Determination of phytase activity in feed: interlaboratory study

An interlaboratory study was conducted to determine the performance characteristics of a new method for the determination of phytase activity in feed samples. The method is based on the principle that inorganic phosphate is released from the substrate phytate under defined assay conditions and has been validated for its suitability to measure the enzyme activity of various phytase products. Two different experimental designs of the study were applied, allowing for the estimation of the precision of the method under repeatability, intermediate precision and reproducibility conditions, respectively. The relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) ranged from 2.2 to 10.6% and the RSD for reproducibility (RSDR) ranged from 5.4 to 15%. The suitability of the validated method for the intended purpose was demonstrated. The obtained performance profile of the method validated in this study was comparable to that of similar methods that were exclusively validated for one phytase product.     

Two New Triterpene Saponins from Cyclamen africanum Boiss. & Reuter

Two new oleanane‐type triterpene saponins, afrocyclamins A and B ( 1 and 2 , resp.), were isolated from a MeOH extract of the roots of Cyclamen africanum Boiss . & Reuter , together with three known triterpenoid saponins, lysikokianoside, deglucocyclamin I, and its dicrotalic acid derivative. The structures were elucidated, on the basis of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments and mass spectrometry as (3β,20β)‐13,28‐epoxy‐16‐oxo‐3‐{O‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐[β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)]‐α‐L ‐arabinopyranosyl}oxy}oleanan‐29‐al ( 1 ) and (3β,16α,20β)‐16,28,29‐trihydroxy‐olean‐12‐en‐3‐yl O‐4‐O‐(4‐carboxy‐3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐1‐oxobutyl)‐β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐[β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)]‐α‐L ‐arabinopyranoside ( 2 ).