A. T. Ajao et al. Bioscience Research Communications 0795-8072/2009 $12.00 + 0.00 Vol. 21, No. 5, October 31, 2009 © 2009 Klobex Academic Publishers Printed in Nigeria http://www.klobex.org/brc BRC 2009103/21504 Studies on the biodegradation and utilization of selected tuber wastes by Penicillium expansum. A. T. Ajao 1* , H. J. Abdullahi 1 , T. G. Atere 2 and O. M. Kolawole 3 1 . Department of Biology, IBAS, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Nigeria 2 . Department of Chemistry, IBAS, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Nigeria 3 Department of Microbiology,University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria (Received September 5, 2009) ABSTRACT: Some fungi were found to be associated with the degradation of selected tuber starch wastes (Yam Peels, Cassava Peels, Sweet Potato Peels and Cocoyam Peels) of which eight showed amylase production on the Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) supplemented with soluble starch. Penicillium expansum was selected among the isolates and used to ferment the extracts prepared from each of the tuber starch wastes for 144hours.Yam peel was found to be highly susceptible to the degradation while cocoyam peels was most resistant to the degradation. Fermentation of each of the waste extracts showed the ability of the organism to increase the protein contents, amylase activities of the waste extract with the increase in biomass. However, concentration of sugar and starch reduced considerably. Key words: Degradation, amylase, tuber starch wastes, peels, Penicillium expansum Introduction Carbohydrate-based agricultural products such as starchy tubers (Cassava, Yam, Sweet Potato and Cocoyam) are important staple foods in the diet of people in most developing countries of the tropics. In Nigeria, they are widely distributed than cereal (Akpan et al., 2005). However, the generation of waste materials (peels) resulting from the production, preparation and consumption of food pose increasingly disposal and potentially severe pollution problems and represent a loss of valuable biomass and nutrients (El-Shimi et al., 1987). These peels are regarded as waste and are usually discarded and allowed to rot. Vegetation and soil around the heaps of the peels are rendered unproductive and devastated due to biological and chemical reactions that take place between the continuously fermenting peels, soil and the surrounding vegetation. Besides their pollution and hazardous aspects, in many cases, these peels might have potentials for recycling raw materials or for conversion into useful products of higher value or even as raw material for other industries or for their use as food or feed after biological treatment (Okolo et al., 1995). *Corresponding author: E-mail:ajaoabdullahi@yahoo.com 221