The interactive effects of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) trypsin inhibitor, hemagglutinin and cyanide on some hepatic dehydrogenases, ornithine carbamoyltransferase and intestinal disaccharidases in weanling rats.

The interactive effects of lima bean trypsin inhibitor (TI), hemagglutinin (Hgg) and cyanide (CN) when fed at the same degree of activity as found in the raw lima bean (RLB) were assessed in weanling rats using hepatic glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCT) and intestinal disaccharidases activities as the response criteria. Whereas RLB significantly (P less than 0.05) increased hepatic GLDH and decreased ICDH activities respectively, dietary CN, TI and Hgg whether acting individually or jointly had no significant influence on GLDH. Only the CN-containing diets significantly (P less than 0.05) elevated ICDH activity when compared with the control. Raw lima bean significantly (P less than 0.05) depressed OCT activity while neither the individual nor collective effects of these factors were significant. Dietary CN + TI + Hgg interaction depressed maltase activity to approximately the same extent as RLB in all the intestinal regions. These factors had neither individual nor collective effects on sucrase in the small intestine. Lactase activity in the small intestine was influenced only by the RLB diet, while CN + Hgg, and CN + TI + Hgg dietary combinations induced significant (P less than 0.05) elevations in the activities of cellobiase when compared with the control. Although synergism of action is indicated in a number of instances, it is suggested that these factors may need to combine with others within the bean, perhaps synergistically, to elicit comparable anti-nutritional influences as the RLB.