Cereal Chem 48:567 - 575.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Physical Changes in the Kernel During Reconstitution of Sorghum Grain.

R. D. Sullins, L. W. Rooney, and J. K. Riggs. Copyright 1971 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Reconstitution is a method of improving the feed efficiency of sorghum grain as feed for ruminants. The process of reconstitution consists of anaerobic storage of whole grain at 25 to 30% moisture for 21 days, followed by grinding and feeding. The purpose of this research was to study four different methods of processing grain in order to describe or elucidate the reasons for the improved performance of animals fed reconstituted grain over dry grain. The four processing methods used were: Dry-ground (D-G), ground- reconstituted (G-R), ground-reconstituted and ground (G-R-G), and reconstituted whole kernels and ground (R-G). Mean particle size distribution of the processed grain was smaller for the R-G and G-R-G treatments than the D-G and G-R treatments. Microscopic analyses indicated that the structure of the endosperm of reconstituted grain was modified, which facilitated the release of free starch granules and protein bodies and accounted for the high proportion of small particles in the ground grain. The release of starch and protein, combined with the decrease in particle size, probably account for the increased feed efficiency of the reconstituted grain. The probable cause of the modifications is enzymatic hydrolysis of protein, starch, and other carbohydrates that occurs during high-moisture storage especially in the grain which was not ground previous to reconstitution.