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Evaluation · Q1

Q.Which of the following microorganism is used for production of citric acid in industries?

a) Lactobacillus bulgaris
b) Penicillium citrinum
c) Aspergillus niger
d) Rhizopus nigricans
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✓ Free question

Step 1. Citric acid is one of the industrially important organic acids made by microbial fermentation, and each organic acid has a characteristic producer organism.

Step 2. Among the given options, Aspergillus niger is the well-known industrial fungus specifically cultured in fermentors to secrete citric acid, which is then extracted and purified for use in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals.

Step 3. The remaining options are producers of other substances: Lactobacillus species make lactic acid rather than citric acid, and Penicillium and Rhizopus species are better known respectively for antibiotics (penicillin) and fumaric acid, not citric acid.

✓Final answer

The microorganism used industrially for citric acid production is (c) Aspergillus niger.

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