Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) Animal Science

Amino acid analysis has been used in the food and feed industries to verify and characterize materials and processes. The total amino acid content, as well as the proportions of growth-limiting amino acids, is an essential characteristic of the nutritional value of feeds. Since most of the amino acids are bound in protein, this determination requires acid hydrolysis of the sample. The total amino acids are then available for analysis. In addition to being components of proteins, amino acids are also important intermediates in metabolic pathways.