An Apparent Inhibitor in Barley Influencing Efficiency of
Utilization by Chicks 1
G. H. ARSCOTT, R. J. ROSE AND J. A. HARPER
Department of Poultry Husbandry, Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon
(Received for publication June 24, 1959)
F RY et al. (1957a, b) and Jensen, et al.
(1957) have reported on the beneficial
aspects of water soaking and from amyloly-
tic or fungal enzyme sources for increasing
utilization of barley by chicks and poults.
Confirmation of these findings has been
forthcoming from several groups; namely,
Arscott (1958), Wharton et al. (1958) and
Dobson and Anderson (1958).
Little information has been presented re-
garding the mode of action for this re-
sponse. The generally accepted hypothesis
proposed would indicate the chick does not
produce enzyme(s) required for the di-
gestibility of barley, Fry et al. (1957b),
and that by implication the soaking and
drying process initiates the deficient en-
zyme (s) in barley. An alternative hypothe-
sis initially mentioned by Fry et al.
(1957a) points out that the presence of an
inhibitor in barley should not be overlooked.
Since several examples of inhibitory ac-
tion involving feeds are already known our
attention has been directed toward this as-
pect of the problem. The purpose of this
paper is to present evidence for an inhibitor
in barley, particularly in view of the pres-
ent interest in the soaking and enzyme
treatment of barley. In a subsequent report
studies involving much of the earlier work
related to this study is planned.
PROCEDURE
Eight duplicated lots of 12 day-old
broilers equally divided as to sex were
raised to four weeks of age in batteries
equipped with raised wire floors, continuous
'Technical Paper No. 1246, Oregon Agricultural
Experiment Station.
268
TABLE 1.—Composition of basal rations
Ingredients
Amount
(%)
Ground grain component 1 61.15
Soybean oil meal, solvent (44% protein) 22.0
Fish meal, herring (70% protein) 5.0
Corn gluten meal 3.0
Whey, dried 2.5
Alfalfa meal, dehy. (20% protein) 2.0
DL-Methionine, (98%) 0.05
Bone Meal, special steamed 2.25
Limestone flour 1.25
Salt, iodized 0.3
Vitamin and mineral mixture 2 0.5
Sulfaquinoxaline +3
1
Barley replaced corn on weight basis.
2
Supplied per lb. of mixture: vitamin A, 300,000
U.S.P.U.; vitamin D 3 , 100,000 I.C.U.; vitamin E,
100 I.U.; riboflavin 300 mg.; niacin, 2,000 mg.;
pantothenic acid, 400 mg.; choline, 20,000 mg.; vita-
min B12 activity, 0.4 mg.; procaine penicillin, 0.3
gm.; B.H.T., 11.34 gm.; Mn., 5.4 gm.; I, 109 mg.;
Fe, 1.8gm.;Cu, 182 mg.
3
7.1 gm./lOO lbs.
flow waterers and sub-floor electric heaters.
Feed and water were supplied ad libitum.
Individual body weights and feed consump-
tion data were recorded at four weeks of
age. Dropping accumulation data were de-
termined by weighing the l/>" wire floor
screens at the termination of the trial, sub-
tracting the weight of the cleaned screens
and dividing the total droppings accum-
ulated by the number of birds per group.
The composition of the basal ration used
is given in Table 1 and the treatment out-
line in Table 2. Feed grade # 2 or better
Western corn and barley were used as the
grain component. Ground barley was
soaked with an equal weight of tap water
for a one-half hour period at room tempera-
ture prior to drying for twenty-four hours
at 50 to 70°C. to approximately its orig-
inal weight before included into the ration.
 INHIBITOR IN BARLEY 269

TABLE 2.—Body weights, feed conversion and dropping accumulation data with chicks fed corn or barley
with barley treated by soaking, autoclaving or an enzyme.

Average 4-week Data

1 2
Group Treatment Accumulated
Body wt. Feed Conver-
Survivors Droppings/Bird
(gms.) sion (lbs.) (gms.)

1 Corn-Mash 455 24 1..69 1.42

2 Barley-Mash 350 24 2..12 30.88
3 B.-Soaked-Dried-M. 425 23 1..93 1.85
4 B.-Autoclaved-S.-D.-M. 445 24 1. 1.88
5 B.-S.-A.-D.-M. 400 24 1.97 2.67
6 B.-S.-D.-A.-M. 426 24 1.89 2.00
7 B.-M.+Enzyme 414 24 1.90 2.30
8 B.-M.+A.E. 382 23 1.92 25.46
L.S.D. (.05) 51 .17 5.24
1
Each group is the average of two lots with 12 chicks per lot.
2
Code: M-mash; S-soaked; D-dried; A-autoclaved; and E-enzyme.

