Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications
Cacao mucilage is typically disposed of during processing, yet its abundant content of organic compounds, polysaccharides, and nutrients renders it valuable for various applications. This scientific study investigates the suitability of cacao mucilage as an alternative culture medium for <i>La...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/2/261 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588519239843840 |
|---|---|
| author | Tania María Guzmán-Armenteros Luis Santiago Guerra Jenny Ruales Luis Ramos-Guerrero |
| author_facet | Tania María Guzmán-Armenteros Luis Santiago Guerra Jenny Ruales Luis Ramos-Guerrero |
| author_sort | Tania María Guzmán-Armenteros |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cacao mucilage is typically disposed of during processing, yet its abundant content of organic compounds, polysaccharides, and nutrients renders it valuable for various applications. This scientific study investigates the suitability of cacao mucilage as an alternative culture medium for <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i>, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and <i>Aspergillus niger</i>, aiming to provide a viable alternative to traditional media. Through a mixed-design approach, the powdered mucilage, peptone, and yeast extract ingredients were optimized using the recovery rates of each micro-organism as the response variable. The optimal formulation of the medium, consisting of 49.6% mucilage, 30% yeast extract, and 20.9% peptone, resulted in remarkable microbial recovery rates. <i>L. plantarum</i> achieved an outstanding recovery rate of 98.18%, while <i>S. cerevisiae</i> and <i>A. niger</i> exhibited recovery rates of 90.57% and 89.90%, respectively. Notably, these recovery rates surpassed those obtained using conventional culture mediums. Thus, cacao mucilage emerges as an effective component for formulating a natural culture medium that facilitates the growth of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and fungi. The yeast extract peptone mucilage (YPM) medium demonstrated enhanced growth, particularly for yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, with recovery rates exceeding 90%. Conversely, <i>A. niger</i> displayed a relatively lower recovery rate. These findings emphasize the potential of cacao mucilage as a valuable resource for preparing natural culture media that promotes the growth of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and fungi, offering promising prospects for various applications in microbiology and biotechnology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e4593db753124ccf9e5f3316273f708d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-e4593db753124ccf9e5f3316273f708d2025-01-24T13:33:03ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-01-0114226110.3390/foods14020261Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological ApplicationsTania María Guzmán-Armenteros0Luis Santiago Guerra1Jenny Ruales2Luis Ramos-Guerrero3Departamento de Ciencia de Alimentos y Biotecnología (DECAB), Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), Quito 170525, EcuadorCarrera de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador (UCE), Campus El Dorado, Quito 170403, EcuadorDepartamento de Ciencia de Alimentos y Biotecnología (DECAB), Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), Quito 170525, EcuadorGrupo de Investigación en Bio-Quimioinformática, Carrera de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito 170503, EcuadorCacao mucilage is typically disposed of during processing, yet its abundant content of organic compounds, polysaccharides, and nutrients renders it valuable for various applications. This scientific study investigates the suitability of cacao mucilage as an alternative culture medium for <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i>, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and <i>Aspergillus niger</i>, aiming to provide a viable alternative to traditional media. Through a mixed-design approach, the powdered mucilage, peptone, and yeast extract ingredients were optimized using the recovery rates of each micro-organism as the response variable. The optimal formulation of the medium, consisting of 49.6% mucilage, 30% yeast extract, and 20.9% peptone, resulted in remarkable microbial recovery rates. <i>L. plantarum</i> achieved an outstanding recovery rate of 98.18%, while <i>S. cerevisiae</i> and <i>A. niger</i> exhibited recovery rates of 90.57% and 89.90%, respectively. Notably, these recovery rates surpassed those obtained using conventional culture mediums. Thus, cacao mucilage emerges as an effective component for formulating a natural culture medium that facilitates the growth of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and fungi. The yeast extract peptone mucilage (YPM) medium demonstrated enhanced growth, particularly for yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, with recovery rates exceeding 90%. Conversely, <i>A. niger</i> displayed a relatively lower recovery rate. These findings emphasize the potential of cacao mucilage as a valuable resource for preparing natural culture media that promotes the growth of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and fungi, offering promising prospects for various applications in microbiology and biotechnology.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/2/261cacao mucilageculture mediumbacteriayeastsfungimix design |
| spellingShingle | Tania María Guzmán-Armenteros Luis Santiago Guerra Jenny Ruales Luis Ramos-Guerrero Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications Foods cacao mucilage culture medium bacteria yeasts fungi mix design |
| title | Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications |
| title_full | Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications |
| title_fullStr | Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications |
| title_short | Ecuadorian Cacao Mucilage as a Novel Culture Medium Ingredient: Unveiling Its Potential for Microbial Growth and Biotechnological Applications |
| title_sort | ecuadorian cacao mucilage as a novel culture medium ingredient unveiling its potential for microbial growth and biotechnological applications |
| topic | cacao mucilage culture medium bacteria yeasts fungi mix design |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/2/261 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT taniamariaguzmanarmenteros ecuadoriancacaomucilageasanovelculturemediumingredientunveilingitspotentialformicrobialgrowthandbiotechnologicalapplications AT luissantiagoguerra ecuadoriancacaomucilageasanovelculturemediumingredientunveilingitspotentialformicrobialgrowthandbiotechnologicalapplications AT jennyruales ecuadoriancacaomucilageasanovelculturemediumingredientunveilingitspotentialformicrobialgrowthandbiotechnologicalapplications AT luisramosguerrero ecuadoriancacaomucilageasanovelculturemediumingredientunveilingitspotentialformicrobialgrowthandbiotechnologicalapplications |