Application of Cocultures of Fungal Mycelium during <scp>Solid‐State</scp> Fermentation of Canola Meal for Potential Feed Application
Ahmad F. Alhomodi, Andrea Zavadil, Mark A. Berhow, William R. Gibbons, Bishnu Karki
Abstract
Abstract In this study, the mono‐, bi‐, and tri‐cultivation of Aureobasidium pullulans , Neurospora crassa , and Trichoderma reesei in solid‐state fermentation were applied to improve the nutritional values of hexane extracted canola meal (HECM) along with the reduction of antinutritional factors for animal feed applications. Static fermentation trials of 50% moisture content HECM were conducted in 500 mL Erlenmeyer flasks for 168 hours at 30 °C. The results showed that fungal cultivation had positive effects on the level of protein, fiber, and, glucosinolates (GLS). Monoculture of N. crassa exhibited the highest protein level of 49%. The combination of A. pullulans and N. crassa provided the highest reduction of crude fiber, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber by 21.9%, 1.7%, and 9.1%, respectively. Bi‐culture of A. pullulans and T. reesei resulted in the best GLS reduction by 81.3% (0.3 vs. 1.6 μM g −1 GLS of uninoculated control). These results indicate that each fungal strain possesses different enzymatic ability and selectively can work with other fungi in synergistic relationship for better fungal conversion of canola meal.