Process / pipelineChemical Fractionation

NDF/ADF Analysis

Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) and Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) analysis is a chemical fractionation method that separates feed components into digestible and indigestible portions based on their resistance to sequential detergent treatments. Developed by Peter J. Van Soest in the 1960s, NDF/ADF analysis provides rapid estimates of forage quality and feed digestibility, making it fundamental to ruminant nutrition and feed evaluation worldwide.

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Sources

  1. Van Soest, P. J., & Wine, R. H. (1967). Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds: II. A rapid method for the determination of fiber and lignin. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 50(1), 50-55. DOI: 10.1093/jaoac/50.1.50
  2. Goering, H. K., & Van Soest, P. J. (1970). Forage Fiber Analysis (Apparatus, Reagents, Procedures and Some Applications). Agricultural Handbook No. 379, USDA-ARS. link
  3. Mertens, D. R. (2002). Gravimetric determination of amylase-treated neutral detergent fiber in feeds with refluxing in beakers or crucibles: collaborative study. Journal of AOAC International, 85(6), 1217-1240. link

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Referenced by

ScholarGateNDF/ADF Analysis (Neutral Detergent Fiber and Acid Detergent Fiber Analysis). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/veterinary-science/ndf-adf-analysis