Utilization of banana peels for citric acid production by Aspergillus niger

The potential of Banana peels as a substrate for citric acid production by A.niger was investigated.Addition of supplements significantly enhanced the yield of citric acid.Of the three cultures examined, A.niger UABN 210 was found to produce the highest amount of citric acid (82.0g/Kg dry weight ) after 96h of growth at 30 o C in the presence of methanol (1%v/v) and copper ions(10ppm) .The yield of citric acid was over 90% based on the amount of sugar consumed.The study presents banana peel as an inexpensive medium for the production of citric acid by Aspergillus niger