The mixed culture of microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa and yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for microbial biomass production

Microbial biomass which mostly generated from the microbial processes of bacteria, yeasts, and microalgae is an important resource. Recent concerns in microbial biomass production field, especially microbial lipid production for biofuel, have been focused towards the mixed culture of microalgae and yeast. To more comprehensive understanding of the mixed culture for microbial biomass, mono Chlorella pyrenoidosa, mono Yarrowia lipolytica and the mixed culture were investigated in the present work. Results showed that the mixed culture achieved significantly faster cell propagation of microalga and yeast, smaller individual cell size of yeast and higher relative chlorophyll content of microalga. The mixed culture facilitated the assimilation of carbon and nitrogen and drove the carbon flow to carbohydrate. Besides higher lipid yield (0.77 g/L), higher yields of carbohydrates (1.82 g/L), protein (1.99 g/L) and heating value (114.64 kJ/L) indicated the microbial biomass harvested from the mixed culture have more potential utilization in renewable energy, feedstuff, and chemical industry.

     

Newly developed medium and strategy for bacterial cellulose production

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has unique properties, such as high crystallinity, a high degree of polymerisation, high tensile strength and high purity, compared with native cellulose. In this study, a previously determined BC production medium was improved in static culture, and the production cost was evaluated and compared with molasses and with other defined media, such as Hestrin–Schramm, Zhou, Yamanaka and Park, using Gluconacetobacter xylinus. In addition to this analysis, because the surface area/volume ratio is an important parameter in static culture, different surface area/volume ratios were analysed in the range of 0.2–1.46. The defined medium (M1A05P5) and culture type contained glucose (10 g/L), yeast extract (10 g/L), peptone (7 g/L), acetic acid (1.5 ml/L), and ethanol (5 ml/L), and the pH was adjusted to 5.0 in static culture. The highest productivity was observed in the M1A05P5 medium that was 5-fold higher than either molasses or Park's medium. Although the molasses medium was proposed as a cost-effective medium, the production price of BC was the lowest in the M1A05P5 medium. Therefore, the newly developed medium and strategy were highly promising candidates for the industrial-scale production of BC.     

Effects of methanol on cell growth and lipid production from mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella sp.

The marine microalga Chlorella sp. was cultivated under mixotrophic conditions using methanol as an organic carbon source, which may also act to maintain the sterility of the medium for long-term outdoor cultivation. The optimal methanol concentration was determined to be 1% (v/v) for both cell growth and lipid production when supplying 5% CO₂ with 450 μE/m²/sec of continuous illumination. Under these conditions, the maximal cell biomass and total lipid production were 4.2 g dry wt/L and 17.5% (w/w), respectively, compared to 2.2 g dry wt/L and 12.5% (w/w) from autotrophic growth. Cell growth was inhibited at methanol concentrations above 1% (v/v) due to increased toxicity, whereas 1% methanol alone sustained 1.0 g dry wt/L and 4.8% total lipid production. We found that methanol was preferentially consumed during the initial period of cultivation, and carbon dioxide was consumed when the methanol was depleted. A 12:12 h (light:dark) cyclic illumination period produced favorable cell growth (3.6 g dry wt/L). Higher lipid production was observed with cyclic illumination than with continuous illumination (18.6% (w/w) vs 17.5% (w/w)), and better lipid production was also obtained under mixotrophic rather than autotrophic conditions. Interestingly, under mixotrophic conditions with 12:12 (h) cyclic illumination, high proportions of C_16:0, C_18:0, and C_18:1 were observed, which are beneficial for biodiesel production. These results strongly indicate that the carbon source is important for controlling both lipid composition and cell growth under mixotrophic conditions, and they suggest that methanol could be utilized to scale up production to an open pond type system for outdoor cultivation where light illumination changes periodically.     

Evaluation of closed photobioreactor types and operation variables for enhancing lipid productivity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nannochloropsis sp.</Emphasis> KMMCC 290 for biodiesel production

Previously, we have successfully produced biodiesel using the marine microalga Nannochloropsis sp. KMMCC 290 cultivated in a raceway open pond. Here, we investigated the effects of closed photobioreactors and operating variables on cell concentration and lipid content of the microalga to increase its lipid productivity. The flatplate photobioreactor (FPP) showed higher performance than bubble column and air-lift photobioreactors. Among the variables evaluated, light intensity, aeration rate, and carbon dioxide feeding significantly influenced cell concentration, whereas a simultaneous increase in light intensity and aeration rate, as well as carbon dioxide feeding noticeably increased the lipid content. The lipid productivity in the FPP was 26.7 × 10^-3 g/L/day, which was 16.6 times higher than that produced by the microalga cultivated in the raceway pond, 4.8 times higher than that from the simple flask-grown control culture, and 2.1 times higher than that from the FPP under initial conditions.     

