EFFECTS OF COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA) FEEDING ON THE PANCREATIC EXOCRINE SECRETION OF PIGS

Introduction  Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a valuable protein source that can contribute towards overcoming a predicted protein deficit equivalent to more than 1 000 000 t oilcake in Southern Africa by the year 2000 (Nell et al. 1992). However, like most other legumes, cowpeas contain antinutritional factors (ANFs) (Makinde et al. 1996). It has also been shown that feeding raw cowpea causes reduced growth and histomorphometric changes in the various segments of the intestine (Makinde et al. 1997) attributable to ANFs. The major ANFs in the cowpea are trypsin inhibitors, tannins and phytates (Aletor and Aladetimi 1989). Although the protease inhibitors are found in most legumes, only soybean inhibitors have been thoroughly investigated (Liener and Kakade 1980), and trypsin inhibitors in other legumes have received little attention.