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Abstract

In a method for identifying one or more botanical component parts from plants, a sample of the component parts is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation within the visible and/or ultra-violet and/or X-ray range for excitation of the component parts to fluorescence which is analyzed for determining characteristic fluorescence from the component parts. For determining the relative contents of the component parts in the sample, intensity measurements are carried out on the characteristic fluorescences or the number of emitters of characteristic fluorescence is counted. For identifying starchy endosperm parts, aleurone layer parts and hull layer parts originating from seeds, in particular cereal kernels, in ground seed samples, samples are excited at approximately 275 nm, approximately 350 nm and approximately 450 nm, respectively, for obtaining characteristic fluorescence at approximately 330 nm from the starchy endosperm parts, at approximately 420/470 nm from the aleurone layer parts, and at approximately 520 nm from the hull layer parts. Characteristic X-ray fluorescence is obtained from the potassium of the starchy endosperm, phosphorus and sulfur from the aleurone layer and silica from the hull layer. For manual evaluation of the component part contents, the characteristic fluorescences of the samples are compared with color scales. Fluorescence analysis provides more reliable qualitative and quantitative analyses of botanical component parts than do visible color analyses and ash and fiber analyses and is ideally suited for the control of component part separation processes such as mill processes.

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