > AN (p < 0.01) for line beta. The weight and the mucosal total width of the small intestine were AC > AN in both lines. AN produced a significant decrease of villi goblet cells in both strains (p < 0.005). Cecum weight was AC > AN (p < 0.01) for the beta strain. These results alert about uncontrolled consumption of soybean products without adequate inhibition of antinutritional factors, a potential risk for growing animal populations.