Transforming Camellia oleifera meal into feedstuff: Enhancing value through detoxification and fermentation

Saponins limit the use of Camellia oleifera meal (COM) as a feed ingredient. An appropriate utilization strategy is essential for converting COM into a viable feed raw material. We found that a Na₂CO₃ solution was an effective detoxifier, significantly reducing saponin content (vs. untreatment, up to 82.71 %, P < 0.001) while modifying microbial community structure and metabolites. Subsequent fermentation of detoxified COM further lowered saponin levels (21.83-23.61 %, P < 0.001), improved nutritional composition, and increased the abundance of beneficial metabolites. The relative abundance of beneficial bacteria rose (Pediococcu, Levilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, etc), whereas harmful microorganisms declined. Dietary supplementation trials in chickens showed that untreated COM significantly reduced final and daily weight gain by 16.67 % and 47.60 % (P < 0.001) respectively, compared to control and fermented COM group, while fermented COM had no negative effect on growth performance or carcass traits (P > 0.05) compared with control group. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the use of fermented COM as a feed raw material.