Hydrolysis of pangasius by-products to produce organic fertilizers

The Research Institute of Biology and Environment Technology (RIBET) of Nong Lam University in Hồ Chí Minh City has been successful in studying the process of producing enzyme protease to hydrolyze pangasius by-products into organic fertilizers and feed.

In a seminar introducing “Process of producing enzyme protease to hydrolyze pangasius by-products into organic fertilizers and feed” on Sep 04, 2020, Master Trương Phước Thiên Hoàng of RIBET said that protease is an enzyme to decompose nitrogen-included organic compound and play as a catalyst to hydrolyze the bond of peptid (-CO-NH-)n in protein. Besides, protease can hydrolyze an ester bond and transport acid amin. This is one of important enzymes which can be widely used and applied in various sectors and industries such as to hydrolyze agricultural by-products when producing feed or organic fertilizers.

To create enzyme protease, the researchers used a bacteria with high persistence, Bacillus Subtilis which can produce a large amount of protease. This is an aerobic bacteria useful to humans and plentiful in the digestion of humans and animals. Besides, Bacillus Subtilis grows fast, can produce spores and is impervious to heat better than other bacteria.

A raw enzyme protease will be created after bacteria is injected to rice bran powder and soy bean within 60 hours, pH 8.4. Protease will be filtered, dried and preserved at a cold degree.

Clean enzyme will be used to hydrolyze by-products (head and bone) of pangasius or other fishes after it is grinded within 24 hours.

What is created after the hydrolysis process will be mixed with nutrition factors to produce organic fertilizers for plants or feed for castles and marine species.

The researchers tried to put hydrolyzed products on tomatoes, cucumber and cabbage trees. As a result, NO3 amount is reduced and those plants bring in a 20% increase in output as compared to those without using hydrolyzed products.

This process has been transferred to some fertilizer production facilities by RIBET.