Watermelon Peel Research Articles

Tailored design of food waste hydrochar for efficient adsorption and catalytic degradation of refractory organic contaminant

Custom-designed carbonaceous adsorbent/catalyst from ‘green’ sources with desired functionalities under science-informed conditions is indispensable to promote the sustainable industrial wastewater treatment. In this study, we prepared hydrochar by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of three types of pre-consumer food waste (i.e., lettuce, taro, and watermelon peel) with different components at various temperatures (i.e., 180–240 °C). The performance of food waste hydrochar was examined through the adsorptive removal and peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-initiated catalytic degradation of a representative, recalcitrant organic contaminant, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). The LHC180−240 derived from fibre-rich lettuce manifested a substantial 2,4-D adsorption (77.4–88.4 mg g−1) possibly due to intensive partitioning and/or chemisorption, which were dependent on the mesoporous carbon structure with low aromaticity and abundant C–O functional groups. In comparison, HTC of starch-rich taro at a relatively low temperature (200 °C) produced the THC200 that displayed a superior catalytic ability (73.5 mg g−1) probably owing to a highly graphitized C domain with low polarity and enriched ketonic (CO) functionality, which might facilitate radical/non-radical PMS activation. Interestingly, the WHC180−240 produced from watermelon peel with moderate-level carbohydrates and low-fibre content presented an improved structure and functional groups (i.e., C–O and CO), but inhibited the PMS activation for 2,4-D degradation possibly due to interference by its inherent dissolved organic matter (1.13–2.26 wt.%). This study provided insightful guidance for tailoring future design of multifunctional hydrochar adsorbent/catalyst for sustainable remediation.

Effect of potential prebiotics from selected fruits peel on the growth of probiotics

This study aims to evaluate the potential prebiotic compounds of yellow watermelon, honeydew, and papaya peels by studying their effects on probiotics namely Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Comparing three peel higher growth for L. rhamnosus and B. bifidum bacteria found from watermelon and honeydew which are 9.90 and 9.82 (log CFU/g dry extract) after 48 hr. Yellow watermelon peel extract also showed significantly higher amounts of indigestible polysaccharides (104.50 mg/g) than the other two peels. Glucose and fructose were the major reducing sugar present with a total of 340.34, 465.25, and 212.25 mg/g of dry peel extracts from yellow watermelon, honeydew and papaya respectively. Honeydew and yellow watermelon peel extract showed the highest hydrolysis of 13.80% and 13.68% and 11.27% and 10.53% to artificial human gastric juice and α-amylase digestion, respectively. The results indicated that among three fruit peels yellow watermelon peel shows high prebiotic potentiality. Practical applications This study found fruit peels contain a reasonably high amount of potential prebiotic compounds. The polysaccharide extracts of the peel showed a significant effect in stimulating the growth of L. rhamnosus and B. bifidum compared with the controlled study within 48 hr, where polysaccharide extract of yellow watermelon peel proving the most effective because it was able to significantly increase the probiotic bacteria count within 24 hr. In brief, yellow watermelon peel possessed the best prebiotic potential due to its high yield, quick effect in stimulating the growth of probiotic bacteria, high amount of reducing sugar, and indigestible non-starch polysaccharide while also resist digestion by gastric juice and α-amylase.

Comparing the Chemical Characteristics of Pectin Isolated from Various Indonesian Fruit Peels

The Indonesian pectin manufacturing industry is underdeveloped, and pectin is imported to meet its increasing demand; we attempted to isolate pectins from various fruit peels, such as orange peel (OP), papaya peel (PP), mango peel (MP), watermelon peel (WP), and chayote peel (CP) and investigated their chemical characteristics (equivalent weight of the extracted pectins and their moisture, ash, methoxyl, and galacturonic acid (GA) contents). Acid extraction, purification, precipitation, and drying processes were used to process the isolated pectins. We examined their chemical properties for conformance to quality standards advised by the International Pectin Producers Association (IPPA). The moisture (except OP pectin) and ash contents (except PP pectin) of the extracted pectins were within the limit set by IPPA. However, the equivalent weight (W eq) of any of the isolated pectins did not satisfy IPPA standards. The methoxyl contents of the pectins isolated from OP, WP, and CP satisfied IPPA standards. High methoxyl pectins were isolated from PP and MP. The galacturonic acid contents of the isolated pectins were higher than the acceptable limit of the GA level. Thus, OP, PP, MP, WP, and CP are potential sources of pectin.

