Influence of white rot fungi degradation on the nutritional value of cassava peels

The study was carried out to assess the influence biodegradation on the nutritive value of cassava peels. Cassava peels were obtained from a ‘gari’ processing mill in Makurdi and sun-dried for a period of seven days to reduce the moisture content to less than 10 %. The dried cassava peels were milled using a hammer mill. Five hundred kilograms (500kg) of milled cassava peels were moistened with water on a concrete floor and covered with cellophane sheet and allowed to ferment for two weeks. Dried Pleurotus tuber-regium (mushroom) was soaked in water for 24 hours in a basin, transferred into a clean basin and allowed to grow mycelia. After the completion of the composting process, the fermented substrate was transferred to inoculation trays (60 cm x 180 cm) and allowed to cool for one hour; the trays were subsequently inoculated with the active mycelia of the mushroom. At the end of the degradation period (30 days), the biodegraded cassava peels were sundried until the substrate attained less than 10 % moisture content. The result shows that P. tuber-regium degraded cassava peels was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ash and ether extract compared to un-degraded cassava peels: CP content was 5.41 % for UDCP and 6.04 % for BDCP, CF content was 15.40 % and 17.40 %, Ash content was 15.60 % and 19.20 % while DM was 93.70 % and 94.70 % for UDCP and BDCP, respectively. The NDF fraction was 65.82 % and 62.39 % for UDCP and BDCP, respectively while ADF was 28.18 % and 29.40 %, ADL was 11.12 % and 10.15 %, Hemicellulose was 37.64 % and 32.99 % and cellulose was 17.06 % and 19.25 % for UDCP and BDCP, respectively. The result shows a significantly (P < 0.05) decrease in the level of NDF, ADL and Hemcellulose after degradation whereas ADF and Cellulose component increase significantly (P < 0.05). it was concluded that biodegradation of cassava peels with Pleurotus tuber-regium enhanced its nutritive value.