SINGLE CELL PROTEIN PRODUCTION FROM PLANTAIN AND BANANA PEELS

Abstract

The fermentative ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to grow and produce biomass protein from pretreated plantain and banana peels as substrate was studied. Plantain peels had a moisture content of 6.95±0.05%, ash (22.33±0.01%), protein (7.10±0.10%), fat (6.18±0.04%), crude fibre (13.99±0.20%) and carbohydrate (43.45±0.10%). The banana peels had corresponding values of 6.70±0.00%, 8.45±0.02%, 4.90±0.05%, 1.65±0.01%, 11.70±0.10% and 66.60±0.70% in that order. During fermentation the pH decreased from 4.1 to 2.3 and 2.5 in the plantain and banana peel media, while the titratable acidity increased from 0.7 to 4.1 and 3.5 in the plantain and banana peel media respectively. There was a higher yield of biomass with the plantain peels which gave a maximum cell density of 2.973 (OD) on the 7th day compared to the banana peels which reached the peak on the 7th day with a maximum cell density of 2.492.The yeast population increased during the fermentation period from 6.69Log10cfu/ml to 7.58Log10cfu/ml in the plantain and 6.69Log10cfu/ml to 7.53Log10cfu/ml in banana peel media respectively. The dry mass of S. cerevisiae harvested from plantain and banana peel medium per 100 ml were 2.71±0.01g and 4.28±0.06g with protein contents of 13.95±0.71% and 11.70±0.50% with plantain peel media having the higher yield