Effect of feeding solid-state fermentation biomass on nutrients intake, digestibility and microbial protein synthesis in lactating buffaloes

Increasing livestock population with limited availability of feed resources requires a paradigm shift in implementing newer arena of nutritional research which would enable efficient utilization of available low-quality feed resources. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding of solid state fermentation (SSF) biomass on nutrients intake and digestibility of lactating buffaloes. Two treatments i.e. basal diet (T₁) and o basal diet supplemented with SSF at 4% of DM (T₂). Twenty lactating buffaloes (2^nd -3^rd week post-calving) were selected and randomly assigned to one of the either treatment for a duration of 139 days. Towards the end of feeding trial provision was made for individual fecal collection from buffaloes to measure nutrients digestibility. The SSF supplementation had not resulted in any significant improvement in dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intake, but intake of digestible crude protein (DCP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) was significantly (P<0.05) improved in SSF supplemental group. Digestibility of fibre fractions had also shown significant (P<0.01) improvement due to SSF supplementation. Numerically increased microbial protein synthesis was also observed in SSF supplemental group but mean value showed non-significant effect. Supplementing SSF biomass as crude fermented product with fibrolytic enzymes has resulted in improvement in digestibility of nutrients without affecting DMI of lactating buffaloes which signifies that SSF biomass helps in effective utilization of feeds and potentiation of energy availability for productive performance.