10 ml of medium was poured into each glass culture tubes and sterilized by autoclaving at
1.05 kg/cm
2
; 121 °C for 18 min. Cultures were maintained at 25±2ºC temperature in 16/8 h light/dark
photoperiod of 20 μmol m
-2
s
-1
photon flux intensity produced from cool white 40 watt tube lights