Availability to pigs of amino acids in cereal grains

1. Protein digestibility and lysine availability were determined in a range of grain samples using an in vitro digestibility assay calibrated with ileal digestibility values. 2. Mean(± SE) values predicted for nitrogen digestibility were 0·92±0·011 in wheat and 0·88±0·021 in barley, and the predicted lysine availability in wheat was 0·86±0·021. 3. Chemical and physical characteristics of the grains were determined and those most closely associated with protein digestibility for wheat were the contents of hemicellulose, neutral-detergent fibre, the bulk density, and to a lesser extent, N and acid-detergent fibre contents. These relationships were used to determine prediction equations for the available lysine content of wheat.