c
 


 c

The worldwide food protein deficiency is becoming alarming day to day. During
World War II, when there were stortages in proteins and vitamins in the diet,
the Germans produced yeasts and a mould (Geotrichumcandidum) in some
quantity for food; this led to the idea to produce edible proteins on a large
scale by means of microorganisms during 1970s. Several industrial giants
investigated the possibility of converting cheap organic materials into protein
using microorganism. Single-Cell Protein (SCP) is a term coined at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Prof C.L. Wilson (1966) and
represents microbial cells (primary) grown in mass culture and harvested for
use as protein sources in foods or animal feeds. Many scientists believe that
single-cell protein production are possible solution to meet out the shortage of
protein.

    




  



  


  


The raw materials that can be used for single-cell protein manufacture include whey, sulphate waste
liquors, hydrocarbon waste from the pet petroleum industry, and the vats used to produce alcoholic
beverages. The production process involves growth of the organisms in large fermenting tanks with
forced aeration for vigorous cell-growth. Manufacture process used by British Petroleum Industry for
single-cell protein from hydrocarbons is represented in Fig. 17.7. Microorganisms and their raw material
used in the production of single-cell protein are listed below :

    




  



c


 


 ¢ 


 ¢  ?

Bacteria Hygrogenomonas, Hydrocarbon wastes
Cellulomonas, Pseudomonas, from petroleum
etc. industry.
Fungi  
Yeasts : Candida spp., Saccharomyces Whey, ethyl alcohol,
fragilis, Torula sp., starches, n-paraffins,
Rhodotorula spp. sulphite waste, etc.
Moulds : Aspergillusterreus, Paper-pulp, starches,
Trichodermareesei, Penicillium coffee wastes, straw,
spp. bassage, etc.
Algae Scenedesmusacutues, In culture ponds.
Scenedesmusacutues,
?
Spirulina, Chlorella
 

 c
 

 ¢
 

(i) Microorganisms grow very vigorously and produce a high yield. It has been calculated that 100 lbs
of yeast produces about 250 tons of protein within 24 hours. Algae grown in ponds produce 20 tons
(dry weight) of protein per acre/year. The yield of protein is 10-15 times higher than soybeans and 20-
50 times higher than corn.

(ii) Industrial wastes or by-products are utilized as raw materials for microorganisms.

(iii) The protein content in the cells of microorganisms is reported to be very high 60% protein in dried
cells of Pseudomonas spp; 40-50% in yeast cells and 20-40% in algal cells have been calculated.

(iv) Yeasts grown in this process possess high vitamin content.

(v) All essential amino acids are contained by single-cell proteins.

?   



 



 

(i) Yeasts show lower

growth rates, lower
 protein and lower
methionine content. (ii)
Moulds also have their
limitations due to lower
growth rates and lower
protein content.

(iii) Algae have cellulose

in their cell walls which
are not digestible. They
also accumulate heavy
metals which may prove
harmful to living beings.

(iv) Since the bacterial

cells are small in size and
have low density, their
harvesting from the
fermented medium
becomes difficult and
costly.

(v) Bacterial cells possess

high nucleic acid content
which may prove
detrimental to human
beings by increasing the
uric acid level in blood.
Additional steps to
overcome this problem
make the production
costly.

  
c

 
¢ 




Microorganisms may be
termed 'primary' when
grown directly for the
purpose in mind and
'secondary' when they
are recovered as a by-
product of a
fermentation.

c


(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.

V

 
 


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c


 c SCP is the name given
to a variety of microbial products, that are produced
by fermentation. When properly produced, this
materials make satisfactory proteinaceous
ingredients for animal feed or human food. The
production of protein from hydrocarbon wastes of
the petroleum industry is the most recent
microbiological industry.

