Production of Single Cell Protein from Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum and Nakai] waste using Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae:- Agu Akachukwu G.

ABSTRACT

 In this work, dry and wet peels derived from watennelon waste as alternative substrate for Single Cell Protein production from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (from palm wine), Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (from baker's yeast) were investigated. Submerged method was employed to culture them in batches. A glucose solution (monosaccharide) was used as a control for the experiment. Batch I represent 4-day culture of the three microorganisms grown on dry, wet and control substrates respectively. Batch I gave rise to the following biomass in grams; for palm wine yeast - 0.1 0, 0.08 and 0.07; for baker's yeast; 0.15, 0.35 and 0.32; for A. niger - 0.24, 0.30 and 0.21. Batch II represent 6-day culture of the microorganisms grown on dry, wet and control substrates respectively giving rise to the following biomass yield in grams; for palm wine yeast; 0.14, 0.35 and 0.15; for baker's yeast0.33, 0.45 and 0.41; for A. niger - 0.26, 0.43 and 0.28. Batch Ill represent 8-day culture of the microorganisms grown on dry, wet and control substrates respectively which gave rise to the following biomass yield; for palm wine yeast - 0.10, 0.15 and 0.08; for baker's yeast - 0.32, 0.43 and 0.29; A. niger - 0.13, 0.32 and 0.25. Nutritional compositions of the raw dry and wet watermelon waste prior to their use as substrates were detennined. Proximate composition of the fungal biomass was also determined. Present investigation revealed that baker's yeast grown on the wet watennelon substrate cultured for 6-day produced the highest quantity of single cell protein, suggesting that wet watennelon peel is more suitable for the production of SCP. The findings from this study support the need for SCP production from cheap, inexpensive agro-waste materials.