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Enzyme production and profile by Aspergillus niger during solid substrate fermentation using palm kernel cake as
L G A Ong1, S Abd-Aziz, S Noraini
1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
|August 12, 2004
Summary
Palm kernel cake, a byproduct of palm oil, can be enhanced for animal feed through microbial fermentation. This study explored using Aspergillus niger to break down fibrous components, improving its digestibility.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Biotechnology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Palm kernel cake (PKC) is a significant byproduct of Malaysia's palm oil industry.
- Currently, PKC is underutilized or used as feed for ruminants, with limited use in monogastric diets due to high fiber content.
- Pretreatment is necessary to reduce hemicellulose and cellulose for broader animal feed applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of microbial fermentation for pretreating palm kernel cake.
- To focus on enzyme production by Aspergillus niger using PKC as a carbon source.
- To assess the degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose in PKC.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing fermentation with specific microorganisms, particularly fungi.
- Employing Aspergillus niger for the partial degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose.
- Analyzing enzyme production and profiling with PKC as the sole carbon source.
Main Results:
- Aspergillus niger demonstrated enzyme production capabilities using palm kernel cake.
- Fermentation showed potential for partially degrading high hemicellulose and cellulose content in PKC.
- The study provides insights into enzymatic pretreatment of PKC.
Conclusions:
- Microbial fermentation, specifically with Aspergillus niger, is a viable method for pretreating palm kernel cake.
- This pretreatment can enhance the suitability of PKC as a feed ingredient for nonruminant animals.
- Further research into enzyme profiling and optimization is warranted for industrial application.