Abstract
The effects of solid state fermentation on some physical characteristics, proximate and amino acid profile of post-harvest cowpea (Virgna unguiculata (L) Walp) leaves were investigated. Pulverized samples of the post-harvest materials were incubated at 260C for 96 hours, followed by urea and trichloroacetic acid treatments. Triplicate samples of fermented and unfermented materials were subjected to standard procedures to determine variations in weight, pH, proximate and amino acids profile. There was a reduction in weight, which was significant (p<0.05) with increase in fermentation time. pH stabilized at 6.62 and 6.65 at 96 hours of fermentation (HOF), before and after urea treatment, respectively. Fermented samples showed significant increase (p<0.05) in crude protein (37.30%), crude fat (95.69%), total ash (75.73%) and nitrogen- free extract (NFE) (5.00%) over the unfermented ones. However there were percentage reductions in crude fibre (46.60%) and moisture content (61.95%) after fermentation. The Total Amino Acids (TAA) increased from 49.64 ± 0.87 to 98.90 ± 1.70 with a general increase in all amino acids except proline and cysteine having 12.72% and 10.06% as percentage reductions, respectively. Some essential amino acids (methionine, phenylalanine and tyrosine) and non-essential amino acids (serine and proline) were limiting. The findings unveiled the feed supplement potentials of the fermented materials for use in livestock and pharmaceutical industries in Nigeria.
 Keywords: Fermentation, Nutritional Value, Post-Harvest, Cowpea
Highlights
The use of forage and browse legumes asOne of the major bottle-necks in livestock production in developing countries is the availability of rich crop residues and forages
There was a reduction in weight, which was significant (p
There was a steady decrease in weight with an increase in fermentation time
Summary
The use of forage and browse legumes as. One of the major bottle-necks in livestock production in developing countries is the availability of rich crop residues and forages. Livestock farming in the subtropics are raised on poor forages during the summer and prolonged drought, when aridity is encroached, resulting in huge economic loss (Nitis, 1999). Alternative protein nutrient sources had been examined (Baloyi et al, 2008; Contreras-Govea et al, 2009; Andrade et al, 2017). Endogenous protein supplies few amino acids under normal feed conditions (O’Conner et al, 1993), as most insoluble proteins often escape along with faecal matter (Tedeschi et al, 2001).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