Where indicated, samples were autoclaved a significant decrease in dropping accumula-

for one hour at fifteen pounds pressure. An
amylolytic enzyme (Dawe Nzyme lot no.
5373-2 at 10 Ibs./T) served as the enzyme
supplement. This supplement was auto-
claved in dry state for one hour at fifteen
pounds pressure where indicated.
Data from each replicate were pooled and
treated statistically by analysis of vari-
ance.2
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Data for body weight, feed conversion
and dropping accumulation are presented in
Table 2. Examination of these data show
the growth depressing action of untreated
barley, accompanied by less efficient feed
conversion and a marked increase in ac-
cumulated droppings when compared with
the corn control (groups 2 vs. 1). Confirm-
ing studies previously cited, soaking barley
(group 3) or addition of the enzyme
(group 7) brought about a marked im-
provement in growth and feed conversion
and a decrease in dropping accumulation.
Autoclaving barley prior to (group 4)
or following water treatment (group 5) and
after drying (group 6) also brought about
2
Conducted by Dr. L. C. Calvin, Statistician,
Dept. of Statistics.
tion. Body weights and feed conversion
were significantly improved in groups 4 and
6 and approached significance in group S.
On the other hand autoclaving the enzyme
(group 8) brought about a marked increase
in dropping accumulation, a nonsignificant
decrease in growth and no decrease in feed
conversion.
The failure to destroy the proposed en-
zyme(s) by autoclaving barley after soak-
ing but before drying is at variance with
the report of Willingham et al. (1958). Fry
et al. (1957b) have also reported on the
resultant lowering of feeding value from
autoclaving, however, it is not possible to
deduce from their data the stage at which
barley was autoclaved. On the other hand
the results of Fry et al. (1958) suggest that
little if any destruction occurs with poults
following the autoclaving of soaked barley
in dry form. An enzyme treated group was
not autoclaved in their study. It is also in-
teresting to note from Fry's studies that
no response was observed from dry auto-
claving of barley which is in agreement
with similar unpublished results obtained at
this laboratory. The destruction of the en-
zyme by dry autoclaving in this report as re-
flected by increased dropping accumulation
270 G. H. ARSCOTT, R. J. ROSE AND J. A. HARPER

and decreased growth reveals the instability
of the enzyme(s) to such treatment. The ab-
sence of any similar destruction following
autoclaving the soaked barley in wet or dry
state points to the fact that the enzyme(s)
per se are not involved. It is of interest to
note that in none of these reports has an
attempt been made to utilize the observa-
tion on dropping accumulation to support
the growth or feed conversion results us-
ually obtained.
In view of the decrease in dropping ac-
cumulation and the accompanying improve-
ment of growth and feed conversion results,
these data support the thesis that the soak-
ing and drying process in some way inac-
tivates an inhibitor(s) present in barley.
The use of a suitable enzyme serves to over-
come this inhibitory action. In interpreting
these data one should not overlook an al-
ternate possibility that water treatment
may result in removal of an inhibitory ac-
tion rather than an inhibitor per se.
SUMMARY
An experiment has been conducted with
chicks fed rations containing corn; barley;
barley-soaked (J/i hour) and dried (24
hours); barley-autoclaved (1 hr. at 15 lbs.
pressure) soaked and dried; barley-soaked,
autoclaved and dried; barley-soaked, dried
and autoclaved; barley plus amylolytic en-
zyme and barley plus autoclaved amylolytic
enzyme. Chick growth and dropping ac-
cumulation data show that autoclaving
does not destroy the beneficial effects de-
rived from soaking barley but does destroy
the improvement attributed to an enzyme
supplement. Water treatment of barley ap-
parently removes an inhibitor or inhibitory
action which can be overcome by an ap-
propriate enzyme supplement.
REFERENCES
Arscott, G. H., 1958. Barley in poultry rations.
Feedstuffs, 30(10): 10-16.
Dobson, D. C , and J. O. Anderson. 1958. Meth-
ods of improving the nutritional value of a
new variety of hulless barley for chicks. Poultry
Sci. 37: 1199.
Fry, R. E., J. B. Allred, L. S. Jensen and J. Mc-
Ginnis. 1957a. Influence of water-treatment on
nutritional value of barley. Proc. Soc. Biol.
Med. 95: 249-251.
Fry, R. E., J. B. Allred, L. S. Jensen and J. Mc-
Ginnis. 1957b. Influence of cereal grain com-
ponent of the diet on response of chicks and
poults to dietary enzyme supplements. Poultry
Sci. 36: 1120.
Fry, R. E., J. B. Allred, L. S. Jensen and J. Mc-
Ginnis. 1958. Influence of enzyme supplementa-
tion and water treatment on the nutritional
value of different grains for poults. Poultry Sci.
37: 372-375.
Jensen, L. S., R. E. Fry, J. B. Allred and
J. McGinnis. 1957. Improvement in the nu-
tritional value of barley for chicks by enzyme
supplementation. Poultry Sci. 36: 919-921.
Wharton, F. D., Jr., L. J. Classen and J. C. Fritz.
1958. Influence of amylases on growth of chicks
and poults. Fed. Proc. 17(1): 497. Pt. 1.
Willingham, H. E., L. S. Jensen and J. McGinnis.
1958. Studies on the role of enzyme supple-
ments and water treatment on the nutritional
value of barley. Poultry Sci. 37: 1253.

STD NOTES
NEWS AND
Worn page
(Continued from page 267)
267)
equally at ease with the head executive or the girl By using research to obtain fundamental infor-
at the candling bench and each of these was equally mation about the sanitation and refrigeration by
at ease with her. Her life's goal, formulated when she which perishable foods can be kept wholesome and
was a young scientist, of developing the techniques safe for man to eat, and then by securing the volun-
for maintaining the quality of perishable foods, tary cooperation of men in the poultry and egg
through the various steps of marketing from the handling and transportation industries and in the
farm to the consumer, remained a driving force all affiliated refrigerated warehouse and ice industries,
her life. she helped to completely revolutionize the methods
(Continued on page 281)