Development of a fermentation medium and detection bioassay for the local production of the antihelminthic antibiotic avermectin

摘要

Streptomyces avermitilis, bacterial producer of avermectin, the antihelminthic compound for domestic animals, grew best and produced the highest yield on Dutton's seed and other production media. Subsequently, cheap and locally available substrates were screened as substitutes for the carbon and nitrogen sources of the media. Among the substrates tested, namely, all-purpose flour, cane sugar, and cassava starch, the latter was the best substitute for soluble starch. Baker's yeast was established asa better substitute for cottonseed flour than soybean meal. Restricted random balance design experiments were performed on the modified production medium 8 (MPM 8), resulting in an optimized formulation of MPM 8 consisting of cassava starch, baker's yeast, potassium phosphate and zinc sulfate.