[Effect of vitamin E and protein quality on the hemolytic effect of Trigonella sapogenins in rats].

The influence of vitamin E (9, 90, 450 mg dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate/100 g diet), protein quality and temperature (70 degrees C for 10 min) on the sapogenin-induced hemolysis was studied in rats fed with diets containing different amounts of fenugreek-seed seedflour. Significant increased hemolysis rates were found in rats on diets with the following protein components: 1/3 Trigonella + 2/3 Cornflour (69.7 +/- 11.6% hemolysis), 100% Trigonella (21.0 +/- 8.6% hemolysis), 1/3 Trigonella + 2/3 Casein (14.1 +/- 10.7% hemolysis). The diets of these groups of animals contained raw Trigonella seeds and 9 mg vitamin E/100 g diet, which covers the requirements of rats on this vitamin. With this tocopherol supplement the applied heat treatment had no influence on the sapogenin effects on the erythrocytes. In the groups with the 10th fold and 50th fold of the vitamin E supplementation no significant hemolysis rate was observed. From these results we conclude that when fenugreek seeds are to be used in animal nutrition, a qualitative good protein supply as well as a sufficient intake of vitamin E should be considered in order to compensate the hemolytic effect of Trigonella sapogenins.