ENRICHMENT OF NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CORNMEAL WITH PROTEIN AND PUFA USING OLEAGINOUS MARINE YEASTS IN SOLID STATE ERMENTATION.

The marine yeasts, Candida tropicalis, Candida parasilopsis, Candida orthopsilosis, and Rhodotorula muciliginosa were isolated from sea waters of Konkan regions and were tested for their ability to grow on cornmeal and enrich it with Single cell protein (SCP) and Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The cornmeal was supplemented with either dextrose (10g%),malt powder(1g%), flaxoil (1g%), glycerol (4g%), whey (50%v/v) or sodium acetate (10g%), subjected to Solid State Fermentation (SSF). All the bioproducts, showed increase in total lipids and PUFA, especially with flaxseed meal supplement yielded PUFA≥50%. The marine yeasts under study successfully converted glycerol supplemented cornmeal, to a bioproduct containing gamalinolenic acid (GLA).The bioproduct formed using whey (50%) supplemented cornmeal by marine yeasts in SSF accumulated 11-18% protein and PUFA in the range of 44-48%. Candida tropicalis yielded highest protein, 18.9 % on media containing glycerol. The fermented corn meal enriched by SCP and PUFA could be used as animal feed supplement.