Bioconversion of waste of macauba as indication of use for input in animal feeds

Acrocomia aculeata, belonging to the Arecaceae family, a palm tree known locally as macauba or bocaiuva, displays potential for obtaining vegetable oil with application in the production of biofuels, food and pharma-ceuticals. The objective of this work was to improve the nutritional aspects of macauba residues by myceliation by the fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajor-caju. The extraction of its oils (from the pulp and the kernel) generates residue, the most interesting being the bran or cakes. In this study, macauba’s kernel and pulp bran, as well as their mixture with parts of the fruit, such as the epicarp, were submitted to the bioconversion treatment with the fungi P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju. The composition of ash, crude protein, neutral and acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, crude fiber, ether extract and in vitro digestibility were determined, in comparison to the control samples. In all samples there was a considerable increase in ash, protein and digestibility when compared to the control. Among the results obtained, the sample of the mixture of pulp bran and kernel in a 1:1 ratio stands out, which went from roughage to concentrate and was classified as protein. In the kernel bran-pulp bran (1:1) sample, production was carried out until the maturation phase with the fungus P. ostreatus. Fruiting occurred 80 days after the initial mycelium. The biological efficiency of this culture was 34.42%, and the value found for the crude protein of the mushroom produced was 33.11%.