Abstract

Candida tropicalis was treated with ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the mutants obtained were screened for xylitol production. One of the mutants, the UV1 produced 0.81g of xylitol per gram of xylose. This was further mutated with N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and the mutants obtained were screened for xylitol production. One of the mutants (CT-OMV5) produced 0.85g/g of xylitol from xylose. Xylitol production improved to 0.87 g/g of xylose with this strain when the production medium was supplemented with urea. The CT-OMV5 mutant strain differs by 12 tests when compared to the wild-type Candida tropicalis strain. The XR activity was higher in mutant CT-OMV5. The distinct difference between the mutant and wild-type strain is the presence of numerous chlamydospores in the mutant. In this investigation, we have demonstrated that mutagenesis was successful in generating a superior xylitol-producing strain, CT-OMV5, and uncovered distinctive biochemical and physiological characteristics of the wild-type and mutant strain, CT-OMV5.

• Keywords: Candida tropicalis; biochemical and physiological characterization; MNNG; mutagenesis;strain improvement; UV; xylitol; wild; mutant; yeast