Optimization of Aspergillus sp. growth on prepared agricultural wastes media and evaluation of its morphological changes and production of single cell protein

Abstract

Waste management is a major problem faced by all countries of the world, and it has received increasing attention with regard to converting agricultural waste into environmentally and industrially useful forms. In this research waste of some agricultural crops was used to the composition of fungal growth media with developmental and taxonomic characteristics, it was used to grow Aspergillus species with metabolic and industrial capacity ability: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus avenaceus, and optimization of its growth conditions were applied, such as texture, temperature, and pH. The results of the research showed the ability of the species to grow in media based on agricultural waste, its qualitative morphological characteristics, its preference in general for the medium containing fibers and at an incubation temperature of 28 ºC, and its preference for the pH range 5-5.6. The superiority of the medium of agricultural residues over the commercial medium in stimulating the production of high fungal biomass was shown, as Aspergillus avenaceus gave the highest value for the mycelium weight than the rest of the species as it reached (1.14 ± 0.09 g). All results showed statistically significant differences (0.05) between the species grown on the medium of agricultural residues compared to the commercial medium as a control