Effect of protein-bound lysinoalanine, N epsilon-DL-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-L-lysine on fetal and neonatal rats.

Diets containing 5% to 30% of an alkali-treated isolated soybean protein (ATSP) containing 1% lysinoalanine (LAL) were fed to female Sprague-Dawley rats during gestation and lactation to provide 500, 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 ppm LAL in the diet. An isolated soybean protein containing no LAL was used as control. No teratological effects were observed. No significant differences in birth weight, mortality, live births/litter, or number of pups/litter was found at any LAL level fed. However, significantly decreased weight gains were observed in pups from dams fed either 2,000 or 3,000 ppm LAL. No LAL was found in the milk, and protein content of all milks was similar. The decreased weight gains appeared to be due to reduced milk production in dams fed high levels of ATSP.