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➢ Proximate Analysis- not a nutrient analysis, rather it is a partitioning of both nutrients and non-
nutrients into categories based on common chemical properties. Thus, the consecutive steps of
the proximate analysis are the determination of:
A. Moisture
Introduction: The determination of moisture is one of the most important and most widely
used analytical measurements. Moisture content is frequently used as an index of stability
and quality as well as a measure of yield and quantity.
Method: The sample is weighed into a tared crucible and placed into the oven at 105 to 110
°C until constant weight is obtained. The loss in weight represents the moisture content.
B. Ash
Introduction: When samples are heated to temperatures of 500 to 600 C, water and other
volatile constituents are evolved as vapors and the organic constituents are burned in the
presence of air to carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and water. The mineral constituents
remain in the residue as oxides, sulphates, phosphates, silicates and chlorides, depending on
the conditions of incineration and composition of the substance ignited. This inorganic
residue constitutes the ash. It includes K, Na, Ca and Mg which are present in larger
amounts, as well as smaller quantities of Al, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, As, I, F and other elements
present in trace amounts.
Method: The ash content is determined from the loss in weight after incineration of the
sample at temperatures high enough to allow all organic matter to be oxidized without
allowing appreciable decomposition of the ash constituents or their loss by volatilization.
Heating is continued until the resultant ash is uniform in color (white, gray or occasionally
reddish or green) and free from particles of unburned carbon and fused lumps.
C. Crude protein
Introduction: Proteins are complex nitrogenous organic compounds that are essential to life
processes and are necessary constituents of animal foods. The Kjeldahl method estimates
the total nitrogen which is converted to total crude protein by means of an empirical factor
usually, 6.25, which depends on the proportions of the various nitrogenous compounds
present in a particular sample.
Method: The organic matter is digested with concentrated sulphuric acid in the presence of
a catalyst and the nitrogen is converted to ammonium sulphate. Addition of an excess
strong sodium hydroxide to the resulting solution liberates ammonia which is passed into
the absorbing agent (boric acid) and titrated with standard HCl.
D. Crude Lipid/Fat
Introduction: Fat is reported as that substance which is insoluble in water, very slightly
soluble in alcohol and soluble in organic solvents like carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide,
anhydrous ether, or petroleum ether. Since small amounts of substances other than fat, like
waxes, resins, chlorophylls and carotenoids are included in the ether extract, the result is
generally designated as “crude fat” or “ether extract”.
Method: Intermittent extraction (Soxhlet apparatus); The ground sample is wrapped in filter
paper and the fat is extracted with enough anhydrous ether in a Soxhlet apparatus. The
excess ether is then evaporated and the residue is dried to constant weight at 105°C.
E. Crude Fibre
Introduction: Crude fiber is the washed, dried organic residue that remains after boiling the
defatted material successively with dilute sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide solution. The
insoluble residue consists largely of cellulose and lignin (97%) and some mineral matter. It
does not represent all the cellulose and lignin present initially. The crude fiber fraction
obtained by an arbitrarily selected method is not a measure of specific substance or group
of substances present. Crude fiber is commonly used as a measure of the nutritive value of
feeds. The digestibility of crude fiber is low; thus feeds with high crude fiber are of low
nutritive value.
Method: (Lepper modification); The sample is subjected to dilute acid and dilute alkali
treatment leaving an insoluble residue. Sample should be fat-free.
➢ Complete Analysis