Abstract
BackgroundUtilization of cocoa pod husks (CPH) in animal feed is hindered by the presence of theobromine, which is variably toxic to animals. Treatment of this agro-waste to remove theobromine, while preserving its nutrient content, would allow beneficial use of the millions of metric tonnes discarded annually. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of selected theobromine-degrading filamentous fungi for use as bio-tools in degradation of theobromine in CPH.ResultsThe candidate fungi assessed in this study were an Aspergillus niger (AnTD) and three Talaromyces spp. (TmTD-1, TmTD-2, TvTD) isolates. All the fungi eliminated CPH theobromine, 0.15% w/w starting concentration, within 7 days of start of treatment, and were capable of degrading caffeine and theophylline. The fungi decreased CPH ochratoxin A content by 31–74%. Pectin was not detectable in fungus-treated CPH whereas parameters assessed for proximate composition were not affected.ConclusionsThe data provide ample evidence that the four isolates can be applied to CPH for the purpose of eliminating theobromine and decreasing ochratoxin A content without affecting nutrient profile. Comparatively, Talaromyces verruculosus TvTD was considered as most suitable for use as a bio-tool in detheobromination of CPH for animal feed.
Highlights
Utilization of cocoa pod husks (CPH) in animal feed is hindered by the presence of theobromine, which is variably toxic to animals
Whereas the challenges with CPH digestibility have been linked to its anti-nutrient content, the problems with palatability and adverse chemical effects have mainly been linked to the theobromine content [8, 10]
The isolates were Aspergillus niger Aspergillus niger AnTD KY697093 (AnTD), Talaromyces verruculosus Talaromyces verruculosus KY697103 (TvTD) and two Talaromyces marneffei Talaromyces marneffei KY697096 (TmTD-1) and Talaromyces marneffei KY697104 (TmTD-2), with DNA identification sequences curated as KY697093, KY697096, KY697104 and KY697103, respectively, in the GenBank database [31]
Summary
Utilization of cocoa pod husks (CPH) in animal feed is hindered by the presence of theobromine, which is variably toxic to animals. Treatment of this agro-waste to remove theobromine, while preserving its nutrient content, would allow beneficial use of the millions of metric tonnes discarded annually. Tolerance of CPH in feed is limited by problems with digestibility, palatability and adverse effects of some of its chemical constituents [8, 9]. Whereas the challenges with CPH digestibility have been linked to its anti-nutrient content, the problems with palatability and adverse chemical effects have mainly been linked to the theobromine content [8, 10]. Theobromine is the principal methylxanthine accumulated by the cocoa plant and in CPH, theobromine content is approximately 0.15– 0.4% w/w [8, 10]
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