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Improving the Yield of Citric Acid Through Valorization of Cashew Apple Juice by Aspergillus niger: Mutation, Nanoparticles Supplementation and Taguchi Technique

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Abstract

Purpose

This study implemented strategies to improve citric acid yield by Aspergillus niger through strain improvement and process optimization using under-utilized cashew apple juice.

Methods

A. niger LCFS 5 (MZ448204) earlier isolated from a cashew plantation and produced citric acid on Czapek-Dox agar supplemented with bromocresol green (CZA-BG) was improved through UV mutation (254 nm). The best mutant was grown in cashew apple juice medium. The effects of supplementation of medium with 10% sucrose, metal ions, and biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were studied and production of citric acid was optimized using Taguchi technique.

Results

The mutant A. niger LCFAn40 (MZ448205) had yellow zonation of 9.0 cm on CZA-BG. It produced citric acid yield of 18.4, 25.03, 34.62 and 92.61%/day for supplementation with sucrose, metal ions, ZnONPs and Taguchi optimization, respectively. These translate to 2.38–11.98 folds improvement in comparison with wild strain.

Conclusion

This study establishes multi-dimensional approach as a viable technique to improve citric acid production in cashew apple juice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of broad-based optimization regime of citric acid production that involves nanoparticles supplementation, which may open a new vista of investigations on the use of nanobiocatalysts in bioprocesses.

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Availability of Data and Material

Data for the work are available with the authors.

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Acknowledgements

The assistance of Dr. T.B. Asafa of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Nigeria on the Taguchi optimization technique is duly acknowledged.

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This work was not funded by any private or public entity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, PMB 4000, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

    Adekunle Olusegun Adeoye

  2. Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology and Nanobiotechnology, Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, PMB 4000, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

    Adekunle Olusegun Adeoye & Agbaje Lateef

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  1. Adekunle Olusegun Adeoye
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AL conceived, supervised, interpreted the results, wrote part of the manuscript and edited the manuscript; AOA carried out all the laboratory investigations, collected and analyzed the data and wrote part of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Agbaje Lateef.

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Adeoye, A.O., Lateef, A. Improving the Yield of Citric Acid Through Valorization of Cashew Apple Juice by Aspergillus niger: Mutation, Nanoparticles Supplementation and Taguchi Technique. Waste Biomass Valor 13, 2195–2206 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-021-01646-0

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