Yeast, fungi, bacteria, and algae are grown on hydrocarbon wastes, and cells are harvested as sources
of protein. It has been calculated that 100 lbs of yeast will produce 250 tons of proteins in 24 hours,
whereas a 1000 lbs steer will synthesize only 1 lb of protein 24 hours and this after consuming 12 to 20
lbs of plant proteins. Similar, algae grown in ponds can produce 20 tons (dry weight) of protein, per
acre, per year.

This yield is 10 to 15 times higher than soybean and?

25 to 50 times higher than corn. There are both
advantages and disadvantages in using
microorganisms for animal or human consumption.
Bacteria are usually high in protein (50 to 80
percent) and have a rapid growth rate. The principal
disadvantages are as follows:

1. Bacterial cells have small size and low density, which makes harvesting from the fermented medium
difficult and costly.
2. Bacterial cells have high nucleic acid content relative to yeast and fungi This can be detrimental to
human beings, tending to increase the uric acid level in blood. This may cause uric acid poising or gout.
To decrease the nucleic acid level additional processing step has to be introduced, and this increases
the cost.

3. The general public thinking is that all bacteria are harmful and produce disease. An extensive
education programme is1required to remove this misconception and to make the public accept bacterial
protein.

? Yeasts have as advantages their larger size (easier

to harvest), lower nucleic add content, high lysine
content and ability to grow at acid pH. However the
most important advantage is familiarity and
acceptability because of the long history of its use
in traditional fermentations. Disadvantages include
lower growth rates, lower protein content (45 to 65
per cent), and lower methionine content than in
bacteria.

Filamentous fungi have advantages .in ease of harvesting, but have their limitations in lower growth
rates, lower protein content, and acceptability. Algae have disadvantages of having cellulosic cell walls
which are not digested by human beings. Secondly, they also concentrate heavy metals.

Single cell protein basically comprises proteins, fats carbohydrates, ash ingredients, water, and other
elements such as phosphorus and Potassium. The composition depends upon the organism and the
substrate which it grows. some typical compositions which are compared with soymeal and fish meal. If
SCP is to be used successfully, there are five main criteria to be satisfied;

1. The SCP must be safe to eat.

2. The nutritional value dependent on the amino acid composition must be high.

3. It must be acceptable to the general public.

4. It must have the functionality, i.e. characteristics, which are found in common staple foods.

5. The economic viability of the SCP process is extremely complex and is yet to be demonstrated
? c
  


c 
 -
Regardless of the type
of substrate or
organism employed,
the production of SCP
involves following basic
steps:
(i) preparation of
suitable medium with
suitable carbon source;
(ii) prevention of
contamination of
medium and the plant;
(iii) production of the
desired micro
organism;
(iv) separation of
microbial biomass and
its processing.
The medium for SCP
production varies
according to the micro
organism. Among other
things, the medium
must contain a carbon
source for cultivating
the heterotrophic micro
organisms, although
green algae (Chlorella,
Scenedesmus,
Spirulina, etc.) can be
cultivated
autographically without
a dissolved carbon
source.

The carbon sources for heterotrophic organisms can be divided into two groups, namely fossil and
renewable. Fossil carbon sources include n-alkanes, gaseous hydrocarbons, methanol, ethanol, etc. and
the renewable sources include CO2 molasses, whey, polysaccharide hydrolysates, effluents (of
breweries, distilleries, confectioneries industries, potato and canning industries and wood pulp
industries) or other solid substrates. In most of the industrial establishments, n-alkanes appear to be
preferred carbon source.

In addition to the alkane fraction, salts of pol-, K+, Mi+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Fe2+ and gaseous ammonia (as
source of nitrogen) are also added for cultivating many microorganisms including
Saccharomycopsislipolytica.

Production of mushrooms (fruiting bodies of higher fungi) has also acquired?

importance in several countries in recent years, since it is considered to be a
delicacy for human food. These are cultured on solid substrates which range
from straw and composted straw to pieces of wood and sawdust.

