Single Cell Proteins

Introduction

According to one estimate, by the time 2050, the entire world will be deprived of proteins and important constituents needed for growth. Humans are dependent on animal-derived protein, but to meet up to the consumption, more than 1250 million tons of meat will have to be produced.

However, it would damage the ecosystem. Also, the production of such dairy products and meat will require a lot of machinery.

Hence science is there to help with the newest discovery of single-cell proteins. In fact, many new sources of such single-source proteins are available these days in the market. The development of the vitamin-enriched single-cell protein is one of the most commendable achievements.

The Body’s Requirement of Protein

Humans need protein for basic body build-up. It is the main source of nitrogen in the body and essential amino acid that forms the structure and functional unit of the body. However, the essential amino acids cannot be synthesised in the human body, and hence they must be supplied to the body along with diet.

Many special enzymes in the human body are required to carry out some of the most vital chemical and metabolic reactions. If the human body lacks these enzymes, its essential systems will fail, and eventually, it will collapse. Hence our body always needs a good amount of protein. Since natural sources are limited, there is a great need to find synthetic sources. Single-cell proteins are among the best synthetic substituents to natural proteins.

Single-cell Protein Example

Surprisingly single-cell proteins can be synthesised from several sources. Few sources are even poisonous and unpalatable to humans in their original form. The technology of production of single-cell proteins is so great that it can help get huge protein extracts from all kinds of sources.

The single-cell proteins can be made from:

• Algae
• Fungi (which could be filamentous and yeast)
• Bacterias

Since the entire discovery and concept of SCP depends on the fact that we need a synthetic source for the production of proteins, there can be strange sources such as special bioengineered microbial cells that are grown in different cultures. But in such production, identifying the single-cell protein becomes very difficult since the other protein cells mask over the SCP; you cannot easily identify between other proteins and the single-cell proteins in the culture. However, there are special advancements seen in the field that can easily extract single-cell protein. 

Single-Cell Protein Formation From Different Sources

Single-cell protein from algae:

Microalgae are the algae produced for human or animal consumption and have a high protein content in them. These algae have 60 to 70% of protein content, and they can also help provide Omega 3 fatty acid with carotenoids. They also are very rich in vitamin A, B, C, and E with added minerals. You can also get a good amount of chlorophyll in these single-cell proteins. However, the nucleic acid content in this algae is very low. Therefore, single-cell protein from microalgae is mainly the most consumed form of supplement. 

You will get the supplements in tablets, capsules and even liquid. Many of these supplements can even be used with food items and can be cooked to serve as a good source in your diet. For example, you can get spirulina derived from Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima. Algae feed on CO2, and light enhances the products produced by the traditional fermentation process. Photosynthesis is not preferred to manufacture these as it will reduce efficiency. The single-cell proteins are obtained from algae that are harvested from aquaculture as a source of omega fatty acids. 

Single-cell Protein From Fungi

Several fungi such as Saccharomyces, Fusarium, and Torulopsis could be used as a source for a single cell protein. Some unique species have also generated single-cell proteins, as seen in recent studies. The fungi that grow on single-cell Protein have up to 30 to 50% of proteins which is comparatively less than that available through algae. Threonine and lysine content is typically very high in these supplements. In addition, the single-cell proteins derived from fungi are high with B complex content. 

The cell walls of these fungi are very rich and broken, which contribute to the good fibre in a diet. You will also get low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with the special fungi. The protein-enriched fungi are good, introducing special supplements that can give the essential amino acids required by the human body. 

Single-Cell Protein From Bacteria

Numerous bacteria help the human system with essential protein digestion. Not only can these bacterias digest protein, but they can also build or produce new ones. The cells and proteins obtained from bacterias have 50 to 80% of protein and are among the most complicated single-cell proteins in the industry. In addition, the methionine content in these single-cell proteins is up to 3%.

Processing and Making of Single-Cell Protein

The single-cell proteins are made in a specific pattern. Below are given steps for single-cell protein processing and making:

Step 1: Cell wall degradation

Different organisms have different cell walls, and depending on their constituents, one needs to add specific degenerate substances to get inside the cell’s cytoplasm. Once the cell wall has degenerated, it cuts open, and modifications can be made via mechanical and chemical processes.

Step 2: Nucleic acid removal from single-cell protein

Algae don’t have a high nucleic acid content, and hence the removal process becomes easier. Many bacterial species have high RNA content, and hence one needs to degenerate the genetic constituent to stop the usage of proteins. RNA can increase the uric acid in the body; hence it is never advised to consume the SCP with high genetic contents. 

Conclusion

Here we learned that the Single-cell protein is the protein produced in microbes is one of the best inventions for getting the required protein from a single-celled organism. Further, the artical covered example of single cell protein and explanations to better understand the topic. The explanation given above about the formation of single-cell protein and its different sources are a few important points to remember as well.