Production of curdlan using sucrose or sugar cane molasses by two-step fed-batch cultivation of Agrobacterium species

Maltose and sucrose were efficient carbon sources for the production of curdlan by a strain of Agrobacterium sp. A two-step, fed-batch operation was designed in which biomass was first produced, followed by curdlan production which was stimulated by nitrogen limitation. There exists an optimal timing for nitrogen limitation for curdlan production in the two-step, fed-batch operation. Maximum curdlan production (60 g L⁻¹) was obtained from sucrose with a productivity of 0.2 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ when nitrogen was limited at a cell concentration of 16.0 g L⁻¹. It was also noted that the curdlan yield from sucrose was as high as 0.45 g curdlan g⁻¹ sucrose, and the highest specific production rate was 1.0 g curdlan g⁻¹ cells h⁻¹ right after nitrogen limitation. Of particular importance was the use of molasses as a cheap carbon source to produce curdlan in the two-step, fed-batch cultivation. As high as 42 g L⁻¹ of curdlan with a yield of 0.35 g curdlan g⁻¹ total sugar was obtained after 120 h of fed-batch cultivation. Received 20 August 1996/ Accepted in revised form 26 November 1996