Extraction of Total Available Carbohydrates from Grass and Legume Tissue

Abstract

Extraction with takadiastase enzyme and 0.2 N H2SO4 gave total available carbohydrate values that were very similar. The conditions of both method are such as to include the sugars, starch, and fructosan to the final values. Extraction with a stronger acid solution gave higher values, probably because structural carbohydrates were being hydrolyzed. Much less total analytical time was involved with acid extractions than with the enzyme, something of the order of 8 hours compared with 56 hours. Carbohydrate values were slightly higher with hot water than with cold water. The use of water extraction to estimate total available carbohydrates gave values of the same physiological significance as the enzyme method only where starch was absent or present to very small amounts.