CORN COB AS A BACTERIAL SUBSTRATE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FORAGE PROTEIN

A mixed culture of Cellulomonas sp. and Bacillus subtilis was grown using alkali-treated milled corn cob of different granulometric fractions as carbohydrate source. There was no difference between the bacterial protein production from the fine fraction (- 25 mesh), the coarse fraction (+ 25 mesh), and the corn cob milled without fractioning by granulometry. The final composition of the fermentation products changed according to the corn cob concentration used in the culture medium. A low corn cob concentration yielded a biomass with high protein content (65.0%) and low fiber content (0.67%), suitable as protein supplement for fowl forages. By increasing the initial corn cob concentration up to 60 g liter-1, it was possible to produce a final biomass with high fiber content (17.8%) and 35.7% of protein, that could be used as ruminant feed.