Optimization of Fruit Garbage Enzymes Requirements for Biocatalytic Remediation of Used Motor Oil-Contaminated Soil

Objectives : In this research work, we investigated the biocatalytic potency of orange and watermelon garbage enzymes in the remediation of used motor oil-contaminated soils. The optimization of the biocatalytic remediation process was evaluated through D-optimal of response surface methodology (RSM) design of design expert.Methods : The optimization of the biocatalytic process was evaluated with D-optimal model of response surface methodology (RSM) design, where input variables in the system were garbage enzymes solutions of orange and watermelon peels (biocatalysts) and two different pollution levels. The two levels of pollution factor considered were 5 and 10 % (w/w) oil pollution levels and used as independent variables; while the response of the system was in oil and grease (O&G) removal as dependent variables that were monitored under 6-week remediation process.Results and Discussion : The result indicated that the model was highly significant and good predictors of the response fate of oil and grease (O&G) removal by the orange and watermelon garbage enzymes, as indicated by their coefficients of determination: R2 = 0.90627 and R2 = 0.88365 at p < 0.05, respectively. Therefore, it was observed from the numerical optimization carried out that 54.2 and 53.8 % O&G removal was achieved with orange garbage enzymes at 5 and 10 % pollution level respectively after six weeks. On the other hand, 54.7 and 55.2 % O&G removal was accomplished with the same pollution level respectively under the influence of watermelon garbage enzymes after six weeks of the remediation process.Conclusion : In response to what was achieved in this research work, the enzymes produced from the orange and watermelon garbage removed oil in terms of O&G from used motor oil-contaminated soils biocatalytically and hence could be applied in the remediation of oil contaminated soils.

Utilization of watermelon peel as a pectin source and the effect of ultrasound treatment on pectin film properties

The objectives of this study were to prepare a biofilm from watermelon peel pectin and to improve the commercial value and performance of the pectin film using ultrasound treatment. The results showed that ultrasound treatment decreased the particle size and turbidity of the film-forming solutions and changed the rheological properties, including a decrease in the viscosity, storage modulus (G′), and loss modulus (G″), and an increase in the phase angle. The digital photos and micrographs of films showed that the watermelon peel pectin had good film-forming properties. A low ultrasonic treatment time (<10 min) dispersed the pectin molecules and increased the hydrogen bonding interactions, as shown by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). This caused the thickness, oxygen permeability (OP), water vapor permeability (WVP), transmittance, and tensile strength (TS) to decrease and the density and elongation at break (EAB) to increase; however, the physical, barrier, and mechanical properties declined when the ultrasonic treatment time was increased to 15 min due to small cavities in the film matrix formed by cavitation effects. These results suggest that the developed biodegradable films can be used as food-grade edible films and may potentially replace existing conventional synthetic plastic packages.

Realizing high-performance and low-cost lithium-ion capacitor by regulating kinetic matching between ternary nickel cobalt phosphate microspheres anode with ultralong-life and super-rate performance and watermelon peel biomass-derived carbon cathode

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are emerging as one of the most advanced energy storage devices by combining the virtues of both supercapacitors (SCs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the kinetic and capacity mismatch between anode and cathode is the main obstacle to wide applications of LICs. Therefore, the effective strategy of constructing a high-performance LIC is to improve the rate and cycle performance of the anode and the specific capacity of the cathode. Herein, the nickel cobalt phosphate (NiCoP) microspheres anode is demonstrated with robust structural integrity, high electrical conductivity, and fast kinetic feature. Simultaneously, the watermelon-peel biomass-derived carbon (WPBC) cathode is demonstrated a sustainable synthesis strategy with high specific capacity. As expected, the NiCoP exhibits high specific capacities (567 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), superior rate performance (300 mAh g−1 at 1A g−1), and excellent cycle stability (58 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 15,000 cycles). The WPBC possesses a high specific surface area (SSA) of 3303.6 m2 g−1 and a high specific capacity of 226 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1. Encouragingly, the NiCoP//WPBC-6 LIC device can deliver high energy density (ED) of 127.4 ± 3.3 and 67 ± 3.8Wh kg−1 at power density (PD) of 190 and 18240 W kg−1 (76.4% capacity retention after 7000 cycles), respectively.

