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Oestrogenic activity in legumes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Hilary M. Drane
Affiliation:
Central Veterinary Laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Weybridge, Surrey
N. Saba
Affiliation:
Central Veterinary Laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Weybridge, Surrey

Summary

The teat-length increases observed in wether lambs grazing pure legumes have been compared directly with the oestrogenic activity demonstrated in mice fed samples of these pastures.

In the case of red clover, the mouse assay gives a good indication of the oestrogenic effect to be expected in the wethers. There was no such correlation when samples of clover and lucerne were tested. These were much more active in the wethers than would have been anticipated from the mouse assay, where lucerne and white clover appeared almost entirely lacking in oestrogenic activity.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1968

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References

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