BIODEGRADATION AND IN VITRO DIGESTIBILITY OF MAIZE HUSKS TREATED WITH EDIBLE FUNGI (Pleurotus tuber-regium and Lentinus subnudus FROM NIGERIA

Mycelial cultures of two Nigerian edible fungi Lentinus subnudus(LSM )and Pleurotus tuber- regim(PT) were used in the biodegradation of maize (Zea mays) husks in a solid state fermentation for 6 weeks. Inoculation of these microorganisms into maize husk resulted in significant (P<0.05) increase in the crude protein (CP),ether extract (EE) and ash contents(AC) of the treated wastes compared with the untreated wastes(control).After 42 days of inoculation, CP of the maize husk increased significantly from 7.44% control (UM) to 9.89% and 9.67% for LSM and PT respectively. Also, the EE value of UM was 1.26% while that of PT and LSM increased to 1.74 and 2.52% respectively There were reduction in dry matter(DM) and crude fibre fractions ( CRF) of the treated wastes. Acid detergent fractions (ADF) decreased from 49.14%( control) to 39.26% and 41.04% respectively in LSM and PT.The fractional rate of in vitro gas production ranged from 0.25ml h-1( UM) to 0.16ml h-1 for LSM and 0.33ml h-1 for PT. There were significant difference(P<0.05) in the volume of final gas (a+b) produced. For LSM, it was 15.60ml h-1 followed by 14.67ml h-1 for PT but the control ( UM) had the least value of 12.00ml h-1 .Similar trend were obseved in the organic matter digestibility (OM) and metabolisable energy (ME) with the best value observed in the treated maize husk. The best volume methane( 11.50 ml/200mgDM )was obtaned in Pluerotus tuber-regium treated substrates followed in order by 10.50 and 10.0 ml/200mgDM for Lentinus subnudus and the control experiment(UM)The implications of these observations were discussed.