Continuous propionate production from whey permeate using a novel fibrous bed bioreactor

Continuous production of propionate from whey lactose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici immobilized in a novel fibrous bed bioreactor was studied. In conventional batch propionic acid fermentation, whey permeate without nutrient supplementation was unable to support cell growth and failed to give satisfactory fermentation results for over 7 days. However, with the fibrous bed bioreactor, a high fermentation rate and high conversion were obtained with plain whey permeate and de-lactose whey permeate. About 2% (wt/vol) propionic acid was obtained from a 4.2% lactose feed at a retention time of 35 to 45 h. The propionic acid yield was approximately 46% (wt/vol) from lactose. The optimal pH for fementation was 6.5, and lower fermentation rates and yields were obtained at lower pH values. The optimal temperature was 30 degrees C, but the temperature effect was not dramatic in the range of 25 to 35 degrees C. Addition of yeast extract and trypticase to whey permeate hastened reactor startup and increased the fermentation rate and product yields, but the addition was not required for long-term reactor performance. The improved fermentation results with the immobilized cell bioreactor can be attributed to the high cell density, approximately 50 g/L, attained in the bioreactor, Cells were immobilized by loose attachement to fiber surfaces and entrapment in the void spaces within the fibrous matrix, thus allowing constant renewal of cells. Consequently, this bioreactor was able to operate continuously for 6 months without encountering any clogging, degeneration, or contamination problems. Compared to conventional batch fermentors, the new bioreactor offers many advantages for industrial fermentation, including a more than 10-fold increase in productivity, acceptance of low-nutrient feedstocks such as whey permeate, and resistance to contamination. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Propionic acid fermentation of lactose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici: effects of pH

Batch propionic acid fermentation of lactose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici were studied at various pH values ranging from 4.5 to 7.12. The optimum pH range for cell growth was between 6.0 and 7.1, where the specific growth rate was approximately 0.23 h(-1). The specific growth rate decreased with the pH in the acids have been identified as the two major fermentation products from lactose. The production of propionic acid was both growth and nongrowth associated, while acetic acid formation was closely associated with cell growth. The propionic acid yield increased with decreasing pH; It changed from approximately 33% (w/w) at pH 6.1-7.1 to approximately 63% at pH 4.5-5.0. In contrast, the acetic acid yield was not significantly affected by the pH; it remained within the range of 9%-12% at all pH values. Significant amounts of succinic and pyruvic acids were also formed during propionic acid fermentation of lactose. However, pyruvic acid was reconsumed and disappeared toward the end of the fermentation. The succinic acid yield generally decreased with the pH, from a high value of 17% at pH 7.0 to a low 8% at pH 5.0 Effects of growth nutrients present in yeast ex-tract on the fermentation were also studied. In general, the same trend of pH effects was found for fermentations with media containing 5 to 10 g/L yeast extract. However, More growth nutrients would be required for fermentations to be carried out efficienytly at acidic pH levels.     

溶氧对变溶菌素发酵的影响

变溶菌素是由球孢链霉菌产生的一种胞外溶菌酶群。它包括几种不同类型的溶菌酶,有着广阔的用途和良好的应用前景。许多研究结果[1,2]表明,它比卵清溶菌酶有更为广泛的溶菌谱,应用范围更广,尤其是在预防和治疗龋齿[3]方面有其独特的优点。在医药上可用作灭菌剂,也可用其作?..     

纳豆激酶液态发酵条件的研究

考察纳豆杆菌在7.5 L发酵罐中分批发酵产纳豆激酶的条件,纳豆激酶酶活采用四肽底物测定。结果表明:纳豆杆菌生长和产酶的适宜条件不一致。发酵过程中发酵罐搅拌转速控制为500 r/min不变,0～12 h时控制pH为8.0、温度为37℃;12～36 h调整pH为7.0、温度为30℃;16 h时补加外源C源,连续发酵36 h。该过程中发酵液中比酶活最高达到3 232 U/mL,与摇瓶发酵相比,比酶活提高了58%。     

Utility of culture redox potential for identifying metabolic state changes in amino acid fermentation

We investigated the relationship of dissolved oxygen and culture redox potential (CRP) on amino acid production. Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 14296 was used for all experiments. The fermentation can be divided into a growth phase and a production phase. Our results indicate that in order to get higher amino acid production, a lower oxygen supply during the exponential phase is favored. A higher oxygen supply rate appears to be necessary during the production phase. Culture redox potential (CRP) was used to monitor the fermentation. CRP readings were observed to drop to a characteristic minimum value as the metabolic state changed from a growth to production phase. This was evidenced by the commencement of amino acid production and a simultaneous uptake of lactate. Upon lactate exhaustion, the CRP increased abruptly. At the same time, maximal amino acid yields were observed. By the use of minimum CRP as an indication of metabolic phase changes, the agitation rate was changed to increase oxygen supply during the production phase. This significantly increased amino acid production. These results show that culture redox potential measurements can be used to monitor and optimize amino acid production by process manipulation.     

Fermentation of cellulose to acetic acid by Clostridium lentocellum SG6: induction of sporulation and effect of buffering agent on acetic acid production

AIMS: To determine the growth, correlation between sporulation and acetic acid production and effect of buffering agent at high substrate cellulose concentrations of the strain Clostiridium lentocellum SG6. METHODS AND RESULTS: The strain SG6 was grown in cellulose mineral salt medium containing cellulose (Whatman No. 1 filter paper, Whatmore International Ltd., Maidstone, UK) or cellobiose. The strain fermented cellulose even after several transfers on cellobiose medium. The formation of endospores on third day onwards indicated the lowering of pH in the medium because of the formation of acetic acid. Maintaining the pH 7.2 at higher substrate concentrations resulted in increase of biomass, cellulose fermentation, acetic acid production, etc. CONCLUSIONS: The strain SG6, with its high fermentation yields and sporulating character can become a potential strain for acetic acid production and also as a probiotic strain in animal nutrition. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The direct conversion of cellulosic biomass to acetic acid can eliminate expensive three-step saccharification, fermentation processes. The strain SG6 can ferment cellulose at high substrate concentrations.     

Kinetics of the conversion of glucose to gluconic acid by Pseudomonas ovalis

The concept of a “critical oxygen concentration” is conventionally considered to hold for the submerged aerobic fermentation of glucose to gluconic acid. Above the critical level the fermentation rate is supposedly independent of oxygen concentration. In this work it is shown that, at a given agitation rate, the fermentation is independent of dissolved oxygen when above the critical. However, an increase in the agitation rate results in an increase in the fermentation rate. This increase was shown to be accompanied by an increase in the gluconolactone concentration in the broth. Gluconolactone, an intermediate in the reaction pathway, is hydrolyzed nonenzymatically to gluconic acid. Evidence is presented to suggest that the increased gas-liquid interfacial area brought about by increased agitation causes an increased net rate of lactone formation. This in turn results in an increased rate of hydrolysis of the lactone to gluconic acid. A model is presented hypothesizing that negatively charged cells adsorb at the gas-liquid interface. These cells attract hydrogen ions, causing a lowering of the pH in the film around the bubbles. It is this lowered pH which is considered to bring about increased fermentation rates when the interfacial area is increased. Supporting evidence is presented.     

Scale-down/scale-up studies leading to improved commercial beer fermentation

Scale-up/scale-down techniques are vital for successful and safe commercial-scale bioprocess design and operation. An example is given in this review of recent studies related to beer production. Work at the bench scale shows that brewing yeast is not compromised by mechanical agitation up to 4.5 W/kg; and that compared with fermentations mixed by CO(2) evolution, agitation ≥ 0.04 W/kg is able to reduce fermentation time by about 20%. Work at the commercial scale in cylindroconical fermenters shows that, without mechanical agitation, most of the yeast sediments into the cone for about 50% of the fermentation time, leading to poor temperature control. Stirrer mixing overcomes these problems and leads to a similar reduction in batch time as the bench-scale tests and greatly reduces its variability, but is difficult to install in extant fermenters. The mixing characteristics of a new jet mixer, a rotary jet mixer, which overcomes these difficulties, are reported, based on pilot-scale studies. This change enables the advantages of stirring to be achieved at the commercial scale without the problems. In addition, more of the fermentable sugars are converted into ethanol. This review shows the effectiveness of scale-up/scale-down studies for improving commercial operations. Suggestions for further studies are made: one concerning the impact of homogenization on the removal of vicinal diketones and the other on the location of bubble formation at the commercial scale.     

