Production of Animal Feed Concentrates from Sour Sop and Pineapple Peels using Solid State Fermentation

Abstract

Animal feed concentrates were produced from Soursop (Annona muricata) and Pineapple (Ananas comosus) peels using Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus in a solid state fermentation process. Soursop, pineapple and mixture of soursop and pineapple peels were inoculated with these isolates and incubated for 144hours. The result showed decrease in cellulose and increase in sugars after 144 hours of fermentation. The range in the decrease in cellulose was observed to be between 69 and 86% while increase in sugars ranged from 219 to 335%. Crude protein levels also increased in the peels considerably after 144 hours of incubation with the highest percentage observed in soursop (48%) This reveals that these fungi digested the non polysaccharide in soursop and pineapple peels converting them to soluble sugars with significant increase in the protein. Thus, fermentation increase nutritional value of pineapple and soursop making them digestible in animals, hence it can be used as concentrates in formulating animal feeds.