Tomato pomace (TP), utilized improperly is not namely causes a waste of valuable resources but also increases environmental pollution. In this study, possibilities improving nutrient composition by fermenting dry TP with Aspergillus niger was investigated for the value-added utilization of this pomace in animal feed. The TP, dried at 65°C for 8 hours with a simple layer and under a laminar airflow drying oven, was subjected to solid-state fermentation. After unfermented and fermented dry pomaces were milled in 2 mm sieve, proximate analysis and the analysis of cellulosic fractions were performed. Roughage quality indices were calculated using cellulosic fractions. Fermentation of TP with Aspergillus niger inoculant increased the amount of dry matter (82.98 vs 91.47%), crude fiber (21.71 vs 23.00%), neutral detergent fiber (29.70 vs 35.92%), acid detergent fiber (25.22 vs 26.84%), acid detergent lignin (7.91 vs 10.77%), hemicellulose (44.71 vs 90.78), crude protein (13.70 vs 21.37%), ether extract (2.82 vs 3.52%) and ash (10.57 vs 13.24%) compare to unfermented TP. Fermentation process decreased nitrogen-free extract (51.19 vs 38.86%), non-fiber carbohydrates (46.03 vs 29.47%) and quality index as relative feed value (216.9 vs 176.1) and relative forage quality (242.5 vs 195.5) and metabolizable energy (2.66 vs 2.60). Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), DPPH free radical (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhydrazil) and total phenolic content of TP did not increase by fermentation. Concentration of β-carotene and lycopene of TP decreased after fermentation with A niger. The results indicate that the selected strains of A. niger can be used to enrich the chemical composition of TP, except for cellulosic fractions and also carotenoids and antioxidant activity.

The study was aimed to improve the nutritional composition of nettle (Utrica dioica L.) having positive effects on animals by solid-state fermentation. Aspergillus niger was used as a inoculant in fermentation of nettle. Before and after fermentation, crude protein (CP), ash, ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free extract (NFE), crude fiber (CF), hemicellulose (HC), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents of nettle were determined. The ash, NFE and HC content of nettle were increased by fermentation. However, A. niger decreased the CF and EE in nettle. The results showed that solid-state fermentation with A. niger can be used to improve the nutritional composition of nettle.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Aspergillus niger strain and inoculum level on the nutritional composition of olive leaves. The experiment had a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments with two A. niger strains (ATCC 200345 [A] and ATCC 9142 [B]) and three inoculum levels (104, 106, and 108). Olive leaves were milled to 2 mm and fermented in solid-state by two different A. niger strains and analysed for nutritional composition. Crude protein (CP) was increased linearly as the inoculum level increased. Ether extract (EE) and crude fiber (CF) were decreased linearly in A strain or quadratically in B strain with increased inoculum levels. Crude ash and nitrogen-free extract content did not differ among groups. Strain A increased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) at higher inoculum level, whereas NDF was decreased as inoculum level increased in B strain. The lowest acid detergent fiber (ADF) was obtained from the B strain or 106 inoculum level. The results showed that the effect of two strains on CP and ADF changed similarly with increased inoculum levels. However, two strains affected EE, CF, and NDF content differently with increased inoculum levels. The optimal situations were 108 inoculum level for higher CP, A104 or B104 for higher EE, B106 for lower CF, B106 or B108 for lower NDF, 106 inoculum level or B strain for lower ADF. B strain at 106 inoculation level can be preferred to obtain an average CP and EE content and lower CF, NDF, and ADF content.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of solid-state fermentation on the nutritional composition of cottonseed meal (CSM), sunflower meal (SFM) and hazelnut kernel meal (HKM). In this study, each feedstuff was divided into two treatment groups (unfermented and fermented) with five replicates. Nutritional changes in the feedstuffs were determined by analyzing crude protein, ether extract, ash, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber contents. Solid-state fermentation had effects on the nutritional composition in all feedstuffs. The best improvement in nutritional quality was obtained from the HKM with increasing the crude protein and decreasing the structural carbohydrates content. Fermented HKM can be considered as an alternative protein feed for soybean meal considering the nutritional composition.

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of solid-state fermentation (SSF) on main nutritional components, some minerals, condensed tannin and phenolic compounds of olive leaves. Two groups were formed as a fermented (FOL, Aspergillus niger ATCC 52172) and non-fermented olive leaves (OL). Suitable environmental conditions (humidity, temperature and pH) before SSF were established and fermentation lasted on day 8. After fermentation, while the crude fiber, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) content of FOL compared to OL were decreased, its the crude protein, ether extract, ash and condensed tannin contents were increased. Some macro minerals (Ca, N, K, P, Mg) and micro minerals components (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B) of FOL and OL were varied. Although oleuropein content of FOL was decreased, it’s catechin and hydroxytyrosol contents were increased by SSF. These results showed that A. niger ATCC 52172 strain could be suitable inoculant to improve the nutritional content of olive leaves.