New approach for selective separation of dilute products from simulated clostridial fermentation broths using cyclodextrins

The ability of cyclodextrins (CD) to form crystalline insoluble complexes with organics was explored in this study in view of a selective separation of dilute products obtainable from three clostridial fermentation systems. To this purpose, a product or a product mixture at a concentration of 0.150 mM each were treated with alpha-CD or beta-CD (0.150 mM) in aqueous solutions as well as in a nutrient broth as a simulated fermentation medium. In the acetone-butanol-ethanol system, and in the butanol-iso-propanol system, alpha-CD was found to precipitate selectively 48% and 46% butanol after 1 h agitation at 30 degrees C. However, beta-CD was found to be superior for the butyric acid-acetic acid system because it selectively precipitated 100% butyric acid under the same conditions. Cooling the three product system with alpha-CD to 4 degrees C for 24 h increased significantly the crop of precipitates but decreased the selectivity for either butanol or butyric acid. Cyclodextrins were thus shown to offer potentially a new exciting possibility for downstream processing of low-concentration fermentation products.     

Growth kinetics of Lactobacillus acidophilus under ohmic heating

Lactobacillus acidophilus OSU133 was inoculated into MRS broth in a fermenter vessel and incubated at 30, 35, or 45 degrees C with agitation. Incubation temperatures were attained by conventional or ohmic heating. An electrical current at low (15 V) or high (40 V) voltage was used to heat the culture directly during fermentations under ohmic heating. The growth parameters (lag period, minimum generation time, and maximum growth) and changes in pH were determined during fermentation. Metabolic activities (consumption of glucose and production of lactic acid and bacteriocin) were determined during fermentation at 35 degrees C under both heating methods. Lag period for L. acidophilus was affected appreciably by the method of heating, but the magnitude of these changes depended on the fermentation temperature. When fermentation was done at 30 degrees C, lag period decreased by 94% under low-voltage ohmic, compared with conventional, heating methods. Ohmic heating did not change the generation time significantly and caused slight, but significant (p < 0.01) decrease in maximum growth. Therefore, the electric current enhances the early stages, but it inhibits the late stages of growth. Ohmic, compared with conventional, heating resulted in higher final pH and lower bacteriocin activity in the fermented medium. However, ohmic heating at 35 degrees C had minimal effect on glucose utilization and lactic acid production by L. acidophilus. Results show that measurement of the electric current when ohmic heating is done at a constant voltage may be used in monitoring such fermentations. In conclusion, ohmic heating is potentially useful in certain applications related to fermented foods. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Extractive fermentation for butyric acid production from glucose by Clostridium tyrobutyricum

A novel extractive fermentation for butyric acid production from glucose, using immobilized cells of Clostridium tyrobutyricum in a fibrous bed bioreactor, was developed by using 10% (v/v) Alamine 336 in oleyl alcohol as the extractant contained in a hollow-fiber membrane extractor for selective removal of butyric acid from the fermentation broth. The extractant was simultaneously regenerated by stripping with NaOH in a second membrane extractor. The fermentation pH was self-regulated by a balance between acid production and removal by extraction, and was kept at approximately pH 5.5 throughout the study. Compared with conventional fermentation, extractive fermentation resulted in a much higher product concentration (>300 g/L) and product purity (91%). It also resulted in higher reactor productivity (7.37 g/L. h) and butyric acid yield (0.45 g/g). Without on-line extraction to remove the acid products, at the optimal pH of 6.0, the final butyric acid concentration was only approximately 43.4 g/L, butyric acid yield was 0.423 g/g, and reactor productivity was 6.77 g/L. h. These values were much lower at pH 5.5: 20.4 g/L, 0.38 g/g, and 5.11 g/L. h, respectively. The improved performance for extractive fermentation can be attributed to the reduced product inhibition by selective removal of butyric acid from the fermentation broth. The solvent was found to be toxic to free cells in suspension, but not harmful to cells immobilized in the fibrous bed. The process was stable and provided consistent long-term performance for the entire 2-week period of study.     

Does the agitation rate and/or oxygen saturation influence exopolysaccharide production by Aureobasidium pullulans in batch culture?

