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Lactic acid production by Lactobacillus delbrueckii in a dual reactor system using packed bed biofilm reactor.

Rangaswamy V, Ramakrishna SV

Industrial Biotechnology Group, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd, Navi Mumbai, India. vidhya_rangaswamy@relbio.com

AIMS: An integrated dual reactor system for continuous production of lactic acid by Lactobacillus delbrueckii using biofilms developed on reticulated polyurethane foam (PUF) is demonstrated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lactobacillus delbrueckii was immobilized on PUF, packed in a bioreactor and used in lactic acid fermentation. The rate of lactic acid production was significantly high with a volumetric productivity of 5 g l(-1) h(-1) over extended period of time. When coupled to a bioreactor, the system could be operated as dual reactor for over 1000 h continuously without augmentation of inoculum and no compromise on productivity. CONCLUSIONS: Polyurethane foams offer an excellent support for biofilm formation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The system was very robust and could be operated for prolonged period at a volumetric productivity of 4-6 g l(-1) h(-1).

Published 20 May 2008 in Lett Appl Microbiol, 46(6): 661-6.
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