Optimization of culturing conditions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Porphyridium cruentum</Emphasis> using uniform design

The red microalga Porphyridium contains many valuable compounds such as polysaccharides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and phycoerythrin (PE). In this study, a uniform design method and regression analysis were used to investigate the effects of initial pH, light intensity, inoculation ratio, and liquid volume in flask on the optimal biomass, exopolysaccharides (EPS), and PE production of Porphyridium cruentum in a batch culture at laboratory scale. Using regression analysis, we obtained the models to clarify the effects of individual factors and their interactions on the biomass, EPS, and PE production of P. cruentum. The optimal condition for the biomass was the following: pH 5.0, light intensity 7098.0 lx, inoculation ratio 1:17.2, and liquid volume 100.0 ml; for EPS was pH 5.0, light intensity 4501.0 lx, inoculation ratio 1:20, and liquid volume 100.3 ml; while pH 8.0, light intensity 7100.0 lx, inoculation ratio 1:20, and liquid volume 100.3 ml was the best for PE production. The maximum biomass 3.27 g/l, EPS production 543.1 mg/l, and PE production 132.0 mg/l were demonstrated by confirmatory experiment to the optimum culture conditions in a reciprocal shaker. The statistical methods used in the present study are useful strategies for optimizing of culture conditions for other microalgae.     

一株凝结芽孢杆菌的分离筛选及产孢条件优化

【背景】凝结芽孢杆菌除了具有一般乳酸菌的益生功能外,还具较强的耐酸、耐胆盐、耐高温、易贮存等生物特性。【目的】从泡菜中筛选一株性能优良的凝结芽孢杆菌用于微生态制剂的制备,并对其产孢率进行优化,为该菌株的进一步工业化生产提供参考依据。【方法】采用选择性培养基通过特定的培养条件,筛选到一株抑菌效果良好的产酸芽孢杆菌,并对其进行特异性引物的鉴定、16S rRNA基因序列分析及生理生化实验。通过单因素及正交试验对菌株的产芽孢条件进行优化。【结果】筛选得到一株凝结芽孢杆菌BC01,该菌株对大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli CVCC 1527)、鼠伤寒沙门氏菌(Salmonella typhimurium CVCC 2228)、产气荚膜梭菌(Clostridium perfringens CVCC 46)、猪霍乱沙门氏菌(Salmonella choleraesuis CVCC 503)等均有较强的抑制作用;模拟胃液处理120 min存活率达到94%;0.3%的胆盐存活率达到84.3%。单因素及正交试验优化后的最适培养基配方:糖蜜10.0 g/L,酵母浸出粉20.0 g/L,NaCl 5.0 g/L,K_2HPO_4 5.0 g/L,MnSO_4 10.0 mg/L;最适培养条件:接种量4%,温度45°C,初始pH 7.0,转速200 r/min,培养时间36 h。在该优化条件下,其活菌数最高达到6.7×10~9 CFU/mL,产孢率达到89.2%。【结论】筛选得到一株可用于微生态制剂的菌株——凝结芽孢杆菌BC01,对其产孢率进行了优化,为工业化生产奠定了基础。     

Statistical evaluation and modeling of cheap substrate-based cultivation medium of Chlorella vulgaris to enhance microalgae lipid as new potential feedstock for biolubricant

Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) microalga was investigated as a new potential feedstock for the production of biodegradable lubricant. In order to enhance microalgae lipid for biolubricant production, mixotrophic growth of C. vulgaris was optimized using statistical analysis of Plackett–Burman (P-B) and response surface methodology (RSM). A cheap substrate-based medium of molasses and corn steep liquor (CSL) was used instead of expensive mineral salts to reduce the total cost of microalgae production. The effects of molasses and CSL concentration (cheap substrates) and light intensity on the growth of microalgae and their lipid content were analyzed and modeled. Designed models by RSM showed good compatibility with a 95% confidence level when compared to the cultivation system. According to the models, optimal cultivation conditions were obtained with biomass productivity of 0.123 g L^?1 day^?1 and lipid dry weight of 0.64 g L^?1 as 35% of dry weight of C. vulgaris. The extracted microalgae lipid presented useful fatty acid for biolubricant production with viscosities of 42.00 cSt at 40°C and 8.500 cSt at 100°C, viscosity index of 185, flash point of 185°C, and pour point of ?6°C. These properties showed that microalgae lipid could be used as potential feedstock for biolubricant production.     