Active-intelligent film based on pectin from watermelon peel containing beetroot extract to monitor the freshness of packaged chilled beef

We prepared a pH-sensitive indicator film incorporating beetroot extract (BTE, 0, 1, 2, and 3%, w/w) encapsulated in pectin from watermelon peel (WMP) to monitor quality changes of chilled beef during storage. The results showed that a low BTE content (up to 2%) led to a reduction of oxygen permeability (OP) and water vapor permeability (WVP) and an improvement of mechanical properties. The light transmittance of WMP/BTE films decreased and the thermal stability improved with increasing BTE content. Therefore, a film containing 2% BTE (WMP/BTE2) exhibited the best performance. The release of BTE from the WMP film was controlled by diffusion. In addition to good color stability at natural conditions, the WMP/BTE2 film displayed a colorimetric response at a wide range (3–10) of pH values. The color of the WMP/BTE2 film changed from pink (day 0) to brown (day 8) which was associated with the spoilage of the chilled beef. The above results indicate that WMP/BTE2 has great potential in monitoring the quality of chilled beef.

Biocatalytic remediation of used motor oil-contaminated soil by fruit garbage enzymes

This work was aimed to utilise biocatalysts―enzymes derived from organic wastes mainly comprised of fruit garbage for remediation of used motor oil-contaminated soils. The fruit garbage used were orange and watermelon peels, which were allowed to ferment for 90 days for the derivation of enzymes. The enzymes identified in the extract solutions of the fruit garbage were protease, catalase, lipase, and amylase. Soils collected from the uncontaminated field were amended with used motor-oil at 5% and 10% (w/w) contamination levels. The amended soils were allowed to homogenise for 2 weeks before the experiment. The enzyme working concentrations were derived from Design Expert 7.0.0. matrix for 5% and 10% used motor-oil contamination levels as 0, 1, 5.43, 7.75% and 10% for 5% used motor-oil contamination level and 0%, 1%, 3.28%, 6.62%, and 10% for 10% used motor-oil contamination level. The experiment was run for six weeks. The minimum and maximum of 47% and 58% removal of oil and grease by orange garbage enzymes were recorded at 5% and 10% contamination levels, respectively at the end of six weeks experiment. Similarly, 41% and 52% removal of oil and grease were achieved with watermelon garbage enzymes at 5% and 10% contamination levels, respectively. Also, 62% and 74% of oil was biocatalytically removed in terms of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) by orange garbage enzymes at 5% and 10% contamination levels, respectively. In contrast, watermelon garbage enzymes showed an overall TOC removal efficiency of 45% and 39% for oil contamination levels of 5% and 10%, respectively. The differences observed in the biocatalytic remediation activities of the applied fruit garbage enzymes might be due to the difference in composition of the garbage enzymes. However, despite the differences in their enzymatic compositions, it is evident that extract solutions of fruit garbage enzymes of both orange and watermelon have the potential to remove oil from soil and hence could be applied for biocatalytic remediation of oil-contaminated soils.

