JS Salazar1, DS Parrado2, A Villegas2 and JC Serrato
1Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia; jsalazar@unal.edu.co
2Providencia S.A, Cerrito, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
The utilization of vinasse, a by-product of bioethanol production, as a substrate for single-cell protein (SCP) production is a sustainable solution to environmental challenges and protein demand. This study aimed to design a culture medium using vinasse and sugarcane molasses to optimize SCP production by Candida utilis yeast. A two-factor experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of vinasse and sugarcane molasses concentrations on cell growth. An optimal medium was identified with a composition of 45 g/L of sugarcane molasses and 16 % v/v of vinasse, achieving an SCP concentration of 15.71 g/L with 56.17 % protein content and a cell density of 5.413 × 10⁸ cells/mL. Kinetic analysis showed a doubling time of 2.045 hours and a maximum specific growth rate (µmax) of 0.3408 h-¹, while sugar consumption data provided insights into substrate utilization. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using low-cost by-products like vinasse and sugarcane molasses for SCP production, offering a sustainable and economically viable method for generating high-quality protein suitable for different applications.