Statistical Evaluation for the formulation of low-cost Single cell protein production in Food waste medium by Pichia occidentalis: A sustainable valorization approach

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this research is to determine the optimal combination of media components and concentrations for improving single cell protein production using statistical methodologies, while also taking into consideration the economic feasibility of employing food waste as a media formulation. Further study includes the use of an artificial intelligence tool called Support Vector Machine (SVM) in the R programming language to analyze the data generated during the experimentation process, assisting in understanding the relationship between different variables and their effect on SCP production. Method SCP producing microorganisms were isolated from food scrap waste. The highest amount of SCP production with a greater microbial conversion efficiency was determined using ITS gene sequencing. This study focuses on optimizing the components of the food waste medium for SCP production using statistical technique to identify the primary factors affecting media ingredients and their optimum concentrations. The One-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach followed by statistical optimization was used for maximizing the components of food waste medium. The model was then evaluated using an AI-driven SVM and compared to a conventional RSM for improved SCP production. Result The results showed that Pichia occidentalis (NCBI Accession No: OP605590) was the most efficient at generating SCP, with a microbiological conversion efficiency of 97.27%. The production effectively rose after statistical optimization (25.75 g/L from 1.58 g/L). The selected strain's microbial conversion efficiency with the selected salad peel waste was found to be 94.04%. Following that, model validation using SVM against RSM revealed that SVM (R2 = 0.9972) performed better in data modeling than RSM (R2 = 0.8881). Conclusion The finding assists in the advancement of a waste-to-protein valorization technique driven by yeast for forthcoming feed and food sources. The produced SCP can be utilized as a high-quality feed supplement for livestock and aquaculture, enhancing nutrient intake and promoting healthy growth while also contributing to food security and decreasing reliance on traditional protein sources.