Ensilation of Shrimp Waste by Lactobacillus fermentum

Ensilation of shrimp. waste was carried out with of Lactobacillus fermentum at room temperature (30 +/- 1 degrees C). Formic acid (0.4%) was used to adjust the pH to 5.8 at the start of the experiment. The pH of the medium fell sharply from 5.8 at the beginning to around 4.5 by 2nd day and was more or less stable during the remaining part of ensilation. The protein content of the residue showed a decrease with a proportional increase in chitin content. The ash and crude fat content registered a decrease. The data on biochemical composition of the slurry revealed that the protein content, a amino nitrogen and NPN increased substantially during fermentation. The TVBN value remained constant at about 0.07% on dry weight basis during the period of observation. Protein solubilization of the order of 60% obtained during the present study was independent of initial bacterial density and is within the range of acceptability indicating that L. fermentum is an ideal candidate for use in biofermentation of shrimp waste.