Determination of cellulose and hemicellulose

Cellulose (CAS 9004-34-6) and hemicellulose ( CAS 9034-32-6) are major plant fibers, widely present in plant cell walls. These polysaccharides play a fundamental role in the structure of plant tissues and are essential for the nutritional, functional, or agronomic analysis of many products. Their quantification is essential for characterizing dietary fiber content, optimizing the formulation of nutritional products, or evaluating the digestibility of fodder in animal feed.

Why measure cellulose and hemicellulose?

The dosage of these plant fibers makes it possible to respond to several industrial and scientific challenges:

• Assess the insoluble and soluble fiber content in human or animal foods
• Characterize the quality of plant raw materials (seeds, cereals, vegetables, extracts)
• Optimizing the formulation of high-fiber supplements
• Monitor the digestibility of animal rations (ruminants, horses)
• Meet nutritional labeling requirements (source or richness of fiber)
• Analyzing lignocellulosic composition in biomaterials or agronomy

This data is essential for the nutraceutical, animal nutrition, agri-food and plant processing sectors.

Available analytical methods

YesWeLab offers several techniques for the dosage of plant fibers according to analytical needs and matrices:

• Van Soest method (NDF, ADF, ADL): reference in animal nutrition for separating fibrous fractions (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) by successive treatments with acid and neutral detergents.
• Gravimetry: method based on the separation and weighing of fibrous residues after hydrolysis or enzymatic treatment.
• Liquid chromatography (HPLC): allows the identification and quantification of certain monomers resulting from the degradation of fibers, particularly in complex plant extracts.

These approaches are chosen based on the precision of measurement, regulatory requirements, and the nature of the samples.

Frequently analyzed matrices

The determination of cellulose and hemicellulose can be carried out on a wide range of plant or food matrices:

• Agricultural raw materials (seeds, cereals, fodder, straw)
• Processed products (fiber-enriched biscuits, plant extracts, capsules)
• Functional ingredients (flours, fruit and vegetable powders, plant by-products)
• Animal feed and complete rations (cattle, sheep, horses)
• Lignocellulosic biomass from a recovery perspective (bioenergy, bioeconomy)

Industrial and scientific applications

This analysis is used in:

• Nutritional characterization of products for labeling
• Optimizing high-fiber formulations in supplements
• Quality control of fodder in livestock farming (digestibility, feed efficiency)
• The study of the functional effects of fibers in human food formulations
• Projects for the recovery of plant co-products rich in lignocellulose

Why choose YesWeLab?

YesWeLab provides you with access to advanced expertise for all your dietary and plant fiber analyses. Thanks to our network of accredited partner laboratories (ISO 17025, COFRAC, etc.), we assist you in selecting the most appropriate methods, based on your objectives, matrices, and regulatory constraints.

Our services include:

• Personalized support for your request
• A rigorous selection of partner laboratories
• Scientific support at each stage of the project
• A digital platform to simplify your requests and track your samples

Recommended internal links

To complete this analysis, we recommend that you also consult:

• Total fiber determination : for an overall measurement including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin
• Analysis of fodder and animal feed : for complete assessments in animal nutrition
• Lignin determination : often coupled with cellulose for a complete lignocellulosic profile

Ready to analyze your samples?

Add this analysis to your online quote or contact our scientific team to define together the analytical strategy best suited to your needs.