Effect of Feeding Canola Quality Rapeseed Mustard Meal on Animal Production - a Review

Rapeseed mustard cake (RMC) can be readily used as a protein supplement in ruminants’ diet due to its availability and being cheaper than common oil cakes. The use of RMC as protein supplement to ruminant diet is constrained due to its higher level of glucosinolates that have variable adverse effect on palatability, intake, nutrient utilization, thyroid hormone status and overall performance of the animals. Though, the glucosinolates present in RMC are biologically inactive; but they are hydrolyzed by endogenous enzyme, myrosinase (thioglucosidase, E.C 3.2.3.1) to yield active metabolites viz. thiocyanate, iso thiocyanate, oxazolidone-2-thiones and nitrile compounds, which may be toxic to the animals. Thiocyanate gets absorbed into blood and secreted into the milk which may have detrimental health hazards to consumer. Improved varieties of rapeseed mustard cultivar (canola quality) which is low in both erucic acid and glucosinolates can replace conventional cakes like soybean meal/groundnut cake as a protein source in the diet of ruminants without affecting growth and lactation performance.