A review of the potential of Lathyrus sativus L. and L. cicera L. grain for use as animal feed

The use of the two closely related species, Lathyrus cicera and L. sativus, as grain legumes for human and animal consumption, dates to the Neolithic period. Due to its tolerance to harsh environmental conditions L. sativus is still used widely for human food in Ethiopia and the Indian sub-continent. Cultivation has decreased in many other regions. The grain of both L. cicera and L. sativus contains the neurotoxin, 3-(-N-oxalyl)-L-2,3-diamino propionic acid (ODAP), which can cause a paralysis of the lower limbs known as “lathyrism”. Due to the occurrence of lathyrism in humans recent plant breeding has been concentrated on producing cultivars with low ODAP concentrations in the seed. The susceptibility of animal species to lathyrism is poorly understood, although horses and young animals are often noted as more susceptible. Older published animal feeding studies are of limited use, since the presence and role of ODAP was unknown until the 1960’s. More recent feeding studies indicate that low ODAP lines of L. cicera or L. sativus can be safely incorporated at inclusion rates up to 40%, 30% and 70% of the diet of poultry, pigs and sheep, respectively, without growth reductions.