THE EFFECT OF WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus) RIND ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON THE NUMBER OF LEYDIG, SERTOLI, AND SPERMATOGENIC CELLS OF RAT (Rattus novergicus) EXPOSED TO HEAT

High temperatures lead to oxidative stress, which can disturb spermatogenesis process. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) peel contain antioxidant expected to compensate oxidative stress due to heat stress exposure. This study aimed to determine the effect of watermelon rind ethanolic extract on the number of Leydig, Sertoli, and spermatogenic cells of rats exposed to heat (40°C). Twenty rats (Rattus norvegicus) were divided randomly into five groups. In the control group (T0) rats were not exposed to heat nor given the watermelon rind extract. T1, T2, T3, and T4 groups were exposed to heat for an hour daily and orally given placebo (1% Na CMC), 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg BW of watermelon rind extract (in 1% Na CMC). Rats were treated for 52 days, and sacrificed for the testicle collection. Hematoxylin-eosin stained histological slides were prepared for the examination of Leydig, Sertoli and spermatogenic cells. The results showed no significant difference (p &gt;0.05) in the average number of Leydig cells in rats among groups. The number of Sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells of rats exposed to heat (T1) was lower than those of the normal rats (T0 group). The dose of watermelon rind ethanolic extract at 200 mg/kg BW (T3 group) and 400 mg/kg BW (T4) increased (p &lt;0.05) the number of Sertoli and spermatogenic cells. It could be concluded that a dose of 400mg/kg BW of watermelon rind ethanolic extract maintained the number of Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, and spermatogenic cells of rats exposed to heat.

Watermelon Peel‐Derived Heteroatom‐Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon as a High‐Performance Electrode Material for Supercapacitors

AbstractThis work presents for the first time the systematic characterization and excellent supercapacitor performance of heteroatom‐doped porous carbon materials (HPC) synthesized by direct pyrolysis of watermelon peel and urea via molten salt template route in air with non‐toxic activating agent. The molten salt not only protects the derived carbon from burning during high‐temperature pyrolysis, but can also be etched to generate abundant hierarchical pores in the final products. The obtained HPC exhibits a high specific surface area of 1660 m2 g−1 and shows high specific capacitances of up to 278 F g−1 in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. The symmetrical device also demonstrates a remarkable specific capacitance of up to 226 F g−1 and ultrahigh initial capacitance retention of 98 % after 10,000 cycles of charge/discharge at the current density of 10 A g−1. The porous carbon produced via this green chemical activation route demonstrates great potential as electrode materials in supercapacitor.

Improvement of Mechanical and Flame Retardant Properties of Natural Rubber by Eco-friendly Watermelon Peel and Crumb Rubber

This work aimed to investigate the suitability of using watermelon peels powder (WPP) and crumb rubber (CR) as alternatives to fillers flame retardant chemicals to reduce cost. The new composites of natural rubber (NR) and watermelon peels powder (0, 5, 10 phr) were produced by mixing them in the presence of crumb rubber powder loaded (0, 5, 10 phr). The structure of the composites was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) were used to investigate the morphology of the NR composites. The mechanical properties, such as tensile strength (TS) and elongation (E%) were measured. The contact angles of deionized water (DIW) and glycerol (GL) drops on the NR composite surface were measured. The combustion analysis of the NR composites was tested using differential thermal analysis (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), and flame chamber (UL-94) according to standards. The results indicated the effect of the WPP in mechanical properties and combustion analysis for the NR composites when blended with different weight % of CR.

Optical and structural studies on bio-synthesized ZnO using Citrullus lanatus peel extract

Bio-fabrication of ZnO films using plants, enzymes, and microorganisms has been recognized as an environmentally friendly procedure as an alternative to physical and chemical methods. In this research, the optical and structural properties of ZnO thin film have been investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), respectively. The ZnO films was prepared by spin-coating the mixed solution of Zn(NO3)2 and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) peel extract on glass substrate. The ZnO films were then annealed at 400°C for 3h. The UV-Vis absorbance spectra show the strong absorption peaks occurs over a range of wavelengths of 220-380nm, and 190-235 nm for pre-annealed and annealed samples, respectively. The optical band gap of the samples was influenced by the heat treatment. The as-prepared samples synthesized at pH 8 is 3.73 eV and increased up to 5.4 eV after annealed at 400 °C for 3 h. This result suggested that pre-annealed sample has better photocatalytic activity compared to the annealed samples. The XRD pattern of the ZnO films exhibits the ZnO diffraction peaks that correspond to the hkl of hexagonal wurtzite structure. SEM image shows that the morphology of ZnO samples are spherical and rod-like microstructure.

