Biotech Updates

Metabolic Characteristics in Ruminants of Proteins in Hull-less Barley Varieties

April 27, 2012

New varieties of hull-less barley have been developed containing altered carbohydrate traits. Scientists Daalkhaijav Damiran and Peiqiang Yu from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada conducted a study to compare the metabolic characteristics in ruminants of the proteins of  hull-less barley varieties (zero-amylose waxy, waxy, high-amylose, normal starch).

They conducted animal trials to get the original rumen fermentation data for modeling nutrient supply to dairy cattles. Results showed that the zero-amylose waxy hull-less barley was the highest in truly absorbed protein. All hull-less varieties had negative degraded protein balance. The researchers concluded that the changes in the starch structure in granule affects metabolic characteristics of the proteins of hull-less barley in dairy cattle.

Read the research article at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733521012000185.