Production of a bioflocculant from Aspergillus niger using palm oil mill effluent as carbon source

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2014-11, Vol.171, p.66-70
• Main Authors: Aljuboori, Ahmad H. Rajab, Uemura, Yoshimitsu, Osman, Noridah Binti, Yusup, Suzana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aspergillus niger; Aspergillus niger - chemistry; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Bioflocculant; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Extracellular biopolymeric substance; Flocculation; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Macromolecular Substances - metabolism; Microbial flocculant; Palm Oil; Palm oil mill effluent; Plant Oils - chemistry; Use and upgrading of agricultural and food by-products. Biotechnology; Waste Products - analysis; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.08.038

•PM-5 is a new bioflocculant produced from Aspergillus niger.•POME was first time used as carbon source for bioflocculant production.•The maximum PM-5 production was 2.6gL−1.•PM-5 had great potential to treat river water from suspended solids.•PM-5 combined with Ca2+ acted as stimulating agent. This study evaluated the potential of bioflocculant production from Aspergillus niger using palm oil mill effluent (POME) as carbon source. The bioflocculant named PM-5 produced by A. niger showed a good flocculating capability and flocculating rate of 76.8% to kaolin suspension could be achieved at 60h of culture time. Glutamic acid was the most favorable nitrogen source for A. niger in bioflocculant production at pH 6 and temperature 35°C. The chemical composition of purified PM-5 was mainly carbohydrate and protein with 66.8% and 31.4%, respectively. Results showed the novel bioflocculant (PM-5) had high potential to treat river water from colloids and 63% of turbidity removal with the present of Ca2+ ion.