Daya Hambat Ekstrak Kulit Semangka (Citrullus lanatus) Terhadap Pertumbuhan Candida albicans

Candida albicans is normal flora found in the oral mucosa in healthy individuals but has opportunistic pathogenic properties. The change in the oral cavity's environmental conditions can cause C. albicans to turn into a pathogen and cause oral candidiasis. Antifungal drugs that are common used for the treatment of oral candidiasis are topical nystatin preparations. Nystatin is an antifungal drug from the polyene group produced by Streptomyces noursei, which is thought to be very effective in treating diseases caused by C. albicans with a success rate 79.6 - 87.5%. The previous study showed that watermelon peel extract contains active compounds of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. The active compound is known to have antifungal activity. The study aimed to determine the ability of watermelon peel extract to inhibit the growth of C. albicans. The type of research conducted is experimental laboratories using the post-test only control group design. The observations in this study about the inhibitory power of watermelon rind extract (Citrullus lanatus) on the growth of C. albicans showed that there were inhibitory zones of watermelon skin extract on the growth of C. albicans.

Biochar Nanocomposite Derived from Watermelon Peels for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

Water splitting is the most potential method to produce hydrogen energy, however, the conventional electrocatalysts encounter the hindrances of high overpotential and low hydrogen production efficiency. Herein, we report a carbon-based nanocomposite (denoted as CCW-x, x stands for the calcination temperature) derived from watermelon peels and CoCl2, and the as-synthesized CCW-x is used as the electrocatalyst. The overpotential and the Tafel slope of CCW-700 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is 237 mV at 10 mA cm–2 and 69.8 mV dec–1, respectively, both of which are lower than those of commercial RuO2. For hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the overpotential of CCW-700 (111 mV) is higher than that of the widely studied Pt/C (73 mV) but still lower than those of lots of carbon-based nanomaterials (122–177 mV). In the light of CCW-700 is highly active for both OER and HER, we assembled a water-splitting electrocatalyst by employing nickel foam loaded with CCW-700 as the anode and cathode in 1 M KOH. The water-splitting voltage is only 1.54 V for the CCW-700//CCW-700 electrodes and 1.62 V for the RuO2//Pt/C ones. Therefore, the so-denoted CCW-x powder possesses good electrocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency.

Kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic studies of untreated watermelon peels for removal of copper(II) from aqueous solution

Kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic studies of untreated watermelon peels for removal of copper(II) from aqueous solution

Production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by a novel Klebsiella pneumoniae strain using low-cost media from fruit peel residues

Plastics are widely used for various applications. Once discarded, it is commonly known that they represent a high environmental threat due to their slow degradation; for this reason, there is an imminent need to replace these products with eco-friendlier ones. In the present work, four bacterial polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producers, two consortia, and two isolated strains were successfully recovered from the facilities of a paper-manufacturing industry. Spectroscopic studies of the biopolymers obtained from these bacteria corroborated their PHB production capabilities, ranging from 4.04 ± 0.16 to 23.82 ± 3.39 g/L. The characterization of the isolate that presented the highest production yield initially coded as E22 led to the identification of a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain, which, compared with other PHA bacterial producers reported to date, could be considered with high production potential. The strain E22 was grown in 5 different media prepared from fruit peel residues of banana, orange, papaya, watermelon, and melon, to determine its growth and PHA production capabilities in these low-cost media. The results obtained show different bacterial growth yields among the media tested, although PHB production yields and productivities were similar in all these low-cost media. Cellular accumulation of the biopolymer was higher in watermelon peel medium (8.4 × 10−10 g/CFU). These results reveal the potential of K. pneumoniae E22 for PHB production applications and establish encouraging alternatives to be broader explored regarding low-cost media that could enhance the scale-up of bacterial PHA production processes.

