The effect of gamma irradiation on the viscosity of two barley cultivars for broiler chicks

Seeds of two barley cultivars (Local Black and Shoaa) were gamma irradiated at 0, 10, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kGy doses using Cobalt-60 source to decrease the viscosity. The viscosity was determined in the flour of the seeds using Ostwald U-tube viscometer. The viscosity values were reduced by 25%, 50%, 65%, 72% and 74% in Local Black barley cultivar, while, in Shoaa cultivar the reductions were 15%, 30%, 52%, 69% and 67% at 10, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kGy, respectively. The chemical compositions of the seeds were determined in all treatments. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.