Comparison of acid and amyloglucosidase hydrolysis for estimation of non‐structural polysaccharides in feed samples

Enzymatic methods (amyloglucosidase) and methods based on acid solutions (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 M H₂SO₄ for 1, 2 and 3 h at 100 °C) for the hydrolysis of non‐structural carbohydrates from different feed samples were compared. The monomeric units resulting from the enzymatic and acid hydrolysis were determined by the glucose oxidase and reducing sugar methods. There was a significant effect of acid concentration and of time of hydrolysis on the glucose and reducing sugar values in the hydrolysate. Glucose values were similar for both the amyloglucosidase method and the most intense conditions of hydrolysis (0.3 M for 3 h) for some samples. Under these conditions, however, the reducing sugar values were higher. No acid hydrolysis method was found to estimate correctly the total non‐structural carbohydrates, but α‐linked glucose polymers in biological samples may be determined by sample hydrolysis with a 0.3 M H₂SO₄ solution for 3 h at 100 °C since the glucose in the hydrolysate is determined by the glucose oxidase method and the sucrose content of the sample is negligible. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry