RESULT

After 6 days of undergoing submerged fermentation, both inoculum : innovation

inoculum and traditional inoculum turn into dark brown liquid. In both conical flasks, no
biomass was formed. As a result, we cannot weigh the products in both conical flask in order
to differentiate between the products formed from traditional inoculum and innovation
inoculum. We can say that we fail the experiment as we are unable to produce the biomass.

Figure 1 : Both innovation inoculum (left) and

traditional inoculum (right) turn into dark
brown liquid after 6 days of submerged
fermentation
 DISCUSSIONS

After getting results that are different from our expectations, we had identified four
reasons on why we fail to produce the biomass for single cell protein production. First of all,
in this experiment, we were using Saccharomyces cerevisae as the fungal species used to
produce single cell protein. In 2000, Ravindra has stated that this yeast is actually a fast-
growing fungal species but in this experiment, this yeast grew quite slow. Furthermore, we
only inoculated minute amount of this yeast produced from streak-plate technique. As a
result, no biomass is formed in both conical flask after 6 days of undergoing submerged
fermentation. In order to get abundant colony of Saccharomyces cerevisae, we need to
inoculate many colonies from plates to get more biomass produced in inoculum.
Secondly, the failure to produce biomass may be due to incomplete hydrolysis of
starch to glucose molecule. As we all have known, potato which is used as the substrate in
this experiment contains starch which needs to be hydrolysed into glucose in order to be used
as an energy source for single cell protein production. In this experiment, addition of
hydrochloric acid has altered the 3D-shape of enzyme used to hydrolyse starch to glucose
which is known as amylase. As a consequence, the hydrolysis process becomes incomplete
due to altered enzyme shape. (Lin et al., 2005)
Thirdly, by following the methodology, the pH that we recorded before the
fermentation was exactly 5.5. However, Battock et al. (1998) mentioned that yeast is acid-
tolerant species. pH of 4.0 to 4.5 is better for yeast fermentation. Last but not least, lack of
nitrogen source can be one of the reasons why we fail to produce the biomass. Nitrogen
source is important for protein synthesis and sugar transport in single cell protein production.
(Bhalla et al., 2007). Hence, we have to include one substance which can provide nitrogen
source in order to produce single cell protein.
 REFERENCES

A., & Ravindra, P. (2000). Value-added food:. Biotechnology Advances,18(6), 459-479.

doi:10.1016/s0734-9750(00)00045-8

Battcock, M., & Ali, S. A. (1998). Yeast Fermentations. In FERMENTED FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES. A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.(134th ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0560e/x0560e06.htm

B., Chand, T., S., Nand, N., & M. (2007, May 29). Production of Metabolites, Industrial
enzymes, Amino acid, Organic acids, Antibiotics, Vitamins and Single Cell Proteins.
Retrieved from http://nsdl.niscair.res.in/jspui/handle/123456789/129

Lin, J., Lii, C., & Chang, Y. (2005). Change of granular and molecular structures of waxy
maize and potato starches after treated in alcohols with or without hydrochloric
acid. Carbohydrate Polymers ,59(4), 507-515. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2004.11.023