World production of the common type of mushroom exceeds 106 tonnes per
year. At the University of Waterloo (Canada), success has been achieved in
initiating a new project where the fungus Chaetomiumcellulyticum is cultured on
a variety of agricultural and forestry wastes.
In most of the industrial systems for biomass production, it is desirable to keep
the medium and the plant free from contamination. The circulating air and the
gaseous components of the medium (NH3' CO2, etc.) are sterilized by passing
through filters. Other components are sterilized by steam, in most cases. The
fermentation equipment is also sterilized.

The desired microorganism is cultured on the medium under dean conditions. The organism to be
cultured on the medium must have the following basic properties:
(i) it should be non pathogenic to plants, animals and to humans;
(ii) it should have good nutritional value;
(iii) it should be usable as food or feed;
(iv)it should not contain any toxic compound;
(v) its production cost should be low.

? The choice of the

fermenter (cultivation
vessel) depends upon
the microorganisms.
Aeration is an
important operation in
the cultivation. Heat is
generated during
cultivation, and it is to
be removed by using a
cooling device.
The production is
usually continued for
indefinite period for
maximum economy.
Using such a
fermenter, it is possible
to produce about 4-
30gIl of microbial
biomass at 38-40°C
and pH 6.8.
The microbial biomass
can be harvested by a
variety of methods.
Single cell organisms
like yeast and bacteria
are normally recovered
by centrifugation.
Filamentous organisms
are recovered by
filtration. It is
important to recover as
much water as possible
prior to final drying.
The whole operation is
to be done under clean
and hygienic conditions
to keep the product
and the broth, that
leaves the Plant free of
bacterial
 contamination. The
final dried products are
normally
bacteriologically stable.

if handled properly. In some cases, an after treatment of the biomass is desirable to reduce the
unwanted compounds in the product or to isolate the protein. One of the important tasks is to reduce
nucleic acid content, which is high in microorganisms (4-6% in algae, 10-16% in bacteria, 6-10% in
yeasts and 2.5-6% in fungi) and can be hazardous to health.

Some of the methods employed for reducing nucleic acid content in microbial biomass are, alkaline
hydrolysis, chemical extraction, and activation of endogenous nucleases during final stage of microbial
biomass production

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Nutritional Biochemistry Single cell protein (SCP) VSCP refers to the dried microbial cells or total
protein extracted from pure microbial cell culture (monoculture ʹ Algae, bacteria,
filamentous fungi, yeasts, etc͙), which can be used as food

supplement to humans (Food Grade) or animals (Feed grade).

V The term SCP was coined by Prof.C.L.Wilson in 1966. V This term is more appropriate as most of
the microorganisms grow as single or filamentous individuals. VSCP contains high protein content
(60 ʹ 80% of dry cell weight), fats, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, vitamins, and minerals. It is also rich
in essential amino acids such as Lys and Met. VADVANTAGES OF USING MICROORGANISMS FOR
SCP PRODUCTION o Protein synthesis is much more rapid than higher living systems. o Microbes
have short generation time. o Easily modifiable genetically for determining the amino acid
composition. o Microbes have high protein content (7.12g protein Nitrogen/100g dry weight). o
Microbes can be grown on media containing cheap sources of C and N. o Easy regulation of
environmental factors for efficient yield. VFor industrial purposes Hydrogen utilizing bacteria and
Methanol using bacteria are utilized. SAFETY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND TOXICOLOGY OF SCP VThere are
several limitations regarding the widespread use of SCP: o The nucleic acid content of microbial
biomass is very high.

This is highly hazardous, since humans have limited

capacity to degrade nucleic acids and results in the

development of kidney stones, and gout, if consumed in large

quantities.

o Possibility of contamination with pathological organisms in SCP. o Association of carcinogenic and

other toxic substances with SCP is often observed. The nature and production of thesecompounds
depends on raw materials and the type of microorganism used. o Digestion of microbial cells is
rather slow, and is frequently associated with indigestion and allergy reactions. o Food grade
production of SCP is more expensive than other

sources of proteins, as it depends on the raw materials. SCP

for human consumption is 10-12 times more expensive than

SCP for animal feed.