Compositional and Nutritional Evaluation of Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) Meal

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of guar meal (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), with particular emphasis on the protein quality, as an alternative source of animal feed compared to the popular genetically modified soybean meal. The research material consisted of three types of guar meal (GM) purchased in India and soybean meal (SBM) produced from genetically modified soy beans. We analyzed the levels of essential nutrients and protein nutritional value. The nutritional values of the examined guar meals were similar to soybean meal. The extracted guar meal (GME) had the highest level of total protein (738.9 g/kg DM), crude fat (87.6 g/kg DM) and lowest fiber content (34.8 g/kg DM). The protein of GM is characterised by a favorable amino acid composition of high quality protein which can be confirmed by the Essential Amino Acids Index (EAAI) values. The first amino acids limiting the nutritive value of protein were the sulfur-containing amino acids in nearly all samples.