Scientific Study

Access to over 2,900 scientific references, studies and publications. This section is constantly updated with studies that have been published in scientific journals.

Back
Products: Almonds
Subject: Sustainability

Production of Filamentous Fungal Biomass (Aspergillus awamori) in Pellet Form from Almond Hull Extract

Authors: Cao, L., El Mashad, H. M., Pan, Z., & Zhang, R.
  • Journals: Food and Bioprocess Technology
  • Pages: 1-16
  • Year: 2025
Fungal cultivation using agricultural byproducts is a sustainable approach to produce valuable bioproducts for applications such as protein-rich foods. In this study, Aspergillus awamori (A. awamori) was cultivated in batch flasks to investigate the effects of different nitrogen sources and initial carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios of 15, 30, and 45 on fungal yield and characteristics using almond hull extract as a substrate. Yeast extract was identified as the most effective nitrogen source, while NH4Cl was selected to adjust the C/N ratio to reduce raw material costs. The highest fungal biomass concentration and yield were achieved at a C/N ratio of 15, at which the fungal biomass had the highest crude protein content of 18.10% and the lowest fat content of 2.28%. Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) imaging revealed that fungal pellets transitioned from smooth and dense to hollow with uneven surfaces as cultivation progressed. Following the flask experiments, the effect of pH control and agitation on fungi growth was studied in 2 L bioreactor. The highest biomass yield (0.97 g TSS/g sugar), biomass concentration (15.01 g/L), and uniform pellet size (3.75 mm) were achieved at 150 rpm without pH control. This study demonstrated that almond hull extract can serve as a promising substrate for the production of fungal pellets. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-025-03955-x