Content of polysaccharides in vegetative mass of maize in connection with its selection characteristic

Abstract

The aim of our scientific research was to determine the content of the total amount of polysaccharides and their fraction composition in the vegetative mass of maize having different selection characteristic. 24 grades, lines and hybrids of maize grown on the experimental field of the V. Ya. Yuriev Institute of horticulture of the National Academy of Agricultural Science were used in the research. The content of water- soluble polysaccharides in some parts of the plants (stems, leaves, inflorescence) as well as the content of water- soluble polysaccharides, pectin, hemicellulose A and hemicellulose B have been determined. The former substances can be easily digested by ruminant animals under definite conditions. Object of investigation. The complex phytochemical study of the carbohydrate complex including polysaccharides of maize (Zea mays L) has been conducted. Subject of investigation. The determination of polysaccharides and water- and acid-soluble complexes of polysaccharides as the substances that can be easily digested by ruminant animals under definite conditions has been carried out in some parts of the vegetative mass (stem, leaves, inflorescence) of 24 grades, lines and hybrids of maize. Methods of investigation. Phytochemical, analytical, statistical methods were used in the research. Recently highly productive hybrids of maize of the Ukrainian and foreign selection with the unknown chemical composition of its vegetative mass have been widely used in Ukraine, so the objective necessity has appeared to study thoroughly the carbohydrate composition of all the feeds made from the above crop  It has been revealed that the most part of polysaccharides was in the leaves of the plants – from 17,72 ± 0,53 % to 23,75 ± 0,56 % depending on the selection characteristic. High content of polysaccharides was revealed in the hybrids of the maize: Sugar AC-70, Waxen WM-69-8, Waxen WM-06 and the grade of Svitlana over sugar maize had the lowest content of polysaccharides. The structure of polysaccharides of water- soluble form was the following: leaves – 2,7%, stems – 1,8%, inflorescence – 1,7%. The content of pectin was 3,84%, 5,90% and 1,90%, respectively, the content of hemicellulose A was 6,81%, 12,22% and 5,84 %, respectively; the content of hemicellulose B was 21,20%, 23,61% and 9,75 %, respectively. The general conclusion has been made that the high content of the substances of polysaccharide complex led to the actuality of the scientific research in this aspect and to the conducting of the selection work with this crop in order not only to increase the crop yield and quality of grain but to improve the quality of vegetative mass in order to increase the amount of water- soluble substances in its polysaccharide complex.