Nutritional Evaluation of the Protein-Enrichment Potentials of Sweet Potato Peels Subjected to Submerge Fermentation with Bacteria Isolate from Pineapple Peels

As the global population rises, the demand for protein in food and animal feed also escalates, straining conventional sources and driving up the cost of animal feed. This highlights the need for alternative, cost-effective protein sources. Agricultural waste, particularly sweet potato peels, remains underutilized despite its potential as a valuable protein-enrichment resource. This study aimed to enhance the protein content of sweet potato peels through submerged fermentation using Bacillus isolates from pineapple peels. The fermentation process was conducted for three weeks with three groups: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, bacterial isolates from pineapple peels, and spontaneous fermentation as a positive control. The unfermented sample served as the negative control. Proximate analysis and amino acid profiling were performed on both fermented and unfermented samples. The fermentation process led to a significant increase in protein content, with 17 amino acids detected. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing sweet potato peels, a common agricultural waste, as a protein-enriched resource, offering a sustainable alternative protein source for food and feed applications.