Aspergillus niger Fermentation Services

Based on the needs of industrial applications, and mainly pertaining to the food and pharmaceutical field(s), BOC Sciences have utilized Aspergillus as a host to provide microbial fermentation services for laboratory fermentation and microbial production. Aspergillus spp. has been employed to produce valuable products, ranging from natural colorants, diverse proteins, enzymes, and other secondary metabolites. Through advanced technology and extensive experience in fermentation R&D, we are able to provide customized solutions in fermentation development and manufacturing to help accelerate the commercialization of our customers' projects.

Introduction of A. niger

Aspergillus spp. is filamentous fungi commonly found in soil, decaying vegetation, seeds, and grains. Typically, fungi grow on carbon-rich substrates such as glucose and starch. The structural feature common to all Aspergillus species is asexual spore-forming, and a common structural feature of Aspergillus species is asexual spore-forming. While some Aspergillus species can cause fungal infections, other species are commercially important.

Aspergillus niger, abbreviated as A. niger, is one of the most common species of the genus Aspergillus, which has been widely used throughout the biochemical fermentation industry, often applied to the production of citric acid, various proteins, enzymes, and secondary metabolites, as well as for biotransformation and waste treatment. The industrial citric acid production by A. niger is considered one of the most efficient and productive biological processes currently used within the industry.

Advantages of A. niger Fermentation

Culture of A. niger

Aspergillus can grow in places with high osmotic pressure, such as high concentrations of sugar, salt, etc. In addition to growing on carbon sources, various species of Aspergillus can grow in nutrient-deficient environments. Aspergillus offers the advantage of easy culturing and rapid growth, as well as providing favorable prerequisites for microbial fermentation.

Products of A. niger

Aspergillus spp. can produce large quantities of secondary metabolites that are useful within the pharmaceutical, food, and agrochemical industries. Since these valuable products are produced by microbial fermentation, they can also be considered of natural origin, therefore, more cost-effective than synthetic chemicals, eco-friendly, and biodegradable.

Safety of A. niger

A. niger is less likely to cause fungal infections than other Aspergillus species. The fermentation of Aspergillus niger is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the United States FDA.

Applications of A. niger Fermentation

The main application of A. niger is its role as a major source of citric acid. Approximately 99% of the world's citric acid production takes place through microbial processes, either through surface or submerged cultures. Although many microbial strains can produce citric acid, only A. niger and closely related species are used for industrial production.

A. niger and other Aspergillus have been increasingly harnessed for the synthesis of diverse enzymes within industrial fermentation, ranging from glucose oxidase, lysozyme, and lactase. One critical application of these enzymes is within the degradation of plant polysaccharides, whereby cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin can be broken down into oligosaccharides and monosaccharides.

A. niger can also produce natural colorants, which have been used in various applications that range from food, dyes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and numerous other products. By utilizing A. niger to extract pigments for related potential use, and especially for food production, these food colorants are often used to maintain and enhance the true color of food substances, or sometimes for their preservation as well.

Project Workflow of A. niger Fermentation

• Customer advisory
• Project discussion
• A. niger served as host
• Strain improvement and fermentation development
• Novel strain evaluation
• Project delivery

References

1. Maria Afroz Toma, et al. Isolation and Identification of Natural Colorant Producing Soil-Borne Aspergillus niger from Bangladesh and Extraction of the Pigment, Foods, 2021, 10(6): 1280.
2. Timothy C. Cairns, Corrado Nai and Vera Meyer, How a fungus shapes biotechnology: 100 years of Aspergillus niger research, Fungal Biol. Biotechnol., 2018, 5, 13.
3. Belén Max, et al. Biotechnological production of citric acid, Braz. J. Microbiol., 2010, 41(4):862-75.
4. E. Schuster, et al. On the safety of Aspergillus niger - a review, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol, 2002, 59, 426-435.