Research Article Open Access

Effects of Urea-Treated Fermented Orange Peel Meal Fermentation Duration on Meat Organoleptic Properties and Apparent Nutrient Digestibility in Broiler Chickens

Authors

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Olawale Mojeed Akanbi
iD 0000-0003-2780-2794
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
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Taiye Sunday Olugbemi
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
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Moji Afolayan
Samaru College of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
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Samuel Shehu Ndams
College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
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Habiba Iliyasu Atta
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Published on: March 20, 2026
DOI 10.3923/ijps.2026.69.77
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Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of urea-treated fermented orange peel meal (FUTOPM) fermented for 3, 6 and 9 days with Aspergillus niger on the sensory attributes of broiler chicken meat and apparent nutrient digestibility.

Materials and Methods: Orange peels were collected, processed, treated with 1% urea, inoculated with a standardized A. niger culture and fermented anaerobically for 3, 6, or 9 days. A total of 240 broiler chickens were assigned to four dietary treatments (control and three FUTOPM diets at 20% inclusion) in a completely randomized design with three replicates per treatment. Sensory evaluation of cooked breast meat was conducted by a trained panel using a 9-point hedonic scale to assess appearance, flavor, texture, juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability. Apparent nutrient digestibility was determined using the total fecal collection method over a seven-day period. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model procedure of SAS and treatment means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at p<0.05.

Results: No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed among treatments for any sensory attribute, indicating that FUTOPM inclusion did not adversely affect meat palatability. Apparent nutrient digestibility improved with increasing fermentation duration. Crude protein digestibility increased to 92.67, 91.08 and 92.45% in the 3-, 6- and 9-day fermented diets, respectively, compared with 85.91% in the control. Crude fiber digestibility values were 81.35, 86.55 and 90.27% for the respective fermentation periods, versus 84.35% in the control. Ether extract digestibility was highest (92.15%) in the 3-day fermented diet, while dry matter and nitrogen-free extract digestibility were maximized in the 9-day fermented treatment.

Conclusion: Urea-assisted fermentation of orange peel meal with Aspergillus niger enhances nutrient digestibility without compromising the sensory quality of broiler chicken meat. Fermentation for 9 days is recommended to optimize nutrient utilization efficiency when incorporating orange peel meal into broiler diets.

Keywords:

Broiler, chicken meat, digestibility, fermentation, organoleptic, poultry feed, urea

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Copyright (c) 2026 Olawale Mojeed Akanbi, Taiye Sunday Olugbemi, Moji Afolayan, Samuel Shehu Ndams, Habiba Iliyasu Atta

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This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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How to Cite

Akanbi, O. M., Olugbemi, T. S., Afolayan, M., Ndams, S. S., & Atta, H. I. (2026). Effects of Urea-Treated Fermented Orange Peel Meal Fermentation Duration on Meat Organoleptic Properties and Apparent Nutrient Digestibility in Broiler Chickens. International Journal of Poultry Science, 25, 69–77. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijps.2026.69.77
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