Utilization of Jackfruit Waste for the Development of Sustainable Animal Feed

Abstract

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is one of the largest tropical fruits and generates a substantial quantity of waste, accounting for nearly 65–75% of its total weight in the form of non-edible components such as peel, core and perianth. The improper disposal of this agro-waste poses environmental challenges, while its rich nutritional potential remains under-utilized. The present study was undertaken to develop a sustainable and value-added process for converting jackfruit waste into a nutritive feed powder. Jackfruit waste obtained from the J33 cultivar was thoroughly cleaned, uniformly cut, and blended with maize flour to enhance its nutritional and functional properties. The prepared mixture was subjected to dehydration using two different drying methods, namely a solar-cabinet dryer and traditional open-sun drying, to evaluate their effectiveness in moisture removal and quality retention. The resulting feed powder was analysed for its physical, functional, and proximate properties to assess its suitability as a value-added feed ingredient. The findings of this study highlight the potential of jackfruit waste as a low-cost, eco-friendly, and nutritionally beneficial resource for feed formulation, thereby contributing to waste reduction and sustainable agro-processing practices.