Fermentation of molasses by Zymomonas mobilis: effects of temperature and sugar concentration on ethanol production

Fermentations utilizing strains of Zymomonas mobilis, in place of the traditional yeasts, have been proposed due their ethanol yields being close to theoretical. Ethanol production from sugar cane molasses was analyzed under different culture conditions using Z. mobilis in batch fermentation. The total reducing sugars (TRS) concentrations in the molasses, temperature, agitation and culture time effects were studied simultaneously through factorial design. The best conditions for ethanol production were 200 g L(-1) of total reducing sugars in the molasses, temperature of 30 degrees C and static culture and time of fermentation of 48 h, achieving 55.8 g L(-1). The pH of the medium was kept constant during the experiments, showing that molasses presents a buffering effect.     

高生物量富硒酵母的选育及培养条件初步优化

通过筛选、单倍体分离、诱变和原生质体融合,从融合子中选育了一株高生物量富硒酵母菌株（编号为ZFF-28）,其细胞硒总含量分别是原始亲株ZY-67和ZY-198的2.8倍和2.0倍。通过单因素实验和正交试验设计,确定了优化培养条件：6%糖浓度的蔗糖糖蜜,添加0.5% (NH4)2SO4、0.1% H3PO4、60μg/mL Se,pH60～6.5,装液量50mL/250mL三角瓶,接种量10%,培养时间25h。在优化培养条件下,菌株ZFF_28的生物量可达8.2g/L,细胞中硒的含量达2050μg/g,硒总含量达到了16810μg/L,是培养条件优化前的1.3倍。细胞硒含量的91%为有机硒。     

Lipid production and composition of fatty acids in Chlorella vulgaris cultured using different methods: photoautotrophic,heterotrophic, and pure and mixed conditions

This study investigated the biomass, lipid production, fatty acid content, and other nutrients present in microorganisms by using four culture methods: (1) photoautotrophic pure Chlorella vulgaris cultures (PP); (2) heterotrophic pure C. vulgaris cultures (PH); (3) mixed cultures of Rhodotorula glutinis and C. vulgaris under photoautotrophic conditions (MP); and (4) heterotrophic mixed cultures (MH). The microorganisms in MP culture showed the optimum growth condition and lipid production. Among the cultures, MP yielded the highest number of cells and biomass (5.9?×?10⁵ cells/mL and 0.523 g/L, respectively). Furthermore, lipid production in MP culture was 114.22 mg/L, which is 136 % higher than that in MH culture (48.22 mg/L). Considering the higher contents of palmitic acid (C16:0) at 24.65 %, oleic acid (C18:1) at 56.34 %, and protein at 42.39 g/100 g in the MP culture than in other cultures, we proposed that MP could be used effectively to support the growth of microorganisms. This method could also be used as a potential approach for biodiesel production.     

Improvement of Omega-3 Docosahexaenoic Acid Production by Marine Dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii Using Rapeseed Meal Hydrolysate and Waste Molasses as Feedstock

Rapeseed meal and waste molasses are two important agro-industrial by-products which are produced in large quantities. In this study, solid state fermentation and fungal autolysis were performed to produce rapeseed meal hydrolysate (RMH) using fungal strains of Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium oxalicum and Neurospora crassa. The hydrolysate was used as fermentation feedstock for heterotrophic growth of microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii that produce docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The addition of waste molasses as a supplementary carbon source greatly increased the biomass and DHA yield. In the batch fermentations using media composed of diluted RMH (7%) and 1-9% waste molasses, the highest biomass concentration and DHA yield reached 3.43 g/L and 8.72 mg/L, respectively. The algal biomass produced from RMH and molasses medium also had a high percentage of DHA (22-34%) in total fatty acids similar to that of commercial algal biomass. RMH was shown to be rich in nitrogen supply comparable to the commercial nitrogen feedstock like yeast extract. Using RMH as sole nitrogen source, waste molasses excelled other carbon sources and produced the highest concentration of biomass. This study suggests that DHA production of the marine dinoflagellate C. cohnii could be greatly improved by concomitantly using the cheap by-products rapeseed meal hydrolysate and molasses as alternative feedstock.     

