Comparative study of production of dextransucrase and dextran by cells of Leuconostoc mesenteroides immobilized on Celite and in calcium alginate beads

In fed-batch fermentation, cells of L. mesenteroides immobilized on three types of Celite were used to produce dextransucrase (DS) followed by production of dextran. A layer of calcium alginate on the porous Celite R630 particles improved their mechanical stability, increased the amount of soluble DS produced and decreased the cell leakage from the highly porous support. Enzyme production with the immobilized cell cultures was significantly affected by both pore and particle size. Immobilized cultures using Celite R648 (average particle radius of 200 mum and pore size of 0.14 mum) produced the highest total enzymatic activity, followed by Celite R633, alginate-coated Celite R630, Celite R630, and then calcium alginate beads. Culture of free cells produced about 18% more total enzymatic activity than immobilized cells in calcium alginate beads, but about 64% less than immobilized cells on Celite R630. It is expected that larger amounts of enzymatic activity than measured are immobilized inside the alginate-coated Celite R630 and calcium alginate beads due to the mass transfer limitation conferred by the dextran product formed therein. The dextran yield from conversion of sucrose to dextran and fructose with all such enzyme-enriched, immobilized-cell cultures was higher than that obtained from free-cell culture under similar conditions.