Utilizing pretreatment and fungal incubation to enhance the nutritional value of canola meal

Aims The objective of this study was to determine the optimal pretreatment and fungal strain to reduce glucosinolates (GLS), fiber, and residual sugars while increasing the nutritional value of canola meal. Methods and Results Submerged incubation conditions were used to evaluate four pretreatment methods (extrusion, hot water cook, dilute acid, and dilute alkali) and three fungal cultures (Aureobasidium pullulans Y-2311-1, Fusarium venenatum NRRL-26139, and Trichoderma reesei NRRL-3653) in hexane extracted (HE) and cold pressed (CP) canola meal. Conclusions The combination of extrusion pretreatment followed by incubation with T. reesei resulted in the greatest overall improvement to HE canola meal, increasing protein to 51.5%, while reducing NDF, GLS, and residual sugars to 18.6%, 17.2 μM.g−1, and 5% w.w−1, respectively. Extrusion pretreatment and incubation with F. venenatum performed the best with CP canola meal, resulting in 54.4% protein while reducing NDF, GLS, and residual sugars to 11.6%, 6.7 μM.g−1, and 3.8% w.w−1, respectively. Significance and Impact of Study The work is significant in that it provides a method of reducing glucosinolates (up to 98%) and neutral detergent fiber (up to 65%) while increasing the protein content (up to 45%) of canola meal. This novel pretreatment and submerged incubation process could be used to produce a canola product with higher nutritional value for livestock consumption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.