Biotechnology:

Single Cell Protein (SCP)

Dr. Zaryab Khalid

 SINGLE CELL PROTEIN

Single-cell protein (SCP) typically refers to sources

of mixed protein extracted from pure or mixed
cultures of algae, yeasts, fungi or bacteria (grown
on agricultural wastes) used as a substitute for
protein-rich foods, in human and animal feeds.
 Need of SCP
• Most of the developing countries of the world are
facing a major problem of malnutrition.
•Due to rapid growth in the population, deficiency of
protein and nutrients are seen in human food and animal
feed.
• Predictions of future protein shortages have urged
research on non-agricultural methods of protein
production.
•As a result, certain types of high protein products
suitable for feeding to livestock and fish are now
produced on an industrial scale.
 Need of SCP
 Single cell proteins have application in animal
nutrition as: fattening calves, poultry, pigs and fish
breeding.
 In food it is used as : aroma carriers, vitamin
carrier, emulsifying aids and to improve the
nutritive value of baked products, in soups, in
ready-to-serve-meals, in diet recipes and in the
technical field in paper processing, leather
processing and as foam stabilizers.
 Why Microbial System
The development of microbial systems for use in
food industry involves

 Firstly, growth of microorganism is very much

faster than of animals.
 Secondly, a broader range of materials may be
considered as suitable substrates depending on the
microorganism chosen.
 Modes Of SCP Production

Cultivation of Single Cell Protein

There are two types of fermentation processes which

are used for production of single cell protein namely

•Submerged fermentation
•Semisolid state fermentation
 Submerged Fermentation
 In the submerged process, the substrate/basal
medium used for fermentation is always in liquid
state which contains the nutrients needed for
growth.
 The fermenter which contains the substrate is
operated continuously and the product biomass is
continuously harvested from the fermenter by
using different techniques then the product is
filtered or centrifuged and then dried.
 Semisolid Fermentation
 In semisolid fermentation, the preparation of the
substrate is not confirmed; it is also mostly used in
solid state e.g. cassava waste.
 Submerged culture fermentations require more capital
investment and have high operating cost.
 The cultivation involves many operations which
include stirring and mixing of a multiphase system,
transport of oxygen from the gas bubbles through the
liquid phase to the microorganisms and the process of
heat transfer from liquid phase to the surroundings
SCP Derived from High Energy REsources

 Materials with high commercial value

 As energy sources or derivatives of such

chemicals e.g., gas oil, methane, methanol,
and n-alkanes have found wide
commercial interest.
 Microbes

 The microbes involved are mostly bacteria

and yeast, and several processes are now in
operation.
 Most oil companies have been or are still
involved in this field.
 The wisdom of using such high-energy
potential compounds for food production has
been questioned by many scientists.
 Methane and Methanol
 Methane as a SCP  In contrast, Methanol
source has been offers great economic
extensively SCP interest.
researched but is A large-scale
now considered to fermentation plant for
present too many producing the methanol-
technical utilising bacterium
difficulties to Methylophilus
warrant methylotrophus was
exploitation. constructed by ICI, UK.
ICI SCP protein

The ICI SCP protein was

used exclusively for
animal feeding.
 Methanol as a carbon source
for SCP
 Methanol as a carbon source for SCP has
many inherent advantages over n-
paraffins, methane gas and even
carbohydrates composition is independent
of seasonal fluctuations.
 There are no possible sources of toxicity
in methanol; methanol dissolves easily in
the aqueous phase in all concentrations.
 Western world

 The ICI Protein plant was the only process of

its kind in the Western world but could not
operate economically at present due to
methanol prices and has ceased production.
 Methanol represents approximately 50% of
the costs of the product.
 COST OF SCP
 In the USA  In the Middle East
 The cost of SCP derived  The low cost of methanol and
from methanol is two- to higher costs of fishmeal
five- folds the cost of coupled with a need to
fishmeal. produce more animal products
could make SCP an attractive
proposition.
 Human Consumption.

 Ethanol is a particular  The use of n-alkanes as

suitable source if the SCP substrate for SCP has been
is intended for human extensively studied many
consumption. countries and represents a
very complex
biotechnological process.
 Suspected health hazards
 Carcinogens  Alcohol- based SCP
 However, most of these  The massive technology
processes have now ceased developed in this field in Japan
operation because of and other Eastern countries has
suspected health hazards been turned over to the study of
resulting from the presence alcohol- based SCP and SCP
of carcinogens in the SCP. form organic wastes.
• In the foreseeable future th
e comparative status of eth
anol SCP will depend on l Future of SCP
ocal factors:
• over-capacity in ethylen
e crackers,
• agricultural carbohydrat
es surpluses and Local Factors
• political decisions about
regional economic inde
pendence and
• foreign trade balances.
 Production of Single Cell Protein from
Saccharomyces cerevisiae by utilizing Fruit
Wastes

