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Modifications to the glucosamine (GlcN) analysis method for the quantification of fungal material in cereal grains are described. The rnodifications improve recovery of GlcN, increase reliability of the method and reduce analytical time.Key words: Glucosamine, fungal material, grain I Modification de la m6thode i la glucosamine pour la quantification de

1. The feeding value of new low β-N-oxalyl-amino-Lalanine (BOAA) lines of Lathyrus sativus (lathyrus) and the benefits of dehulling the seed or of pre-adapting chicks to lathyrus-based diets were examined in several experiments. 2. Chicks fed on diets containing 400 g/kg of the low (1.3 g BOAA/kg seed) and medium (2.2 g BOAA/kg seed) BOAA lines did not differ (P>0.05) in weight gain (WG) or in apparent fat and protein digestibilities compared to birds fed on a wheat-based diet. 3. Consumption of 600 g low BOAA lathyrus/kg diet caused a slight, but significant (P< 0.05), decrease in WG. Food efficiency decreased as the amount of dietary lathyrus was increased, suggesting that lathyrus may contain an antinutritive factor(s) other than BOAA. 4. Removal of the hull (70 g hull/kg seed) from the seed did not affect chick performance (P> 0.05). 5. Pre-adapting chicks for 7 d to diets containing up to 600 g medium line lathyrus/kg diet did not reduce the detrimental effects of the lathyrus. 6. Although dehulling and pre-adaptation of chicks to lathyrus were not beneficial, the low and medium lines of lathyrus tested show potential for use in chick diets up to at least 400 g lathyrus/kg diet.

RorrEn, R. G., MenQUARDT, R. R. aNo YouNc, J. C. 1985. Effect of ergot from different sources and of fractionated ergot on the performance of growing chicks. Can. J. A series of experiments was conducted on growing chicks to compare the toxic effects of ergot from different sources and to partially fractionate the toxic component(s) in ergot. Changes in body weight gain, feed consumption relative to control birds and mortality were used as indicators of toxicity. Seven-day-old male Leghorn chicks were offered feed containing ground ergot from rye, wheat and triticale for a period of 7 days. The ergot samples were obtained from different locations in Canada and were added to the diets so that the concentration of total alkaloids was either 45 or 90 mg/kg. The relative weight gains for birds fed diets containing 45 and 90 mg/kg total alkaloids varied considerably, ranging from 49 to 65Vo and tiom l8 Io 42Va of controls, respectively. The degree of depression in relative performance was not uniform among the different ergot samples when their concentration in the diet was increased. In a fractionation study, most of the toxic activity in the ergot was concentrated in the alkaloid fraction, suggesting that most of the toxic components are alkaloid related. There was also some loss of the alkaloids and the corresponding potency of toxic factors during the isolation. It may be concluded that the total alkaloid content of an ergot sample can be used to predict the effects of ergot on chick performance. However, it is not a highly accurate prediction due to the variable content and variable effects ofthe individual alkaloids in a given sample and because most of the toxic activity of ergot is associated with the alkaloid fiaction. RESULTS Experiment IThe total alkaloid content of the ergot samples from different regions of Canada that were used in exp.