Abstract

Screening of Candida spp. capable of riboflavin production from seawater samples in Chonburi province was conducted. Total of 47 isolates were identified asCandida tropicalis and Candida krusei with similar percentages of distribution. Among those identified isolates, only two of C. tropicalis, MICBUU002 and MICBUU019, were found to be able to produce riboflavin with concentrations of 254.22 ± 5.51 and 199.53 ± 0.74 ug/ml, respectively, on day-5 of incubation at 30°C in a medium broth containing 2% glucose as a sole carbon source. In contrary, none of C. krusei isolates showed the capability to produce riboflavin. The results implied that the capability of C. tropicalis to produce riboflavin was not an exclusive property of this specie since not every isolates of this Candida had this capability, at least at the detectable level that could be measured.

Key words: Candida, C. tropicalis, riboflavin, vitamin B2.