Monitoring growth and lipid production of new isolated oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus aerius UIMC65 on glucose and xylose cultures

Process monitoring is one of the most important factors affecting production efficiency at industrial scale bioprocesses. In the present work, Flow-cytometric analysis has been employed to monitor and determine neutral lipid cell droplets, granularity and size of the cells of the new oleaginous yeast, Cryptococcus aerius UIMC65. It has been shown that, differences of fluorescent intensity as well as side and forward scatter light properties have close correlations with the differences in lipid production by these yeast cells. The lipid content-related fluorescent intensity versus forward scatter parameter has been used to monitor and compare different subpopulations during growth phases on both glucose and xylose in batch cultures. Flow cytometric results have revealed that the observed differences in the proportion of each subpopulation were related to the specific growth phase and lipid content of the cells. The highest lipid content and lipid productivity were attained at 82.62%, 4.47 g/L (at 72 h) and 78.41%, 6.21 g/L (at 60 h) on glucose and xylose growth cultures, respectively. The highest biomass, lipid yield and biomass yield were found to be 7.92 g/L (on glucose culture, at 60 h), 20.92% (on glucose culture, at 48 h) and 50.71% (on glucose culture, at 24 h), respectively.     

Effects of Temperature and pH on Cell Growth of a Flocculating Microalga (Chlorella vulgaris) JSC-7

微藻是可广泛用于健康食品及水产养殖的饵料,同时,微藻细胞内积累的油脂可作为可再生生物燃料,因此微藻的生长和代谢受到广泛关注。温度和pH对微藻的生物量积累有很大影响,考察不同温度和pH条件下微藻细胞的生长有助于寻找最佳的条件进行微藻的培养。自絮凝小球藻JSC-7（Chlorella vulgaris JSC-7）可实现自沉降采收,有利于降低微藻生产成本,优化其生长条件对更好地利用该微藻具有重要意义。考察了温度（22∽40℃）及pH（6.0∽10.0）对其细胞生长、叶绿素含量和油脂产量的影响。在所选取的温度及pH范围内,JSC-7细胞均可生长,显示该藻种可以适应广泛的温度和pH条件。适合细胞生长的温度依次为31℃〉28℃〉35℃〉25℃,pH依次为7.0〉8.0〉6.0。pH 8.0时生物量和油脂的积累量最多,说明该藻株在弱碱条件下更适合生长和产油。当温度为31℃、pH为7.0时,可获得最高的生长量（OD690=0.941）、叶绿素含量（19 mg/L）及油脂产量（39.07%/克干重）。     

Effects of nitrogen concentration and media replacement on cell growth and lipid production of oleaginous marine microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica DUT01

Cell growth and lipid production of a marine microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica DUT01 were investigated, and fresh medium replacement with different ratios to promote long term cell growth and lipid accumulation was also tested. The highest lipid content reached 64% in nitrogen deplete f/2 medium containing 37.5 mg/L NaNO₃ combined with 1/5 fresh medium replacement, however, the highest lipid titer (0.6 g/L) and lipid productivity (31 mg/L/d) were achieved using BG11 medium containing 1.5 g/L NaNO₃, taking advantage of 1/5 fresh medium replacement as well, which corresponded to the maximum biomass production of 1.4 g/L, highlighting the importance of high biomass accumulation for efficient lipid production. When biomass compositions were monitored throughout the culture, decreased protein content was found to be coupled with increased lipid production, whereas relatively stable carbohydrate content was observed. The fatty acids in the lipid of N. oceanica DUT01 comprise over 65% saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated acids (i.e. palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1)), suggesting that N. oceanica DUT01 is a promising candidate for biodiesel production. Interestingly, very high content of hexadecadienoic acid (C16:2, about 26–33%) was produced by DUT01, which distinguished this microalga with other microalgae strains reported so far.     

