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Crude fat, hexanes extraction, in feed, cereal grain, and forage (Randall/Soxtec/submersion method): collaborative
Nancy J Thiex1, Shirley Anderson, Bryan Gildemeister
1South Dakota State University, Oscar E. Olson Biochemistry Laboratories, Box 2170, ASC 151, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. nancy_thiex@sdstate.edu
Journal of AOAC International
|November 25, 2003
Summary
A new submersion method using hexanes offers a faster, more efficient way to determine crude fat in animal feed, cereal grain, and forage. This solvent-reclaiming technique significantly reduces extraction time and improves labor efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Crude fat determination is crucial for feed and forage analysis.
- Traditional methods like Soxhlet extraction are time-consuming.
- Diethyl ether, a common extraction solvent, poses safety and environmental concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel submersion method for crude fat extraction.
- To assess the use of hexanes as an alternative solvent.
- To determine the method's applicability to animal feed, cereal grain, and forage.
Main Methods:
- Collaborative study involving 14 laboratories across four countries.
- Crude fat extraction using hexanes via the Randall (submersion) method.
- Comparison with traditional Soxhlet extraction in terms of time and efficiency.
Main Results:
- The submersion method significantly decreased extraction time compared to Soxhlet.
- Within-laboratory relative standard deviation (repeatability) ranged from 1.23% to 5.80%.
- Among-laboratory relative standard deviation (reproducibility) ranged from 1.88% to 14.1%.
Conclusions:
- The hexanes-based submersion method is efficient and effective for crude fat determination.
- The method allows for solvent reclamation, enhancing sustainability.
- The study recommends this method for Official First Action adoption.