Performance of an acid-cassava starch medium in the propagation of fungi

Abstract

Propagation of mould and yeast isolates was carried out on a formulated acid-cassava starch medium (A-CSM) and commercial potato dextrose agar (PDA). The two media were also used to enumerate some of the fungal isolates. Cultural and morphological characteristics expected of filamentous fungi and those with transitional forms were observed on both A-CSM and PDA. Growth was more rapid in respect of most of the fungi on A-CSM but it was accompanied with minimal liquefaction, after 48 hrs of incubation. Similarly, the A-CSM produced greater viable counts of most of the fungi. The acid-cassava starch medium reported is considered a potential alternative to its equivalent commercial nutrient media such as PDA.

Keywords: Cassava starch media, fungal propagation.