Nutritional Improvement of Brown Seaweed <i>Sargassum crassifolium</i> Through Fermentation as a Potential Functional Feed Ingredient for Poultry

This study aimed to enhance the nutritional value of brown seaweed, Sargassum crassifolium, through Fermentation. This study employed a completely randomised design (CRD) with two factors: LMO type (Rice, Fruit, Banana Stalk) and fermentation duration (1, 2, 3 weeks). Three duplicates of each treatment were made. Moisture content, dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber, crude protein, fatty acid profile, amino acid profile, and bioactive substances were measured. The results showed that the fermentation duration significantly affected the moisture and dry matter contents of S. crassifolium (p &lt; 0.05), although no significant interaction was observed (p &gt; 0.05). The type of LMO had a substantial effect on organic matter (p &lt; 0.05), but no interaction was observed with fermentation duration (p &gt; 0.05). A significant interaction between LMO type and fermentation duration was found in reducing crude fiber content (p &lt; 0.05), whereas no significant interaction was observed for crude protein enhancement (p &gt; 0.05). Fermentation increased the levels of amino acids, fatty acids, and bioactive compounds post-fermentation. In conclusion, fermentation of brown seaweed S. crassifolium using a rice-based LMO for three weeks was the most effective treatment for reducing crude fibre and enhancing crude protein, amino acid, fatty acid, and bioactive compound profiles.