In situ and in vitro ruminal starch degradation of untreated and formaldehyde-treated wheat and maize.

Ruminal starch degradation of untreated and formaldehyde-treated wheat and maize was measured in situ (trial 1) and in vitro (trial 2). The in situ starch degradability was higher for wheat than for maize (82.1 vs 52.3%), for untreated cereals than for cereals treated with 1% formaldehyde (77.3 vs 67.0%) and for cereals treated with 1% formaldehyde than those treated with 5% formaldehyde (67.0 vs 57.2%). The in vitro results were similar. The treatment of cereals by formaldehyde decreased starch degradability more for wheat than for maize, suggesting that the treatment was more efficient when cereal starch and/or nitrogen was highly degradable. Formadehyde treatment of wheat was more effective at decreasing the rate of wheat protein degradability than starch degradability. The difference of response to treatment between the two cereals may be due to differences in properties of the protein matrix of these two cereals.