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Changes in carbohydrate, nitrogen and organic acid distribution in grass preserved with sodium metabisulphite
Author(s) -
Macpherson H. T.,
Wylam C. B.,
Ramstad S.
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740081212
Subject(s) - chemistry , preservative , fermentation , food science , sodium , carbohydrate , hydrolysis , sugar , silage , citric acid , ammonia , proteolysis , biochemistry , organic chemistry , enzyme
Sodium metabisulphite appears to be an effective preservative for grass, giving a fresh‐coloured, pleasant‐smelling material of higher pH than normal silage. The metabisulphite acts as a bacteriostatic agent, permitting little bacterial fermentation; very considerable proteolysis and hydrolysis of carbohydrate takes place without the losses of resultant units normally associated with bacterial fermentation. The hydrolysed protein appears almost quantitatively as amino‐acid and peptide with little ammonia formation, and the carbohydrates, including some from cell‐wall polysaccharides, accumulate as reducing sugars; the final concentration of these may be greater than the total water‐soluble sugar of the fresh grass. Similarly, there is a marked sparing action on the malic and citric acids. Changes in these components have been followed in some detail in grass ensiled with and without addition of metabisulphite. It is pointed out that consistent results will depend on intimate mixing of grass and reagent.