A Novel Non-Cumbersome Approach Towards Biosynthesis of Pectic-Oligosaccharides by Non-Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus sp. Section Flavi Strain EGY1 DSM 101520 through Citrus Pectin Fermentation

Pectic-Oligosaccharides (POS) have a growing potential in food and feed industries. To satisfy the demand of worldwide markets from POS and avoid the shortcomings of currently applied methodologies encountered in their preparation, the present study highlights a novel robust approach for POS biosynthesis. In the current approach, Aspergillus sp.section Flavi strain EGY1 DSM 101520 was grown on citrus pectin-based medium as a core POS production medium. POS' levels accumulated in the fungal fermentation broth were optimized through a three step sequential statistical mathematical methodology; Plackett-Burman design (PBD), Box-Behnken design (BBD) and canonical analysis. Three key determinants namely citrus pectin, peptone and NaH2PO4 were pointed out by PBD to impose significant consequences (P