Lathyrism in poultry—a review

SummaryThe effects on poultry of the toxic constituents of certain legume seeds of the Genus Lathyrus which give rise to the problem of lathyrism in humans and experimental animals are reviewed and discussed. Research in this area relating to poultry has been scanty with the limited amount of information available indicating that the toxic effects depend mainly on the species and age of birds, the amounts of toxins absorbed, the route of administration and the duration of exposure.Seeds of Lathyrus species, being a low cost protein source, could with advantage be utilized to a greater extent in poultry diets provided safe inclusion levels were established and ways of improving feed value determined and applied.With regard to safety margins, the results of a recent study using laying fowls suggest that the seeds of certain species contain sufficiently low levels of toxins for them to be used without any deleterious effects on egg production or eggshell quality. In order to maximise utilisation research in this area should be strengthened, first to discover more detail of the toxic effects and second, to determine ways of counteracting the effects by removing or neutralizing the toxic factors. Further work on the problem has been indicated.