THE EFFECT OF FERMENTATION TIME AND STARTER TYPE ON ASH AND CRUDE FIBER CONTENT IN COCOA BEAN SHELLS (THEOBROMA CACAO L)

Abstract

Cocoa bean shells are agro-industrial waste that has the potential to be used as alternative animal feed, but their use is still limited due to their relatively high crude fiber content. One effort to improve the nutritional quality of this feed material is through fermentation. This study aims to examine the effect of fermentation time and starter type on the ash and crude fiber content of cocoa bean shells. The study used a 3 × 3 factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors, namely starter type (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysosporium, and Trichoderma sp.) and fermentation time (3, 6, and 9 days), each with three replicates. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANAVA). The results showed that the type of starter had a significant effect (P<0.05) on the crude fiber content of cocoa bean shells, while the fermentation time and the interaction between the starter and fermentation time had no significant effect. The crude fiber content tended to decrease with increasing fermentation time, with the lowest value obtained in the Trichoderma sp. starter treatment. Meanwhile, the ash content of cocoa bean shells was relatively stable and was not significantly affected by fermentation time or starter type. Based on the results of this study, fermentation of cocoa bean shells using certain mold starters has the potential to improve their quality as alternative feed ingredients, particularly through a reduction in crude fiber content.