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Updated: Dec 18, 2025
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Metabolomic Analysis of Barley by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Published on: November 8, 2024
802
Different processing effects on nutritive value of barely grains by gas production method
Abbas Ali Ahmadi Naghadeh1, Younes Ali Alijoo2, Abbas Ali Naserian3
1PhD Candidate, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
Summary
Barley processing methods like extrusion and flaking can enhance nutritive value by reducing gas production and improving digestible organic matter. Grinding increased gas and ammonia nitrogen, while extrusion showed the least methane production.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Animal Nutrition
- Food Science
Background:
- Barley is a vital feed grain, but its nutritive value can be influenced by processing methods.
- Understanding how physical and chemical treatments affect barley's nutritional profile is crucial for optimizing animal feed.
- Gas production and volatile fatty acid profiles are key indicators of feed digestibility and energy utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of various physical (milling, steam flaking, extruding) and chemical (citric acid, propionic acid, sulfuric acid soaking) processing methods on barley's nutritive value.
- To assess the effects of these treatments on gas production, digestible organic matter, methane production, protozoa population, volatile fatty acids, and ammonia nitrogen.
- To determine which processing methods optimize the nutritional quality of barley for animal feed applications.
Main Methods:
- Barley samples were subjected to milling, steam flaking, extrusion, and soaking in solutions of citric acid, propionic acid, or sulfuric acid.
- Gas production was measured using a gas production technique by incubating 200 mg of processed barley samples for 72 hours.
- Analysis included chemical composition, digestible organic matter, methane production, protozoa counts, volatile fatty acids, and ammonia nitrogen concentration.
Main Results:
- Processing methods significantly reduced total gas production compared to grinding, with extrusion yielding the lowest gas (245.6 mL/g DM) at 72 hours.
- Propionic acid treatment resulted in the highest digestible organic matter (64.90%), while steam flaking showed the lowest (58.74%).
- Grinding led to the highest methane production, protozoa population, and volatile fatty acid concentration, whereas extrusion showed the least.
Conclusions:
- Physical processing methods like extrusion and steam flaking can improve the nutritive value of barley grains.
- Chemical treatments, particularly propionic acid, enhanced digestible organic matter, suggesting potential benefits for feed efficiency.
- Optimizing barley processing is key to maximizing nutrient utilization and minimizing negative metabolic byproducts in animal nutrition.