Saccharomyces cerevisiae was grown on

various fruit wastes such as banana skin,
mango waste, sweet orange peel, and apple
waste for the production of single cell protein.
The protein from microbes is
•cheap,
•easy to obtain in crude form,
•nutritive
•can be made available as a food
•feed additive to increase its nutritional value.
•A comparative study of fruit wastes revealed that
banana skin generates highest amount of protein,
PRODUCTION OF SINGLE CELL PROTEIN
FROM PINEAPPLE WASTE USING YEAST

•The worldwide food protein deficiency is becoming alarming day

by day and with the fast growing population of world, pressure is
exerted on the feed industry to produce enough animal feed to
meet the region’s nutritional requirements.
•Single-Cell Protein (SCP) represents microbial cells (primary) grown
in mass culture and harvested for use as protein sources in foods or
animal feeds.
•pineapple waste was used as sole carbon source in five
concentrations for preparation of fermentation media on which
two strains of yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida
tropicalis were grown.
•The increased concentration of pineapple hydrolysate enhanced
the biomass yield and the protein formation within the yeast
cells.
•Lower carbon utilization by the two yeast strains occurred in the
waste containing media, as compared to control, increasing the
economic value of the waste obtained after 7-day fermentation.
•The present finding helps in SCP production from cheap,
inexpensive agro waste material
 UTILIZATION OF FRUIT WASTES IN PRODUCING
SINGLE CELL PROTEIN

•cucumber and orange peels were evaluated for the production

of cell protein using Saccharomyces cerevisiae by submerged
fermentation
•It was found that wastes were highly susceptible to hydrolysis.

• A comparative study of fruit wastes revealed that cucumber

peel generates higher amount of protein followed by that of
orange with 53.4% and 30.5% crude protein respectively per 100
gm of substrate used.
•Percentage of protein in single cell protein was much lower
(17.47%) when Saccharomyces cerevisiae was grown on
supplemented fruit hydrolysate medium that contained inorganic
nitrogen sources but devoid of glucose.
•Addition
of glucose to the supplemented fruit hydrolysate
medium enhanced the protein content (60.31%) within the yeast
cell.
•Thus,the single cell protein production by yeast depends on the
growth substrates or media composition.
 SCP from Lignocellulose
Mushrooms
 The lignocellulosic wastes, mainly from agriculture, constitute the
most abundant substrate for SCP which is also renewable.
 The world annual production of straw for example reaches 600
million tons every year.
 In Greece, the straw from wheat and rye, the two most important
cereals, is an estimated 1.5 million tons per year.
 For the utilisation of lignocellulose, a pre-treatment is usually
necessary.
 Many pre-treatment methods have been reported which vary
from alkali or acid treatment, steam explotion or even x-ray
radiation.
Agricultural Crops

 Agricultural crops are plants that are grown or

intentionally managed by man for certain purposes.
 They are classified using various terms worldwide.
e.g. cash crops, fruit crops, staple crops etc.
 Examples: wheat, rice, cotton, vegetables, fruits etc
Agricultural Wastes
 Agricultural activities and food industry generate
considerable quantities of wastes which are rich in
organic matter and could constitute new materials for
value added products.
 Agricultural wastes are useful substrate for
production of microbial protein, but must meet the
following criteria; it
 should be non toxic, abundant, totally regenerable,
 non-exotic, cheap and able to support rapid growth
and multiplication of the organisms resulting in high
quality biomass.
 A large quantity of solid waste is generated from fruit
processing industries.
 The orange peels hold a range of carbohydrate polymers; makes
it idyllic as a source of renewable energy through anaerobic
digestion
 Apple pomace, including peels and seeds constitute 25–35% of
the quantity of the processed apples.
 Similarly, potatoes are one of the most important staple crops
for human consumption. Potato peels are good sources of
quality plant carbohydrate.
 The usage of such wastes as a sole carbon and nitrogen source
for the production of SCP by microorganisms could be simply
attributed to their presence in nature on large scale and their
cheap cost.
SCP Production Process
Following basic steps are involved in the SCP production
1. Preparation/Selection of suitable strain:
 Important step because quality of proteins depends
totally on the microbe (used for the production of SCP)
 Care should be taken that the selected strain should not
produce any toxic or undesirable effects
2. Fermentation/ Cultivation of suitable strain of
microorganism:
 Carried out in fermentor (equipped with aerator,
thermostat, pH etc) or in Ponds
3. Prevention of Contaminations
4. Harvesting:
 When colonies of microbes are fully developed
 Bulk of cell are removed from the fermenter by
decantation
5. Post Harvest Treatment:
 After harvesting cell are subjected to a variety of
processes
 Post harvesting treatments includes steps like
separation by centrifuge, washing, drying etc
6. PROCESSING for food:
It includes
i. Liberation of cell proteins by destruction of
indigestible cell wall
A. Mechanical Method: crushing, crumbling, grinding,
pressure homogenization etc
B. Chemical Method:
> enzymes & salts are used to digest/ disrupt the cell
wall
> salts like NaCl, Sodium dodecyl sulfate etc whereas
nuclease enzymes are used
C. Physical Method: freeze-thaw, osmotic shock, heating
& drying
ii. REDUCTION of nucleic acid content:
 Chemical & enzymatic treatments are preferred
 Chemical used are acidified alcohol, salts, acids &
alkalies.
 Use of such chemicals lead to formation of lygino-
alanine which cause hypersensitivity skin reactions
 Aeration is an important operation in the cultivation
 Heat is generated during cultivation and it is removed
by using a cooling device.
 The microbial biomass can be harvested by various
methods.
 Single cell organisms like yeast and bacteria are
recovered by centrifugation
 While filamentous fungi are recovered by filtration.
 It is important to recover as much water as possible
prior to final drying done under clean and hygienic
conditions.
Production of SCP

