Statistical Optimization of Media Components by Taguchi Design and Response Surface Methodology for Enhanced Production of Anticancer Metabolite by Penicillium sp. JUFP2

Abstract

Penicillium sp. JUFP2, a strain previously isolated from the soil collected from the Agumbe Forest of the Western Ghats, had potential cytotoxicity against Human Cervical Cancer Cell Line HeLa. It was found to be an uncharacterized, potential candidate in the search for novel anticancer drugs, and hence a need to produce bioactive (anticancer) compounds in substantial quantities. One method of accomplishing this is through the optimization of culture conditions including, carbon and nitrogen sources, incubation period, pH and temperature. A combination of techniques comprising of classical one factor at a time (OFAT) approach, statistical Taguchi and Response surface methodology (RSM) approach were used. OFAT technique was used to select the ideal carbon and nitrogen sources, incubation period, pH and temperature from a panel, Taguchi design was used to study the effect of interaction of different factors on enhancement and RSM was used to determine the optimum concentration of each of the factors. Ammonium sulphate, urea and sodium nitrate were found as suitable factors which enhanced both biomass and metabolite production by Taguchi method. From RSM, ammonium sulphate at 0.08 % (w/v), urea at 0.05 % (w/v) and sodium nitrate at 0.05 % (w/v) in the medium with incubation period of 10 days at a pH of 5.5 with Czapek Dox Yeast broth as basal medium was found to produce the highest quantity of biomass and metabolite from Penicillium sp. JUFP2. The bioactive fraction production was found to be significantly enhanced from un-optimized to optimized conditions.