Upgrading of Animal Feed by Solid State Fermentation by Pleurotus sajor-caju

4 Abstract: Solid state fermentaton using cellulolytic fungus, Pleurotus sajor-caju with pretreatment of irradiation and lime for upgradation of four agro-wastes such as pulse husk, rice bran, wheat bran and sugarcane bagasse to animal feed were investigated. The fermentation of the substrates was done at 30°C. Total bacteria and fungi were reduced effectively by 10 kGy of radiation dose. Pretreatment with lime and irradiation seemed to be an excelent option for upgradation of animal feed. The amount of reducing sugar and soluble protein were found to be the almost same in 5 and 10 kGy irradiated and unirradiated substrates. Soaked samples showed to be equally good for complete fermentation, which was achieved around 8 weeks of incubation time at ambient temperature. The highest amount of reducing sugar obtained after fermentation was 18.0 mg/g and the amount of soluble protein is 26.92 mg/g. The results of the present experiment clearly indicate that Pleurotus sajor-caju could be a potential microorganism for the production of enriched and safe animal feed. Further research are, however, indeed necessary to develop upgraded animal feed to overcome the socioeconomic problems of developing countries, including Bangladesh.