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Observations on ‘crude fibre’ estimation by acid digestion
Author(s) -
Dougall H. W.
Publication year - 1958
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.2740090101
Subject(s) - digestion (alchemy) , chemistry , extraction (chemistry) , boiling , food science , chromatography , biology , organic chemistry
The solvent action of 0.255N‐, I.5N‐, 3N‐ and 6N‐sulphuric acid on Kikuyu grass and Rhodes grass, ‘feed’ and ‘faeces’, and of I‐5N‐sulphuric acid on Russian comfrey, Setaria splendida , and Trifolium semipilosum , has been studied. Equations have been derived to relate the ‘crude fibre’ remaining after acid digestion to the concentration of the acid and to the duration of the boiling. Experimental results are discussed in the light of Hallsworth's suggestion that the ‘crude fibre’ in animal feeding stuffs might best be determined by an acid digestion for I h. with either 5 or 7–5% sulphuric acid. The extraction of fats from the feeding stuffs beforehand, and the estimation of the nitrogen contained in the residues resisting acid digestion, are proposed.