Sodium Chlorite Treatment of Plant Materials: Fiber and Lignin Composition, Digestibility, and Their Interrelationships

Effects of NaC102 treatment on various structural components of different feedstuffs were studied. Six hays (alfalfa, tall fescue, orchardgrass, red clover, timothy, and a mixed hay), two straws (barley and wheat), four stovers (two corn and two soybean), three hulls (peanut, rice, and soybean), and corn cobs were treated with sodium chlorite at 11 concentrations ranging from .000 to .394 g of sodium chlorite/g of feed. At .394 g, NDF fiber and organic dry matter percent digestibilities were alfalfa hay, 93, 98; harley straw, 96, 98; corn cobs, 98, 99; corn stover I, 100, 100; corn stover II, 98, 99; tall fescue hay, 95, 97; mixed hay, 93, 96; orchardgrass hay, 93, 96; peanut hulls, 15, 42; red clover hay, 88, 95; rice hulls, 64, 79; soybean hulls, 98, 99; soybean stover I, 97, 98; soybean stover II, 97, 98; timothy hay, 95, 96; and wheat straw, 99, 99. Although NDF content (organic matter basis) was significantly correlated with concentration of NaC102 for all feeds, ADF content (organic matter basis) was not for soybean hulls and lignin content was not for peanut hulls. Regression analysis of lignin oxidation products against concentration of NaC102 showed a significant correlation for syringaldehyde when using all feeds. Individually, only for corn cobs was syringaldehyde highly