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ABSTRACT
Despite being a widely accessible agricultural by-product, maize cobs are not very useful because of their high fiber content and poor digestion. This study sought to determine how the chemical composition and physical characteristics of maize cobs were affected by ensiling them with exogenous enzymes and fortifying them with palm oil. After applying a commercial multi-enzyme preparation and being ensiled for 7 days, maize cobs were fortified at different levels of palm oil (1:4 of maize cobs to palm oil) The ensiling procedure and the enzyme treatment caused the maize cobs' chemical makeup to change significantly. There was a significant increase in the fiber components, but a decrease in the non-fibrous carbohydrate content, suggesting reduced carbohydrate availability and possible difficulty in digestion. Furthermore, the enzyme treatment promoted bound phenolic component release, which improved antioxidant potential. The addition of palm oil to the treated maize cobs increased the crude fat content, which had an additional effect on the chemical makeup. Notably, the binding activity of the palm oil improved the compaction and durability of the ensiled cobs, influencing their physical qualities as well. To thoroughly assess the effects of the treatments, characterization techniques such as proximate analysis, fiber analysis, and physical property assessments were used. The outcomes showed that maize cobs' nutritional content and useful qualities might be significantly improved by combining ensiling with enzymes and fortification with palm oil. In order to valorize maize cobs and turn them into a valuable feedstock for a variety of uses, such as animal feed, the manufacture of biofuel, and possibly even human food applications, this study emphasizes the potential of using enzymes and palm oil fortification.
