Single cell protein (SCP) refers to microbial biomass used as a food and feed additive. SCP has high protein, vitamin, and lipid content. Microorganisms like yeast and fungi are used for SCP production because they grow quickly and can use a wide range of raw materials like alkanes, methane, cellulose, and waste materials. Common production methods involve growing organisms like Candida tropicalis on substrates and harvesting the biomass for use as a protein supplement. SCP has potential applications as a sustainable protein source for human consumption and animal feed.

1. Single Cell Protein (SCP)
BY
C.SHANMATHI
II YR
DEPT. OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
KSRCT

2. Single Cell Protein
0 Coined at Massachusetts Institute Of Technology in
1966.
0 It refers to the microbial biomass used as food and
feed additives.
Food grade – for humans
Feed grade – for animals
0 Either the isolated cell protein or the total cell
material may be called as SCP

3. Why SCP?
0Single Cell Protein is of great nutritional
value because of its high protein ,
vitamin, and lipid content and the
general presence of other components.

4. SCP Production:
0Substrates used for SCP production are :
Alkanes
Methane
Methanol
Cellulose
Carbohydrates
Waste materials

5. Microorganisms used for SCP production:

6. Why microbes?
0They grow at faster rate.
0Quality and Quantity of protein is better.
0Wide range of raw materials can be used.
0Production process are easy and simple.
0Microbes can be easily subjected to genetic
manipulation.

7. Production of SCP from Alkanes
0Alkanes can be catabolized for many years by
some fungi and some bacteria.
0The following yeast species have been studied
intensively ;
 Candida tropicalis
 Candida oleophila
 Saccharomyces lipolytica
0The main disadvantage of using the alkanes is
that they are not easily soluble.

8. 0Large alkane drops are formed which are
1-100μm in size and remain suspended.
0High growth rate of microbes on alkanes
cannot be explained merely by transport of
alkane dissolved in water.
0Alkane molecules can reach the cytoplasmic
membrane through the cell wall via passive
diffusion.
0Cells growing on alkanes are enriched with
lipids .These lipids play a role in the transfer
of alkanes through the cell membrane.

9. Catabolism of longer chained alkanes
0There are two pathway for the introduction of
molecular O2 into the molecule ;
Terminal oxidation
Sub-terminal oxidation

10. Terminal Oxidation
0 Monocarboxylic acid is produced via the intermediate
stages of primary alcohol and aldehydes.
0 This is the chief pathway for the metabolism of bacteria
and yeast.
0 Sometime terminal oxidation at both ends occurs by
means of ω-oxidation, which produces dicarboxylic
acid, which then breaks down to acetate units and
succinate by means of β-oxidation

11. Sub-terminal Oxidation:
0Ketone is first produced via secondary alcohol.
This happens at C2 position or in the interior of
the molecule.
0Further catabolism of secondary alcohol is
variable. α - oxidation with subsequent
decarboxylation and the β - oxidation has been
found.

13. SCP from Carbohydrates
0 For Baker’s yeast large scale cultivation on molasses is used.
0 For Food yeast and for Wine production small scale
cultivation is used.
0 For most of the large scale production Whey is used as the
starting.
0 A promising product Mycoprotein was introduced in the
market.

14. Fungus Fusarium graminearum grown on glucose with
dilution rate 0.1h¯¹
Mineral salts and biotin with Ammonium ions are added
-N source
pH – 6.0
Incubation temperature - 30°C
1kg of glucose -1kg of wet Fungal mycellium
Protein content-136g
Total yield -3-3.5kg/m³.h

15. Culture is heated to
64°C
Protease gets
inactivated & the
endogenous RNase
gets activated
Dried protein is
formed .
Addition of artificial
flavors

16. SCP from Sewage
0 Waste that used fro SCP production are ;
 Waste from cellulose processing
 Coffee processing
 Starch production and
 Food processing
0 Sulfite waste liquors from paper industries can also be used.
0 Candida utilis , Chaetomium cellulolyticum and Paecilomyces
varioti
0 Using Paecilomyces varioti the yield is about 2.7-2.8 kg/m³.h
at a dilution rate of 0.2h¯¹ with a solution containing 32g/l
reducing sugar , 55% of the sugar was converted biomass.

17. SCP products :
0 Yeast
0 Spirulina
0 Pruteen
0 Chlorella
0 Phycocyanin