TITLE:
Sweet Potato Starch as a Carbon Source for Growth and Glucoamylase Production from Aspergillus niger
AUTHORS:
Alfred O. Ubalua
KEYWORDS:
Aspergillus niger, Sweet Potato Starch, Submerged Fermentation, Amylolytic Activity, Glucoamylase Prodcution
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.4 No.12,
September
17,
2014
ABSTRACT: A
mesophilic strain of Aspergillus niger isolated from cassava effluent samples produced extracellular glucoamylase in
submerged culture containing 2% (w/v) soluble or sweet potato starch. On
soluble starch medium the maximum glucoamylase activity in the culture filtrate
was 9.40 U/mg compared to 8.24 U/mg on sweet potato starch culture filtrate.
The mycelial dry weight for both media was 494 and 418 mg respectively. The
maximum glucoamylase activity was obtained at a growth temperature of 40°C and pH 4.5. The
implication is that the bioprocess of utilizing sweet potato starch in the
culture is attractive due to its relatively cheaper availability in Nigeria,
making it even more favorable when economics is considered.