[Solid-state fermentation with Penicillium sp. PT95 for carotenoid production]

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Context:

• Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a promising method for microbial metabolite production.
• Carotenoids are valuable pigments with significant health benefits.
• Penicillium sp PT95 is a fungal strain capable of producing carotenoids.

Purpose:

• To optimize SSF conditions for enhanced carotenoid production by Penicillium sp PT95.
• To identify optimal nutrient supplementation for increased fungal biomass and carotenoid yield.

Summary:

• Corn meal medium proved superior to wheat bran or cottonseed hull for carotenoid production by Penicillium sp PT95.
• Supplementation with sodium nitrate (3g/L), maltose (10g/L), and soybean oil (2.5g/L) in a salt solution optimized the culture medium.
• Optimized conditions resulted in a significant increase in sclerotia dry weight (from 5.36 to 9.70 g/100g substrate) and carotenoid yield (from 2149 to 5260 µg/100g substrate).
• The proportion of beta-carotene within the total carotenoids increased from 61.4% to 71.3% under optimal conditions.

Impact:

• Demonstrates a highly efficient method for carotenoid biosynthesis using a fungal strain and SSF.
• Provides an optimized protocol for maximizing beta-carotene production, a key nutraceutical compound.
• Highlights the potential of Penicillium sp PT95 as a microbial factory for carotenoid production in biotechnological applications.