EFFECT OF FERMENTATION ON CRUDE PROTEIN AND FAT CONTENTS OF CRUSHED GRAINS OF MAIZE AND SORGHUM

Cereal grains are conventional energy sources in livestock and poultry rations, while the requisite protein is often supplied by richer sources. Possibilities for the production of crude protein by growing micro-organism on crushed cereal grains was investigated with the aim of obtaining protein-enriched grains for providing both energy and protein in farm animal diets. Samples of white maize and sorghum were crushed, wetted with distilled water and fermented by Fibrobacter succinogenes, Lactobacillus brevis and a mixed culture of both micro-organisms. Crude protein and either extract values increased with increasing fermentation period. Peak values of both fat and protein were obtained in the fourth week for all fermentations. Highest values of protein were 30.1 and 24.2% respectively for heat-treated sorghum and maize which were both fermented by F. succinogenes. Highest values of fat were 13.1 and 10.6% for maize and sorghum respectively and were obtained from fermentation of heat-treated grains using Lact. brevis. Heat treatment of grains encouraged microbial protein production.