Simplistic two-step fabrication of porous carbon-based biomass-derived electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

The development of novel, efficient, durable and cheap electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by electrochemical water-splitting is pivotal to solving the persisting energy problem related to hydrogen utilization as a renewable energy. Thus, Pt-like materials that are efficient, stable and cheap must be fabricated to overcome the commercial challenges facing electrocatalysts. Herein, biomass derived Mo2C/C electrocatalysts based on watermelon peels were fabricated for HER application through a simplistic two step approach and easy pyrolysis procedure. Benefiting from the excellent HER performances, abundant mass transfer of electrons, large surface areas and unique pore sizes of the fabricated Mo2C/C electrocatalysts, Mo2C/C-800 °C required geometrical overpotential of 133 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mAcm-2 in 1.0 M of KOH solution; and further displayed long-term durability process for 300 h. This study therefore introduced a novel approach to designing excellent electrocatalysts from biomass waste for HER application.

Investigation of mechanical properties of jute epoxy composite with fruit waste (Citrullus vulgaris peel) filler for automotive applications

In the current investigation, the mechanical behavior of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) peel nano debris (described as a fruit filler) with different weight composition (0 wt. %, 1 wt. %, 2 wt. %, 2.5 wt. %, 5 wt. %, 7.5 wt. % and 10 wt. %) is reinforced with jute fabric in an epoxy matrix. The effect of filler concentration on tensile, hardness, flexural and impact strength are investigated as per ASTM standards. The findings indicate that the addition of fruit filler improves the mechanical property of jute composite. It is found that the presence of 2.5 wt. % filler in the nanocomposite records the highest value of tensile strength, flexural strength, and hardness of the jute epoxy composite and the 10 wt. % filler nanocomposites achieve a noticeable projection in impact strength. The fracture surfaces are examined for the fiber alignment, fiber-matrix adhesion, voids, filler agglomeration, and fiber fracture. Furthermore, a glass visor was developed to show the best mechanical performing potential and analyzed for deformation behavior and modal analysis using ANSYS.

Effects of dried water melon and sweet orange peel (dwmop) meal mixture on the haematological and serum indices of growing rabbits

The objective of the present study was to evaluate effects of dried water melon and sweet orange peel (dwmop) meal mixture on some haematological and serum indices of growing rabbits. A total of sixty rabbits 7-8 weeks old with an average weight of 630 – 645 g were randomly divided into five (5) dietary treatments with three (3) replicates and four rabbits per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The dietary treatments include a control diet with no DWMOP in (T1), T2 (5.0% DWMOP), T3 (10.0 % DWMOP), T4 (15.0 % DWMOP) and T5 (20.0 % DWMOP) respectively. Feed and water were offered ad libitum throughout the experiment which lasted for 12 weeks. Data obtained were used to evaluate the haematological parameters (PCV, RBC, Hb, MCV, MCH , MCHC, WBC and its differentials ), some serum biochemical indices (Albumin, globulin, total protein, creatinine, bilirubin, AST and ALT). All the haematological parameters measured were significantly (P˂0.05) different among the treatments. Total protein, bilirubin and creatinine values were not significantly (P˃0.05) influenced by DWMOP, however, glucose level and activities of ALP and AST were significantly (P˂0.05) affected by DWMOP. It was concluded that inclusion of DWMOP at 20 % in the diet of rabbits does not have any deleterious effect on the health status of the animal.

Sustainable lipid production from oleaginous fungus Syncephalastrum racemosum using synthetic and watermelon peel waste media

Production of bio-oils was assessed by using two types of media; watermelon peel waste (WPW) medium against synthetic medium as a comparative study. Accordingly, total of 25 fungi were isolated from soil and dung samples. Fortunately, the most promising fungal isolate was reported for the first time in Egypt. Taguchi design was applied to recognize the optimum growth conditions on synthetic medium. Consequently, the optimized synthetic medium could facilitate the accumulation of lipid at 4.4 g/L with lipid content of 28.2% by the strain, corresponding to 5.12 g/L and 29.4% of WPW medium, respectively. Conclusively, Syncephalastrum racemosum is a novel promising oleaginous fungus screened on WPW medium that showed an excellent substitute for a high cost synthetic medium for lipid production. Oil accumulated from a low-cost WPW medium found to have fatty acids with good possibilities to be used as precursors for biodiesel manufacture.