Efficient mosquitocidal toxin production by Bacillus sphaericus using cheese whey permeate under both submerged and...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microbial Fermentation
• Pest Control

Background:

• Bacillus sphaericus produces mosquitocidal toxins.
• Whey permeate (WP) is a potential low-cost fermentation substrate.
• Optimizing fermentation conditions is crucial for efficient toxin yield.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate whey permeate for mosquitocidal toxin production by Bacillus sphaericus.
• To determine optimal submerged and solid-state fermentation conditions.
• To assess the economic viability of WP-based toxin production.

Main Methods:

• Submerged and solid-state fermentation (SSF) of Bacillus sphaericus 2362 and 14N1 using whey permeate.
• Optimization of WP concentration, initial pH, moisture content, inoculum size, and incubation time.
• Pilot-scale SSF production using wheat bran-WP medium.

Main Results:

• High mosquitocidal activity achieved with WP concentrations of 50-100% (B. sphaericus 2362) and 25-70% (B. sphaericus 14N1) in submerged fermentation.
• Optimal initial pH for toxin production was 7.
• Optimum SSF conditions for B. sphaericus 14N1 included 50% moisture content, 10-70% WP, specific inoculum size, and 6-day incubation at 30°C.

Conclusions:

• Whey permeate is an efficient substrate for Bacillus sphaericus mosquitocidal toxin production.
• Optimized SSF using wheat bran-WP medium is a cost-effective method for industrial toxin production.
• This approach offers a sustainable strategy for mosquito control.