Concomitant wastewater treatment with lipid and carotenoid production by the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides grown on brewery effluent enriched with sugarcane molasses and urea

In this study, secondary brewery wastewater (SBWW) supplemented with sugarcane molasses (SCM) was used for SBWW treatment with concomitant lipid and carotenoid production by the yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides NCYC 921. In order to improve the biomass production, ammonium sulfate, yeast extract and urea were tested as nitrogen sources. Urea was chosen as the best low-cost nitrogen source. A fed-batch cultivation was carried out with SBWW supplemented with 10 g L⁻¹ of sugarcane molasses as carbon source, and 2 g L⁻¹ of urea as nitrogen source. A maximum biomass concentration of 42.5 g L⁻¹ was obtained at t = 126.5 h and the maximum biomass productivity was 0.55 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ at t = 48.25 h. The maximum lipid content was 29.9 % w/w (DCW) at t = 94 h of cultivation and the maximum carotenoid content was 0.23 mg g⁻¹ at 120 h of cultivation. Relatively to the SBWW treatment, after the batch phase, 45.8 % of total Kjeldahl nitrogen removal, 81.7 % of COD removal and 100 % of sugar consumption were observed. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that 27.27 % of the cells had injured membrane after the inoculation. This proportion was reduced to 10.37 % at the end of the cultivation, indicating that cells adapted to the growth conditions.     

拉曼被孢霉F_5发酵生产γ—亚麻酸的研究

对拉曼被孢霉突变株F5发酵生产γ—亚麻酸的最适碳源、氮源、发酵时间及温度、无机盐离子添加、最适碳源浓度及补加碳源时间等发酵条件进行了研究探讨。最适发酵培养基组成为 (g/L) :葡萄糖 1 0 0 ,酵母浸出粉 4 ,蛋白胨 1 ,K2 HPO4 1 ,CaCl2 1× 1 0 - 2 ,MgSO4 5× 1 0 - 2 ,FeSO4 1× 1 0 - 2 ,ZnSO4 7.5× 1 0 - 3,CuSO4 0 .5× 1 0 - 3,MnSO4 2× 1 0 - 3,pH 6.0。培养温度为 2 5℃ ,1 4 0r/min振荡培养 1 0天 ,培养 8天后 (即收获前 2天 )补加 5 %葡萄糖。发酵结果为 :DC 2 4 .5 9g/L ,TL 1 0 .84g/L ,TL/DC 4 4.0 9% ,GLA/TL 1 0 .67% ,GLA产量为 1 1 5 6.63mg/L。GLA产量较初始结果提高 1 5 6.1 5 %。该菌株已达到工业化生产菌株要求     

Lasiodiplodan, an exocellular (1→6)-β-d-glucan from Lasiodiplodia theobromae MMPI: production on glucose, fermentation kinetics, rheology and anti-proliferative activity

Lasiodiplodan, an exopolysaccharide of the (1→6)-β-D: -glucan type, is produced by Lasiodiplodia theobromae MMPI when grown under submerged culture on glucose. The objective of this study was to evaluate lasiodiplodan production by examining the effects of carbon (glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose) and nitrogen sources (KNO(3), (NH(4))(2)SO(4), urea, yeast extract, peptone), its production in shake flasks compared to a stirred-tank bioreactor, and to study the rheology of lasiodiplodan, and lasiodiplodan's anti-proliferative effect on breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Although glucose (2.05 ± 0.05 g L(-1)), maltose (2.08 ± 0.04 g L(-1)) and yeast extract (2.46 ± 0.06 g L(-1)) produced the highest amounts of lasiodiplodan, urea as N source resulted in more lasiodiplodan per unit biomass than yeast extract (0.74 ± 0.006 vs. 0.22 ± 0.008 g g(-1)). A comparison of the fermentative parameters of L. theobromae MMPI in shake flasks and a stirred-tank bioreactor at 120 h on glucose as carbon source showed maximum lasiodiplodan production in agitated flasks (7.01 ± 0.07 g L(-1)) with a specific yield of 0.25 ± 0.57 g g(-1) and a volumetric productivity of 0.06 ± 0.001 g L(-1) h(-1). A factorial 2(2) statistical design developed to evaluate the effect of glucose concentration (20-60 g L(-1)) and impeller speed (100-200 rpm) on lasiodiplodan production in the bioreactor showed the highest production (6.32 g L(-1)) at 72 h. Lasiodiplodan presented pseudoplastic behaviour, and the apparent viscosity increased at 60°C in the presence of CaCl(2). Anti-proliferative activity of lasiodiplodan was demonstrated in MCF-7 cells, which was time- and dose-dependent with an IC(50) of 100 μg lasiodiplodan mL(-1).     

