Nutrient digestibility of brewers single cell protein

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Biotechnology
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Brewery effluent presents a potential resource for sustainable protein production.
• Single-cell protein (SCP) offers an alternative protein source for animal feed.
• Brewers single cell protein (BSCP) is produced via microbial fermentation of brewery wastewater.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the nutrient digestibility of brewers single cell protein (BSCP) in growing wethers.
• To assess the impact of BSCP inclusion on diet digestibility and animal performance.
• To compare the protein quality of BSCP with conventional feed ingredients.

Main Methods:

• A total collection digestion trial was conducted using six growing wethers.
• A 3x3 replicated Latin square design was employed with BSCP inclusion at 0, 20, and 40% of a corn-based diet.
• Nutrient digestibility was estimated using least-squares analysis, regressing apparent digestibility on BSCP content.

Main Results:

• No palatability or consumption issues were observed with BSCP-containing diets.
• BSCP exhibited digestion coefficients of 66.6% for dry matter, 73.3% for energy, and 86.5% for crude protein.
• Inclusion of BSCP decreased overall diet digestibility of dry matter, energy, and carbohydrates (P < .05) but did not significantly affect crude protein digestibility.

Conclusions:

• Brewers single cell protein is a satisfactory source of supplemental protein for ruminant diets.
• BSCP demonstrates nutrient digestibility comparable to cottonseed meal on a weight basis.
• The utilization of brewery byproducts for SCP production offers a sustainable approach to animal nutrition.