Full Length Research Article
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Effect of soybean milk dregs fermented with Aspergillus ficuum in rations on the performance and quality of quail eggs
Gita Ciptaan1*, Mirnawati 1, Qurrata Aini1, Anifah Srifani2, Malik Makmur3
Adv. life sci., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 99-103, February 2024
*- Corresponding Author: Gita Ciptaan (gciptaan@ansci.unand.ac.id)
Authors' Affiliations
2. Doctoral student, Department of Animal Feed and Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang – Indonesia
3. Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency – Indonesia
[Date Received: 16/10/2022; Date Revised: 27/12/2023; Date Published: 25/02/2024]
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Abstract
Background: Soybean milk dregs (SMD) are one of the potential feed ingredients for quail, however improving their nutritional value and utilization requires a biotechnological approach. This investigation was performed on the percentage and effect of using fermented soybean milk dregs (FSMD) inoculated with Aspergillus ficuum in quail rations.
Methods: 200 quails (Coturnix japonica), aged 20 weeks, were used in this study. They were kept in 20 battery cage units, each with 10 quails inside. The analysis was carried out using a completely randomized design with 5 treatment rations and 4 replications. The treatment rations were R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 using 0, 10, 15, 20, and 25% FSMD respectively, which were prepared based on 20% iso-protein and 2800 kcal/kg iso-calorie. Feed consumption, egg production, egg mass, feed conversion, egg weight, shell thickness, and quail yolk color were among the variables that were observed.
Results: According to the results of the analysis of variance, feed consumption, egg production, egg mass, feed conversion, egg weight, and shell thickness were all unaffected by the use of FSMD (P >0.05). Additionally, there was a strong correlation between parameters under the treatment effect, with the exception of egg thickness.
Conclusion: The optimum level of fermented soybean milk dregs was 25% level in quail rations.
Keywords: Soybean milk dregs; Aspergillus ficuum; Fermentation; Quail performance
Retraction Note
27 Nov 2025: The Editor-in-Chief has approved retraction of this article on the following grounds.
1. The paper's primary conclusion is the exact opposite of what its own data shows.
Conclusion: The abstract and discussion state that the "optimum level of fermented soybean milk dregs was 25% level in quail rations".
Actual Data (Table 3): The data in Table 3 clearly shows that the 25% FSMD group (R5) was the worst-performing group on nearly every key metric:
Egg Production: 62.05% (worst) vs. 66.09% (control) .
Egg Mass: 6.29 g/day (worst) vs. 6.72 g/day (control) .
Feed Conversion: 3.81 (second worst) vs. 3.31 (best) for the control .
Egg Weight: 10.12 g (worst) vs. 10.16 g (control) .
This is a complete misinterpretation of the results. The data shows that as FSMD increased, performance decreased.
2. The manuscript describes three different, mutually exclusive experimental designs.
Methods Text: States the treatments (R2-R5) used 10, 15, 20, and 25% FSMD.
Table 1 (Feed Ingredients): Lists the treatments (R2-R5) as containing 15, 20, 25, and 30% FSMD.
Table 3 (Results): Lists the treatments (R2-R5) as 10, 15, 20, and 25% FSMD.
The ingredient list in Table 1 (the "recipe") does not match the experiment reported in the Methods or the Results (Table 3). It is impossible to know what experiment was actually conducted.
3. The stated methodology for the feed is directly contradicted by the feed's reported analysis.
Methods Text: States the rations were prepared to be "20% iso-protein and 2800 kcal/kg iso-calorie".
Table 2 (Nutrient Content): Shows the rations actually contained "22.00-22.04" % crude protein and "3001.6-3010.8" kcal/kg energy .
The feed described in the methods is not the feed that was used in the study, representing a critical failure in methodology.
The authors do not agree to this retraction.
