Isolation of Riboflavin Producer Yeasts from Soil

Objectives: The main purpose of current study is isolationthe yeasts which are capable of producing riboflavin.Methods: Yeasts were isolated from different samplesof soil. First of all, samples were suspended in distilledwater and YM broth medium , then a known amountof them were spread on YGC agar. All colonies ofyeast were examined for riboflavin production. Thecultures obtained at the end of incubation period werecentrifuged and quantitative estimation of vitamin inthe supernatant was determined spectrophotometricallyat 440nm. Riboflavin identification was carried out bythin layer chromatography and high performance liquidchromatography. Identification of yeast was done bybiochemical and molecular tests.Results: In this research, 35 yeasts were isolated fromsoil of fruits and sugarcane. 14 isolate showed the abilityof riboflavin production by spectrophotometer thataccording to the chromatographical analysis, 10 isolateof them detected as final riboflavin producer. All of theproducer yeasts were identified by biochemical methodsand molecular identification was done for best produceryeast.Discussion: Yeasts are a group of unicellularmicroorganisms most of which belong to the fungidivision of Ascomycota and fungi imperfecti. Todayyeasts are used as alternative sources of enzymes,vitamins and have numerous applications in the healthfood industry as food additives and so on. Recently theriboflavin production is shifting from chemical synthesisto microbial production due to advances in metabolicand genetic engineering. In present study a simplemethod was used to isolate yeasts can produce vitamin