Chopped pilchard wastes, including viscera, heads and tails, were mixe
d with 25% molasses and inoculated with a starter culture composed of
Saccharomyces sp. and Lactobacillus plantarum. The silage was incubate
d at 22 degrees C. Changes in nutritional quality and biochemical prop
erties (pH, dry matter, ash, total and volatile nitrogen, lipids and t
rimethyIamine) were monitored during a fermentation period of 15 days.
Microbiological determinations were also carried out, including stand
ard plate count, coliforms, Clostridium, lipolytic and proteolytic mic
roorganisms. Results indicated that the pH decreased considerably and
remained constant at 4.2 and 4.5 in the two trials. The total nitrogen
decreased while the non-protein nitrogen and total volatile nitrogen
increased significantly. Almost the same pattern in the two trials was
observed. The trimethylamine decreased or remained constant at low le
vels depending on the initial value. The microbiological characteristi
cs showed a rapid decrease of coliform and Clostridium counts to reach
a low level after 5-7 days. Lipolytic and proteolytic microoganisms d
ecreased notably during the fermentation and reached a minimum after 8
days and 5 days, respectively, in the two trials. (C) 1997 Elsevier S
cience Ltd.