CHARACTERIZATION OF FERMENTED PALM KERNEL CAKE USING LOCALLY ISOLATED CELLULOLYTIC FUNGI AND BACTERIA AS POTENTIAL ANIMAL FEED

This study investigates the potential of locally isolated cellulolytic fungi and bacteria for fermenting palm kernel cake (PKC) as animal feed. The characterization includes physical observations, proximate analysis, reducing sugar, hemicellulose, and cellulose content, and cellulase activity. Bacterial fermentation was conducted for 7 days, while fungal fermentation extended to 14 days. The findings reveal comparable pH stability of fermented PKC of both bacteria and fungi (bacteria: 5.6-5.7, fungi: 5.3-5.6). Fungal fermentation resulted in a significant increase in crude fat (9.16% to 12.9%), protein (16.3% to 18.1%), and fiber content (14.3% to 18.1%) of the PKC. Conversely, bacterial fermentation led to a notable decrease in fat content (9.16% to 3.34%), a slight increase in protein, and fiber content of the PKC. Significantly higher reducing sugar levels were observed in fungal saccharification (149 μg) compared to bacterial (98 μg) on day 7 of fermentation. Efficient saccharification, as indicated by the cellulase activity in both bacterial and fungal fermentations, resulted in a decrease in hemicellulose and cellulose content over time. The findings suggest that fungal or bacterial fermentation of PKC can be utilized to customize feed formulations to meet the specific nutritional requirements of animals. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing fermentation conditions to enhance the nutritional value and digestibility of PKC for sustainable feed production.