OIL CAKES

Oil Cake is the solid residue that can be removed from various types of oily seeds. The residue is usually extracted by being pressed, removing the oil. Oil cake is valued for being rich in minerals and protein. Their most common use is in animal feed. Among the kinds of seeds that oil cake is obtained from are soybeans, peanuts, linseed, cottonseed, coconuts, and sunflower seeds. However, some specific kinds may be toxic, and are rather used as fertilizer. Even cottonseed contains a toxic pigment, gossypol, that must be removed before processing.

The major oil-bearing seeds contribute large quantities of by-products which are used in animal feeds, all of which have potential as aquaculture feed ingredients. The following is a list of the major plants contributing products to this category of ingredients:

COMMON NAME OF OILCAKE OR MEAL	SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
GROUNDNUT (PEANUT)	methionine deficient; prone to aflatoxin development; extensively used in carp diets.
MUSTARD) RAPE)	also used in carp diets but need great care, as non-detoxified meals contain a range of toxins.
COCONUT (POONAC)	prone to rancidity; absorbs water, thus water unstable feeds; low in protein; high in fibre.
OIL PALM	kernel high in protein; fats saturated; (African oil palm).
SOYBEAN	high protein; low lipid; generally good source of EAA's including lysine but methionine deficient; contains a trypsin inhibitor and urease but these are destroyed during processing; with EAA supplementation it is a potential partial replacement for fish meal.
COTTON	screw-press cake contains high level of free gossypol which is toxic; high in fibre; potentially valuable but knowledge of effect of gossypol on fish not adequately known (see ADCP, 1983).
SUNFLOWER	richer in methionine and cystine than soybean; lysine deficient; no toxins.
SAFFLOWER	poorer in the EAA's lysine and methionine than sunflower.
PARA RUBBER	must be de-toxified to remove prussic acid; suitability probably similar to coconut.
FLAX (LINSEED)	like para rubber, contains an enzyme and a glucoside that produces prussic acid but normal processing destroys the enzyme; not known whether its additional toxicity to poultry (which can be eliminated by supplementary vitamin B6) affects fish or not.
SESAME (GINGELLY)	rich in methionine but deficient in lysine; would be good ingredient in conjunction with soybean; value for Indian carps has been demonstrated.

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Oil Cakes: Feed Ingredients