Solid State Bioconversion of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches for Production of Citric Acid by Wild Strains of Aspergillus Niger

• Published in: Food biotechnology Vol. 24; no. 1-4; pp. 19 - 36
• Main Authors: Alam, Md. Zahangir, Bari, Md. Niamul, Muyibi, Suleyman A, Jamal, Parveen, Abdullah-Al-Mamun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Dekker 01.01.2010; Taylor & Francis Group; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Acids; Aspergillus niger; biotransformation; citric acid; Elaeis guineensis; Food science; Fungi; lemons; oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB); Oils & fats; protein content; Proteins; screening; sewage treatment; sludge; solid state bioconversion; Studies; Sugar; sugars
• ISSN: 0890-5436; 1532-4249
• DOI: 10.1080/08905430903320883

This study investigated the potential of Aspergillus niger strains for the production of citric acid from oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) through solid state bioconversion (SSB). Twenty six wild strains of Aspergillus niger isolated from lemon, orange, and sewage treatment plant sludge were evaluated. Factors considered in the study were citric acid production, sugar consumption, and protein content as growth indicator. Two strains of Aspergillus niger (IBO-103MNB) and (IBO-114MNB) were found to have good potential with citric acid production of 128.43 ± 6.3 and 140.50 ± 1 g kg-1 of dry EFB with bioconversion time of 4 and 8 d, respectively. The productivity of citric acid by these strains was found to be 32 and 17.5 g kg-1d-1, respectively.