The relation between moisture content and moulding in cured hay.
Samples of cured hay have been stored in closed containers at relative humidities of 0–95% at temperatures varying from 5 to 25° C. A curve relating equilibrium moisture content to relative humidity of the store has been constructed and the incidence of first mould growth noted. An explanation has been suggested to account for the apparent discrepancy between earlier published work concerning the onset of moulding and conditions normally prevailing on the farm. In laboratory storage experiments temperature conditions are relatively constant, whereas with hay stacked in the open air the high atmospheric humidity in winter is offset by a lowered temperature, and the higher summer temperature is accompanied by a lower moisture content in the hay.
Effect of storage on the fatty acids of dried ryegrass
1. The compositions of the fatty acids in ryegrass were determined in fresh samples, and in samples dried at room temperature for 26 h, at 50° and for 18 h or at 100° for 12 h. The drying of grass resulted in a small increase in palmitic acid and a decrease in linolenic acid in the total fatty acids. 2. Samples of grass dried at 50° and 100° were stored at three relative humidities (rh < 3%, 47% and 80%) for 13 months. 3. There were marked changes in the samples stored at 80% rh, with an onset of mould growth and a loss of dry matter. The samples stored at lower humidities had no mould. 4. There were two types of change in the fatty acids during storage. The deterioration brought about and mould was accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of linolenic acid and an increase in the concentrations of oleic and linoleic acids. The other type of change observed at the lower humidities resulted in a decrease in the content of linolenic and an increase in the content of palmitic, and did not affect the amounts of oleic and linoleic cells. 5. There was little difference between the changes that occurred in the composition of the total fatty acids of the grass dried at 50° and of that dried at 100°. The changes that were at all significant appeared to occur less rapidly, particularly in the early months of storage, in the grass dried at the higher temperature for the shorter time.
On the fractionation of β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin
Abstract Existing methods for the preparation of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin are examined critically. It is proposed that the most satisfactory method for the preparation of the whey protein fraction from bovine milk is (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionation. A number of new gentle procedures for the fractionation of the whey proteins are compared with some existing methods. The distribution of total protein at various stages is determined by total Kjeldahl nitrogen and the kind of protein by starch-gel electrophoresis. The effect of variables, such as pH, salt concentration and temperature on the separation of α-lactalbumin and serum albumin from β-lactoglobulin is studied. Differences in the behavior ( e.g. solubility) of genetic variants of β-lactoglobulin are noted. The solubility of each of the major whey proteins, under similar conditions to those used in the fractionation, is compared with its solubility in the whey protein mixture. The understanding gained of factors important in the fractionation is used in recommending new procedures for α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin isolation.