High-productivity lipid production using mixed trophic state cultivation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Auxenochlorella</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">protothecoides</Emphasis>

A mixed trophic state production process for algal lipids for use as feedstock for renewable biofuel production was developed and deployed at subpilot scale using a green microalga, Auxenochlorella (Chlorella) protothecoides. The process is composed of two separate stages: (1) the photoautotrophic stage, focused on biomass production in open ponds, and (2) the heterotrophic stage focused on lipid production and accumulation in aerobic bioreactors using fixed carbon substrates (e.g., sugar). The process achieved biomass and lipid productivities of 0.5 and 0.27 g/L/h that were, respectively, over 250 and 670 times higher than those obtained from the photoautotrophic cultivation stage. The biomass oil content (over 60 % w/DCW) following the two-stage process was predominantly monounsaturated fatty acids (~82 %) and largely free of contaminating pigments that is more suitable for biodiesel production than photosynthetically generated lipid. Similar process performances were obtained using cassava hydrolysate as an alternative feedstock to glucose.     

Lipid production in batch and fed-batch cultures of Rhodosporidium toruloides from 5 and 6 carbon carbohydrates

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Microbial lipids are a potential source of bio- or renewable diesel and the red yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides is interesting not only because it can accumulate over 50% of its dry biomass as lipid, but also because it utilises both five and six carbon carbohydrates, which are present in plant biomass hydrolysates. METHODS: R. toruloides was grown in batch and fed-batch cultures in 0.5 l bioreactors at pH 4 in chemically defined, nitrogen restricted (C/N 40 to 100) media containing glucose, xylose, arabinose, or all three carbohydrates as carbon source. Lipid was extracted from the biomass using chloroform-methanol, measured gravimetrically and analysed by GC. RESULTS: R. toruloides was grown on glucose, xylose, arabinose or mixtures of these carbohydrates in batch and fed-batch, nitrogen restricted conditions. Lipid production was most efficient with glucose (up to 25 g lipid L1, 48 to 75% lipid in the biomass, at up to 0.21 g lipid L1h1) as the sole carbon source, but high lipid concentrations were also produced from xylose (36 to 45% lipid in biomass). Lipid production was low (15-19% lipid in biomass) with arabinose as sole carbon source and was lower than expected (30% lipid in biomass) when glucose, xylose and arabinose were provided simultaneously. The presence of arabinose and/or xylose in the medium increased the proportion of palmitic and linoleic acid and reduced the proportion of oleic acid in the fatty acids, compared to glucose-grown cells. High cell densities were obtained in both batch (37 g L1, with 49% lipid in the biomass) and fed-batch (35 to 47 g L1, with 50 to 75% lipid in the biomass) cultures. The highest proportion of lipid in the biomass was observed in cultures given nitrogen during the batch phase but none with the feed. However, carbohydrate consumption was incomplete when the feed did not contain nitrogen and the highest total lipid and best substrate consumption were observed in cultures which received a constant low nitrogen supply. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid production in R. toruloides was lower from arabinose and mixed carbohydrates than from glucose or xylose. Although high biomass and lipid production were achieved in both batch and fed-batch cultures with glucose as carbon source, for lipid production from mixtures of carbohydrates fed-batch cultivation was preferable. Constant feeding was better than intermittent feeding. The feeding strategy did not affect the relative proportion of different fatty acids in the lipid, but the presence of C5 sugars did.     

Use of whey lactose from dairy industry for economical kefiran production by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens in mixed cultures with yeasts

To evaluate the feasibility of producing kefiran industrially, whey lactose, a by-product from dairy industry, was used as a low cost carbon source. Because the accumulation of lactic acid as a by-product of Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens inhibited cell growth and kefiran production, the kefir grain derived and non-derived yeasts were screened for their abilities to reduce lactic acid and promote kefiran production in a mixed culture. Six species of yeasts were examined: Torulaspora delbrueckii IFO 1626; Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 0216; Debaryomyces hansenii TISTR 5155; Saccharomyces exiguus TISTR 5081; Zygosaccharomyces rouxii TISTR 5044; and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis TISTR 5018. The mixed culture of L. kefiranofaciens with S. cerevisiae IFO 0216 enhanced the kefiran production best from 568 mg/L in the pure culture up to 807 and 938 mg/L in the mixed cultures under anaerobic and microaerobic conditions, respectively. The optimal conditions for kefiran production by the mixed culture were: whey lactose 4%; yeast extract 4%; initial pH of 5.5; and initial amounts of L. kefiranofaciens and S. cerevisiae IFO 0216 of 2.1×10(7) and 4.0×10(6)CFU/mL, respectively. Scaling up the mixed culture in a 2L bioreactor with dissolved oxygen control at 5% and pH control at 5.5 gave the maximum kefiran production of 2,580 mg/L in batch culture and 3,250 mg/L in fed-batch culture.