Biomass production from Trichoderma viride in nonconventional oat medium

Oatmeal, an alternative, renewable, and low-cost substrate, was used for the production of Trichoderma viride spores by submerged fermentation. The nonconventional oat medium was only supplemented with potato peptone, which is a green source of nitrogen for the microorganism. Because particles are suspended in the nonconventional oat medium, the characterization was based on viscosity, average particle diameter, size distribution, and porosity of the particles. Because of the complexity of the fungal biomass extraction, the dry weight and protein content were used as methods for quantifying the growth of T. viride. The inversion between the proportion of mycelia and spores was captured in the microscopic image analysis during the fermentation process. After 60 h, spores began to appear, accounting for most of the form present at 120 h of fermentation. The decrease in pH and the increase in glucose concentration during fermentation indicate that glucan hydrolysis occurs and that glucose is released into the medium. The potential for industrial applications of submerged fermentation with oats for biomass production of T. viride is noted in the results. This simple and easily controllable process has several advantages, including the use of low-cost substrates for the propagation of a microorganism that is widely used in scientific and commercial settings.