Production of the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A by a new soil isolate, Aspergillus fumigatus, in submerged culture

Cyclosporin A (CyA) has received meticulous attention owing to its immunosuppressive and biological activities. In this study, a soil isolate, capable of producing CyA, was named Zag1 strain and identified as Aspergillus fumigatus based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, 18S rDNA sequence, and phylogenetic characteristic analysis. To maximize the production of CyA, the fungal culture was grown under various fermentation conditions including selection of the cultivation medium, agitation rate, fermentation time, incubation temperature, pH value, inoculum nature, and medium volume. A simple medium (pH 5.0) containing 5% maltose as a carbon source and 2% potassium nitrate as a nitrogen source favored the highest CyA production when the fermentation process was maintained at 120 rpm for 9 days and at 30 °C using 3% standard inoculum of 5-day-old. The final CyA titer under these conditions was intensified to 2.23-3.31-fold, as compared with the amount obtained with seven types of basal media. A. fumigatus Zag1 appears to possess a good biotechnological potential for CyA production under favorable culture conditions.