Pigeon pea seeds contain various antinutritional factors that can have deleterious effects depending on the animal species. These include hemagglutinins, trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors, cyanoglucosides, alkaloids, oxalates, hydrogen cyanide, saponins, phytates, urease and tannins (Onwuka, 2006; Iorgyer et al., 2009; Nwaogu et al., 2010; Das et al., 2002). Cajanus cajan contains more trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors than soybean seeds, and about as much as chickpeas. The antinutritional factors of pigeon pea are responsible for its poor protein digestibility in pigs. Thus they are more detrimental to performance and reduce the feed conversion ratio when compared with chickpeas, which suggests the presence of other factors than protease inhibitors (Batterham et al., 1990). Heat treatments, such as cooking or extrusion, reduce the amount of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors and increase pigeon pea digestibility (Onwuka, 2006; Batterham et al., 1993; Batterham et al., 1990). Pigeon pea seeds contain no appreciable amounts of condensed tannins (Singh, 1988; Dzowela et al., 1995).
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