A histological technique, using cellulolytic enzyme digestion, for assessing nutritive quality differences in grasses

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Transverse sections of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. leaves were incubated in cellulase at 40 °C with and without pepsin pretreatment. The sequence of tissue breakdown (mesophyll-phloem-adaxial epidermis) was the same in both treatments, but the rate of breakdown was much slower without pepsin pretreatment (up to 30 h compared with up to 90 min). Pepsin appeared to make the primary cell wall more susceptible to cellulase attack. Young leaves were digested faster than old. Possible applications to the evaluation of grass nutritive quality are discussed.