Improving Nutritional quality of Millet (Pennisetum americanum) by solid state fermentation and the effects on the growth performance of African Cat Fish.

Abstract

Millet is becoming prominent in fish feed formulation as energy source but there is need to increase its protein level and remove the antinutrient for its maximum utilization to be effected. The objective  of this study to determine the level of improving the nutritive value, removing the antinutrient of millet by solid state fermentation process using Aspergillus niger and effect of the product on the growth performance of African catfish fingerlings. Millet seeds were sterilized for 30 minutes, inoculated with Ammonium sulphate and urea at 10gNKg-1 substrate, spores of Aspergillus niger and sulphuric acid to obtain initial pH of 3.5-40. The mixture was fermented for 84h at 35⁰C and 90-95% RH in the laboratory, then sundried for 48hrs, five diets(40% Crude protein) were formulated, containing 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16% inclusion levels of fermented millet . The diets were fed to 225 fingerlings (two week old) weighing 1.28+0.2, stocked at density of 15 fingerlings per tank in triplicate.

Millet protein increased from 10.9% to 17.0%, phytic acid reduced significantly from 0.02mg/100g to 0.014mg/100g. fingerlings fed 4% inclusion has the highest value of Percentage weight gain (PWG) 110.2%, Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) 1.4 and lowest value of Feed conversion ratio (FCR) 1.8 while fingerlings fed diet containing 8% and 12% inclusion levels had the lowest value of PWG 26.7%, 37.5% and PER 0.66, 0.68 respectively with highest FCR 3.6.  Therefore,4% of  fermented millet could be included in the nutrition of African cat fish fingerlings  any adverse eefect.

Keywords: Pennisetum americanum, Fermentation, Haematology, Feed conversion ratio and percentage inclusion level