Nutritionally Improved Corn Mill Waste (Chaff) with Microbial Protein: An Economic Alternative for Poultry Feed

Abstract

Abstract:This study designed to enhance the nutritional quality of corn mill waste (CMW) with microbial protein accumulated during submerged fermentation by selected microbial consortium. CMW is the dry, scaly residue of milled corn seed popularly known as chaff. A slurry prepared from a mixture of 1: 2 ratio of CMW and hot water (80 -95°C) supplemented with mineral salts were fermented for 7 days with microbial consortium (Candida utilis, Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as starter culture. During fermentation, microbial and physicochemical (pH, temperature and titratable acidity) profile were evaluated. Nutritional composition and preliminary acute toxicity of the dried fermented CMWs were assayed. Results showed that starter culture (67.7%) and non-starters (33.3%) persisted in the 7-days fermentation. Titratable acidity and pH decreased by 34.5% and 11.1% respectively, unlike temperature that was relative stable during fermentation. Protein content were significantly increased (74%); while total carbohydrate decreased (25%) after fermentation. Fermented CMW had no significant (P<0.05) acute and subacute toxic impact on birds. There were slight but no significant difference (P<0.05) on nutritional composition and cost index of fermented CMW and commercial feed (control). Conclusively, Fermented CMW offer a prospective economic alternative as poultry feed for rural regions with abundant CMWs.