Effect of acid and fermented silage hydrolysis time on protein fractionation and digestibility for Nile Tilapia

World aquaculture production currently demands sustainable protein ingredients that can compete with fishmeal regarding nutritional quality and economic feasibility. In this study, the protein fractionation of silages prepared with Nile tilapia processing waste (heads, spine, fins, and viscera) by two processes and three hydrolysis times was evaluated, considering the digestibility coefficients of its crude protein, amino acids, and gross energy of Nile tilapia juveniles. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) were determined using 360 Nile tilapia juveniles (9.36 ± 0.74 g) distributed in 18 tanks (150 L), following a completely randomized design with six treatments, in a factorial scheme of 2×3, with three replicates. The six test diets were composed of 69.5 % of the reference diet, 0.5 % chromium (III) oxide, and 30 % of either acid or fermented silages produced with three hydrolysis times (24, 96, and 192 hours). The results demonstrated that both the processing type and hydrolysis time influenced the profile and peptide fractions of the silages. The acid silage was faster in relation to the release of free α-amino groups and the degree of hydrolysis (DH), up to 192 hours of hydrolysis. After this period, the fermented silage showed a higher degree and speed of hydrolysis. SDS-PAGE demonstrated that a longer hydrolysis time increased the concentration of the protein band between 150 and 100 kDa, indicating a proliferation of microorganisms using the free amino acids produced during fermentation. Regarding the distribution of peptides, acid silage presented higher values for the concentration of polypeptides, slow degradation and proportion among fractions, with the appearance of di- and tripeptides, as well as free amino acids. For the fermented silage, a higher degradation of polypeptides into oligopeptides was verified, representing the highest fraction, with a small proportion of di- and tripeptides and free amino acids. ADC values were high for all amino acids and proteins, which was not observed for the mean values of energy ADC. The production of silages with 192 hours of hydrolysis proved to be viable, and the fermented processing revealed the highest ADC values in relation to most of the amino acids, thus being the most indicated to be incorporated in fish diets, favoring its utilization by small farmers and reducing the inadequate disposal of biodegradable waste, thereby avoiding environmental pollution.