  When Aureobasidium pullulans was grown at a number of agitation rates under batch conditions, exopolysaccharide yields were dramatically reduced at high rates i.e. at least 750 rpm. Investigations with gas blending, which allowed pO₂ manipulation and control independently of the agitation rate, showed that this yield reduction was due solely to the high pO₂ levels that occurred at these agitation rates. Thus, polysaccharide production at 1000 rpm could be elevated by maintaining the pO₂ at a low level during the initial phase of the fermentation. However, both the timing of the pO₂ decrease and the level at which it was maintained were crucial for obtaining yields at 1000 rpm, similar to those observed at low agitation rates. Received: 29 February 1996 / Received revision: 11 July 1996 / Accepted: 15 July 1996     

果糖及葡萄糖混合物为底物的丙酮丁醇发酵

旨在以果糖和葡萄糖混合物模拟能源作物菊芋块茎水解液发酵生产丁醇。在培养基初始pH 5.5,发酵过程不控制pH的混合糖发酵中,出现了发酵提前终止现象,终点残糖浓度达23.26 g/L,而丁醇产量仅5.51 g/L。进一步对比混合糖及葡萄糖、果糖不控制pH的发酵结果表明,导致这一现象的原因可能是有机酸毒性太大和pH太低。全程控制pH的混合糖发酵结果表明,高pH条件有利于提高糖利用率,但产酸多,丁醇产量较低;而低pH条件下发酵残糖较多,但丁醇产量相对较高。基于此,文中采用阶段性pH调控策略,即将发酵初期的pH控     

The effect of pH and lactose concentration on solvent production from whey permeate using Clostridium acetobutylicum

A study was performed to optimize the production of solvents from whey permeate in batch fermentation using Clostridium acetobutylicum P262. Fermentations performed at relatively low pH values resulted in high solvent yields and productivities, but lactose utilization was incomplete. At higher pH values, lactose utilization was improved but acid production dominated over solvent production. When operating at the higher pH values, an increase in the initial lactose concentration of the whey permeate resulted in lower rates of lactose utilization, and this was accompanied by increased solvent production and decreased acid production. Analysis of data from several experiments revealed a strong inverse relationship between solvent yield and lactose utilization rate. Thus, conditions which minimize the lactose utilization rate, such as low culture pH values or high initial lactose concentrations, favor solventogenesis at the expense of acid production.     

Influence of bioreactor design on the rate and amount of curdlan-type exopolysaccharide production byAlcaligenes faecalis

Summary The amount of polymer recovered during lab-scale batch production of curdlan-type polysaccharide byAlcaligenes faecalis (ATCC 31749) was increased by 46% through the manipulation of the vessel configuration. When standard turbine impellers were used to provide mixing and agitation the specific rate of production, Qp, decreased significantly after 40–50 hours elapsed fermentation time, EFT. The Qp remained at a high level throughout the entire time course of production (90 hours) when (i) a propeller was substituted for a flat-blade turbine impeller in a conventional baffled stirred tank reactor, or (ii) agitation and mixing were accomplished in a non-rotary vibro-fermenter.     

The Effects of Nutrient Concentration,Addition of Thickeners,and Agitation Speed on Liquid Fermentation of Steinernema feltiae

Entomopathogenic nematode production in liquid fermentation still requires improvements to maximize efficiency, yield, and nematode quality. Therefore, this study was aimed at developing a more suitable liquid medium for mass production of Steinernema feltiae, by assessing the effects of nutrient concentration, thickeners (primarily agar), and agitation speed on infective juvenile (IJ) yield. Base medium (BM) contained yeast extract (2.3%), egg yolk (1.25%), NaCl (0.5%), and corn oil (4%). All media were inoculated with Xenorhabdus bovienii, and 2 d later, with 2-d-old S. feltiae juveniles. For the nutrient concentration experiment, we evaluated the base medium versus a modified base medium containing all the components, but with 3× concentrations of yeast extract (6.9%), egg yolk (3.75%), and corn oil (12%). The nematodes and bacteria were cultured in 150-ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 50 ml of liquid medium at (25°C) and 180 rpm on a rotary shaker incubator. To assess the effect of thickeners, IJs were inoculated in BM with agar (0.2%), carrageen (0.2%), and carboxymethyl cellulose (0.2% and 0.5%). The addition of 3× more nutrients relative to the BM resulted in a significantly lower yield of nematodes. For agar and agitation speed experiments, five levels of agar in the BM (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8% agar) and two agitation speeds (180 and 280 rpm) were evaluated for production. Increasing agitation speed from 180 to 280 rpm and higher levels of agar in the medium (> 0.2%) significantly increased the yield of bacteria. At the lower agitation speed, media amended with 0.4% and 0.6% agar produced higher nematode yields compared to media without agar. Media with 0.2% and 0.8% agar resulted in intermediate levels of nematode production. At the higher agitation speed, media supplemented with 0.8% agar resulted in the lowest yield of nematodes when compared to the other media tested. Results indicated that increasing nutrient concentration levels was detrimental to nematode production. Also, media containing agar (0.4% and 0.6%) increased nematode yields when cultures were grown at low agitation speed. When IJs were used as the inoculum, 0.2% agar also enhanced recovery and nematode yield at the higher agitation speed.     