SCP from WOOD

 Cellulose from natural sources & waste wood is an
attractive starting material for SCP production
because of its abundance.
 The association of cellulose with lignin in wood
makes it intractable to microbial degradation.
 Thermal & chemical pretreatment, used in
combination with enzymatic hydrolysis, is usually
required.
SCP from Carbohydrates

 Whole milk whey or deproteinised whey is a

carbohydrates source, which creates
disposal problem
 Most organisms do not grow on the lactose
as a carbon source
 Strains of yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus
readily grow on lactose
Single Cell Protein From Algae, Fungi And Bacteria

Raw Materials
Production of SCP requires micro-organisms tha
t serve as the protein source and the substrate that
is biomass on which they grow.
There is a variety of the sources that can be use
d for the production of SCP.
The biomass used can be plant biomass or organ
ic biomass.
The micro-organisms used belong to the group o
f Algae, Fungi and Bacteria.
A list of the micro-organisms used for SCP production

Fungi
Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus niger
Rhizopus cyclopium
Yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisae
Candida tropicalis FUNGI YEAST
Candida utilis
Algae
Spirulina sps.
Chlorella pyrenoidosa
Chondrus crispus
Bacteria
Pseudomonas fluroescens
Lactobacillus
Bacillus megaterium ALGAE BACTERIA
COMPARISION OF MICRO-ORGANISMS
ADVANTAGES DIS ADVANTAGES

FUNGI Easy to grow & harvest Lower growth rates & lower
protein content

ALGAE Easy to grow & harvest & high Non –digestible cellulosic
quality protein cell wall, concentrate heavy
metals

YEAST Larger in size, lower NA Poor digestibility, low

content , familiarity & protein content, slow
acceptability growth rate

BACTERIA High protein content, High NA content, small in

digestible cell wall size, low density
Biomass
Biomass also plays a very important role in the
production of SCP.

Selection of biomass depends on the micro-org

anisms used for the production.

e.g., Algae are cultivated on sewage whereas

Yeast are cultured on agro-industrial wastes.
 Algal Biomass
Algae grows auto-tropical
ly.

Requires low intensity of

light.

Temperature – 35°- 40° C

& pH – 8. 5 -10.5

Cultivated in large trench

es of sewage oxidation po
nds.
Yeast biomass
 Cultivated on agro
industrial wastes such as
molasses, starchy
materials, fruit pulp,
wood pulp, etc.

 Requires a temperature of
30°-34° c & pH of 3.5-
4.5.

 Also requires addition of

inorganic acids & sulphur
supplements in the form
of salts.
Bacterial & Fungal biomass
 Bacteria & fungi
can be grown easily
on a wide range of
substrates.

 They require a
minimum
temperature of 15º-
34ºc & a pH of 5-
7.
FACTORS AFFECTING BIOMASS PRODUCTION

 Illumination time
 Temperature
 pH
 Suitable strains
 Agitation
 Sterile conditions
 Advantages of using Microorganisms

1. Microorganisms grow at very fast rate under optimal co

nditions.
2. Quality and quantity is better than higher plants and ani
mals.
3. Wide range of raw materials can be used.
4. Culture and fermentation conditions are simple.
5. MO can be genetically manipulated.
Spirulina (SCP from CO2)
Common name for human and animal food supplements produced primaril
y from two species of cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae): Art
hrospira platensis, and Arthrospira maxima.Use only CO2 and sunlight.

Used as a human dietary supplement as well as a whole food and is availa

ble in tablet, flake, and powder form.

It is also used as a feed supplement in the aquaculture, aquarium, and poul

try industries.
Bacterial protein is similar to fish protein,
yeast's protein resembles soya and the fungi
protein is somewhat lower than the yeast's.
Of course, microbiological proteins are
deficient in the sulphur amino acids cysteine
and methionine and require supplementation,
while they exhibit better levels of lysine.
IMPLEMENTATIONS OF SCP