Sustainable Biomass Valorization by Solid-State Fermentation with the Mutant Strain Trichoderma viride M5-2 of Forage Legumes to Improve Their Nutritional Composition as Animal Feed

Luis Rodrigo Saa, Elaine Cristina Valiño Cabrera (), Lourdes Lucila Savón Valdés, Yaneisy García Hernández, Julio César Dustet Mendoza and Maryen Alberto Vazquez ()
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Luis Rodrigo Saa: Laboratorio de Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuaria, Escuela de Ingeniería Agropecuaria, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 110107, Ecuador
Elaine Cristina Valiño Cabrera: Institute of Animal Science, P.O. Box 24, San José de las Lajas 32700, Cuba
Lourdes Lucila Savón Valdés: Institute of Animal Science, P.O. Box 24, San José de las Lajas 32700, Cuba
Yaneisy García Hernández: Institute of Animal Science, P.O. Box 24, San José de las Lajas 32700, Cuba
Julio César Dustet Mendoza: Applied Biotechnology Group, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Technological University of Havana “José Antonio Echeverría” Cujae, Havana 19390, Cuba
Maryen Alberto Vazquez: Institute of Animal Science, P.O. Box 24, San José de las Lajas 32700, Cuba

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: The valorization of plant biomass is one of the main strategies for sustainable development. However, its use as energy, biofuels, fertilizers, value-added products, or even food is severely affected by the complexity of the plant cell wall. Therefore, the evaluation of fungi with high production of lignocellulolytic enzymes capable of efficiently degrading these substrates constitutes a viable, clean, and eco-friendly solution, allowing, for example, an increase in the digestibility and nutritional quality of alternative animal feed sources. For these reasons, the present study evaluated the ability of the mutant strain Trichodema viride M5-2 to improve the nutritional composition of the forage legumes Lablab purpureus and Mucuna pruriens through solid-state fermentation. Endo- and exoglucanase cellulolytic activity was assessed, as well as the effect of fermentation on the fiber’s physical properties and chemical composition. Molecular changes in the structure of plant fiber were analyzed using infrared spectroscopy. Increased production of the cellulolytic complex of the enzymes endoglucanase (3.29 IU/mL) and exoglucanase (0.64 IU/mL) was achieved in M. pruriens . The chemical composition showed an increase in true protein and a decrease in neutral fiber, hemicellulose, and cellulose, with a consequent improvement in nutritional quality. Fiber degradation was evident in the infrared spectrum with a significant decrease in the signals associated with cellulose and, to a lesser extent, with lignin. It can be concluded that the mutant strain T. viride M5-2 produced chemical, physical, and molecular changes in the fibrous and protein fractions of L. purpureus and M. pruriens through SSF, which improved their nutritional value as an alternative feed for animal nutrition. By promoting the use of this fungus, the nutritional quality of this source is increased through an effective and eco-friendly process, which contributes to mitigating the environmental impact of food production, in accordance with sustainability objectives and the need for more responsible agricultural practices.

Keywords: mucuna; dolicho; fungi; degradation; fiber; cellulolytic enzymes; chemical composition; animal feed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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