EFFECT OF FERMENTATION PARAMETERS ON BIO-ALCOHOLS PRODUCTION FROM GLYCEROL USING IMMOBILIZED Clostridium pasteurianum: AN OPTIMIZATION STUDY

This article addresses the issue of effect of fermentation parameters for conversion of glycerol (in both pure and crude form) into three value-added products, namely, ethanol, butanol, and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), by immobilized Clostridium pasteurianum and thereby addresses the statistical optimization of this process. The analysis of effect of different process parameters such as agitation rate, fermentation temperature, medium pH, and initial glycerol concentration indicated that medium pH was the most critical factor for total alcohols production in case of pure glycerol as fermentation substrate. On the other hand, initial glycerol concentration was the most significant factor for fermentation with crude glycerol. An interesting observation was that the optimized set of fermentation parameters was found to be independent of the type of glycerol (either pure or crude) used. At optimum conditions of agitation rate (200 rpm), initial glycerol concentration (25 g/L), fermentation temperature (30°C), and medium pH (7.0), the total alcohols production was almost equal in anaerobic shake flasks and 2-L bioreactor. This essentially means that at optimum process parameters, the scale of operation does not affect the output of the process. The immobilized cells could be reused for multiple cycles for both pure and crude glycerol fermentation.     

废糟液全循环条件下絮凝酵母乙醇连续发酵

丙酸是以玉米为原料自絮凝酵母乙醇连续发酵系统废糟液全循环过程中积累的主要抑制物。基于丙酸对酵母细胞抑制机理,开发了3种废糟液全循环条件下乙醇连续发酵工艺策略。首先根据高温导致丙酸生成的现象,去除了物料灭菌环节,使发酵液丙酸浓度显著降低,生物量和乙醇浓度分别提高了59.3%和7.4%。其次,以丙酸浓度达到半数抑制浓度(IC50)40 mmol/L为目标,通过拟合丙酸积累数据预测废糟液全循环的最长运行时间,发酵装置运行应控制在此时间范围内。再次,较低的环境pH值提高了丙酸毒性,而实验证明发酵液pH为5.5时,丙酸对细胞生长的抑制影响最小,因此控制发酵过程中的pH有利于弱化丙酸毒性。     

Submerged production of pectolytic enzymes by Aspergillus niger: effect of different aeration/agitation regimes

Summary The production of a pectolytic enzyme complex in a 10-l strirred tank bioreactor was studied using the Aspergillus niger mutant A 138. A time course of the fermentation showed that the enzyme synthesis is not associated with growth. Maximal activity was reached after 95 h and from that time on it remained constant. Redox potential and pH values proved to be valuable indicators of the initiation and end of enzyme synthesis. The specific morphology of the fungus, growing in distinct pellets with long peripheral hyphae, resulted in a very dense and viscous broth. It represented a special problem for heat and mass transfer. An attempt was made to overcome this problem by different agitation and aeration regimes. These parameters did not change the morphology but had a marked influence on enzyme synthesis. When, at the time of maximal growth rate, aeration was increased from 0.5 vvm to 1.2 vvm, and agitation from 300 rpm to 500 rpm, the depectinizing activity was doubled in comparison with the results obtained when 0.5 vvm and 300 rpm were used throughout fermentation. When more intensive agitation was employed from the beginning of the process, the depectinizing activity was lowered from 60 to 45 units/ml, together with the viscosity and polygalacturonase activity. However, at the same time, the pectin esterase and pectinlyase yields increased. The required fermentation time was reduced from 95 to 65 h.This paper is dedicated to Prof. Robert M. Lafferty on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Growth, maintenance and fermentation pattern of the salt-tolerant lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophila in anaerobic glucose limited retention cultures

The homofermentative lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophila showed mixed acid fermentation at low growth-rates under glucose limiting conditions and in the presence of 10% NaCl. Maximum growth yields in fermentors with cell retention were not affected by pH, but maintenance requirement was at pH 5.2 four times higher than at pH 7.0. Despite the high salt-concentration of the medium, maintenance requirements were low compared to other lactic acid bacteria. The possible causes of the observed differences in maintenance requirements are discussed.