Microbial conversion of lignocellulosic residues for production of animal feeds

The increasing expansion of agro-industrial activity over the last 40 years has led to the accumulation of a large quantity of lignocellulosic residues all over the world. These lignocellulosic residues can be classified into two main groups: those in which the lignocellulose is the major carbon source and those in which, in addition to the lignocellulose, there are significant concentrations of simple carbohydrates, such as mono- and disaccharides. Microbial conversion of these wastes seems to be a practical and promising alternative for increasing their nutritional value, transforming them into animal feed and thus producing a value-added product. The type of animal for which the feed is to be produced must be defined before deciding on the bioconversion process, since the procedures for obtaining high quality feeds for ruminants and non-ruminants animals are different.