Comparative Proximate Composition and Anti-Nutritional Profiling of Cassava Leaf Protein Concentrate (CLPC) Extracted via Four Processing Pathways

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) foliage is an abundant agricultural byproduct with high crude protein potential, but its utilization in animal feed is constrained by endogenous anti-nutritional factors (ANFs). This study evaluated four extraction pathways—thermal coagulation (4 °C for 24 h), isoelectric precipitation (pH 8.0 to 4.0), solubilization (pH 8.0 direct drying), and natural fermentation (48 h organic fermentation)—to obtain Cassava Leaf Protein Concentrate (CLPC). Proximate analysis indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) across pathways: thermal coagulation yielded the highest crude protein content (3.07 ± 0.44%) and lowest moisture level (6.83 ± 0.60%), ensuring superior shelf stability. In contrast, fermentation yielded lower crude protein (2.19 ± 0.25%) and higher moisture (15.50 ± 0.58%), but achieved the greatest overall reduction in total anti-nutrients (39.65 µg/ml) compared to solubilization (66.54 µg/ml), isoelectric precipitation (63.28 µg/ml), and coagulation (62.29 µg/ml). Specifically, fermentation lowered cyanogenic glycosides to 1.23 µg/ml, tannins to 0.70 µg/ml, phytates to 1.41 µg/ml, cardiac glycosides to 0.21 µg/ml, and steroids to 0.55 µg/ml. However, balancing crude protein recovery, low moisture content, and moderate anti-nutrient retention establishes thermal coagulation as the most commercially viable extraction pathway for compounding poultry feeds.