Cereal Chem 64:247-252   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Effects of Lime Cooking on Energy and Protein Digestibilities of Maize and Sorghum.

S. O. Serna-Saldivar, D. A. Knabe, L. W. Rooney, and T. D. Tanksley, Jr. Copyright 1987 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Ileum-cannulated pigs were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square experiment to determine relative nutrient digestibilities of maize (Zea mays L.) and whole sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) cooked with and without lime, and pearled sorghum cooked with lime. Addition of lime during the cooking of maize and whole sorghum for tortillas did not affect energy utilization of either grain but lowered nitrogen utilization significantly (P less than 0.05). Nitrogen digestibility of lime-cooked whole sorghum was 90.5% that of lime-cooked maize at the ileum and 93.3% of lime-cooked maize over the total digestive tract. Dry matter, gross energy, and nitrogen digestibilities of lime-cooked pearled sorghum were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than those of lime-cooked whole sorghum and equal to or greater (P less than 0.05) than those of lime-cooked maize. Average dry matter and gross energy digestibilities at both the end of the small intestine and over the entire digestive tract were lower (P less than 0.01) for whole sorghum than for maize. Lime cooking significantly decreased apparent biological values for maize and whole sorghum (P less than 0.05).