Production of acid silage from surubim catfish (“Pseudoplatystoma” sp.) viscera and evaluation of digestibility for nile tilapia

Abstract

Different proportions of formic acid and citric acid to produce surubim catfish viscera silage and to determine the chemical-bromatological composition and apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude energy and availability of calcium and phosphorus for Nile tilapia were evaluated in this study. It was used: 0.75; 0.75:1; 1:1.25 and 1.25:1 of formic acid and citric acid respectively, plus antioxidant (BHT) 0.02% for silage production. After 30 days different proportions of acids provided stable content (pH below 4) that not differed among treatments. Silage prepared with 1.0:0.75 formic acid:citric acid was selected and showed the following results expressed on dry matter: 25.7% of crude protein, 7330kcal/kg of gross energy, 42.4% of ether extract, 0.06% of calcium Ca and 0.27% of phosphorus. The apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, gross energy, calcium and phosphorus in ensiled compound showed the following percentages: 83.52; 93.30; 80.18; 87.20; 83.11 and 74.28%. Production of surubim catfish viscera silage is feasible with citric acid and formic acid and this ingredient may be considered an alternative protein source with high biological value for Nile tilapia