Determination of water-insoluble cell walls in feeds: interlaboratory study

A collaborative study was conducted to test a new rapid procedure for determination of water-insoluble cell wall (WICW) content in feeds. In the method, starch is solubilized near boiling temperature with Termamyl, a heat-stable alpha-amylase, and proteins are solubilized at 40 degrees C with sodium dodecylsulfate and Pronase. Then, the organic matter of the residue is determined by incineration. Three hours were required to treat 12 different samples, including solubilization treatments, filtrations, and rinses. Eleven unknown products including 9 common feedstuffs of various origin and 2 mixed diets for poultry were analyzed by 7 analysts in France. Coefficients of variation ranged from 2.3 to 6.1%. The results were compared to those for water-insoluble dietary fiber (WIDF), total dietary fiber, and neutral detergent fiber. Agreement was best with the water-insoluble dietary fiber procedure. For most samples, the ratios of WIDF/WICW ranged from 0.981 to 0.842. The differences between WICW and WIDF values correspond to cell wall protein which is accounted for in WICW, but not in WIDF.