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Growth Impairment Caused by Raw Linseed Consumption: Can Trypsin Inhibitors Be Harmful for Health?

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Abstract

Linseed (Linun usitatissimum L.) is an important oilseed whose nutritional value can be impaired due to presence of antinutritional factors and low protein digestibility. Protein fractions from raw linseed meal were extracted, isolated and analyzed in vitro and in vivo. Globulins, the major protein fraction of linseed, showed low in vitro susceptibility to trypsin and chymotrypsin, but its in vivo digestibility was 93.2 %. Albumin fraction had high trypsin inhibition activity (5250 Inhibition Units g−1) and presented low molecular mass protein bands, similar to known trypsin inhibitors. Raw linseed consumption caused negative effects on rat growth and reduction of intestinal villi. Results indicate that raw linseed meal must not be used as an exclusive source of protein regardless of the major proteins have high digestibility; digestive enzymes inhibitors in raw linseed probably reduces the protein utilization.

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Abbreviations

C:

Chymotrypsin

GI:

Group I – casein group

GII:

Group II – raw linseed group

HSA:

Human salivary amylase

IU:

Inhibition unit

NPR:

Net protein ratio

PA:

Pancreatic amylase

PE:

Pancreatic elastase

PER:

Protein efficiency ratio

SDS-PAGE:

Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

T:

Trypsin

TD:

True digestibility

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Acknowledgments

Our sincere acknowledgements to Maurício Pereira de Sales, a great researcher and professor (in memoriam). The authors also gratefully acknowledge Ana Heloneida A. Morais and Adriana F. Uchôa for fruitful discussions and generous help. This work was supported by the Brazilian agencies FINEP, CNPq, CAPES and BNB-FUNDECI.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Katya Anaya, Ana C. B. Cruz, Dayse C. S. Cunha & Elizeu A. dos Santos

  2. Departamento de Nutrição, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Sandra M. N. Monteiro

  3. Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde do Trairi, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rua Trairi, s/n, Santa Cruz, RN, Brazil

    Katya Anaya

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  1. Katya Anaya
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  2. Ana C. B. Cruz
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Correspondence to Katya Anaya.

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Anaya, K., Cruz, A.C.B., Cunha, D.C.S. et al. Growth Impairment Caused by Raw Linseed Consumption: Can Trypsin Inhibitors Be Harmful for Health?. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 70, 338–343 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-015-0500-y

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