Fermented rapeseed meal subjected to a biosorption process: A potential new feed additive with microelements for laying hens

The antinutritional substances contained in rapeseed play an essential role in the bioavailability of microelements contained in feed. This problem can be solved by fermentation of rapeseed products, which can also be enriched with selected microelements through biosorption. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the biosorption capacity of fermented rapeseed meal (FRSM) by enriching its biomass with Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), and Fe(II) ions and then using the FRSM prepared in this way in laying hens' diet and examining its impact on performance, egg quality and transfer of microelements to eggs content. Seventy-two laying hens of the Lohmann Brown line (26 weeks of age) were used in the experiment. The experiment lasted 90 days. The birds were randomly divided into two experimental groups, each group consisted of 12 replications (cages), and each replication of 3 hens (36 birds per group). The first group (BURSM) was the control group and received 30 g/kg unfermented rapeseed meal (URSM) after the biosorption process (enrichment in Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn (II), and Fe(II) ions) in the feed, the second group (BFRSM) received 30 g/kg of fermented rapeseed meal (FRSM) after the biosorption process (enrichment in Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), and Fe(II) ions) in the feed. The results conclude that both URSM and FRSM can be used as a substrate in the biosorption process. However, in the case of laying hens' performance and egg quality, the form of the rapeseed meal (RSM) was not statistically significant. Hens in the BURSM group were characterized by higher bioaccumulation factor (BF), while hens from the BFRSM group were characterized by higher transfer coefficients (TC), which may be important in the design of functional foods.