OPTIMIZATION OF MEDIUM COMPOSITION FOR ASPERGILLUS NIGER F-2 FOR IT’S DECOLORIZING AND COD REDUCING ACTIVITY OF THE DISTILLERY SPENT WASHS. C. KALE AND K. P. SHINDEAbstract During the secondary screening program of distillery spent wash decolorizing fungi a strain of Aspergillus niger F-2 that could decolorize and grow in 1:10 diluted distillery spent wash was obtained. The culture was taken up for further studies for optimization of medium composition for the growth and decolorizing activity of the organism. The Optimization studies include the optimization of pH, inoculum size, carbon and nitrogen source, incubation temperature and incubation period. The optimum pH, inoculum size, temperature and incubation period were found to be 6.00, 2.5%, 35 oC and 3 day respectively. Glucose and peptone were found to be the best carbon and nitrogen sources respectively. Glucose was found to be the best at the concentration of 2.5 % while peptone was found to be the best at 0.1 % concentration. The fungal culture under optimal conditions was found to give maximum decolorization of the 1:10 diluted spent wash to the extent of almost 79%. This isolate also showed the degradation as evidenced from the reduction in the term of COD mg/L to the extent of 58.06% within three days. |