Kinetic studies of penicillin production during batch and repeated batch in fluidized bed bioreactor with agar immobilized <i style="">P. chrysogenum</i> cells

Abstract

The fermentation kinetics of penicillin production by <i style="">Penicillium chrysogenum</i> was carried out at 27°C and <i style="">p</i>H 6.0. Batch and repeated batch fermentations using agar-immobilized cells in fluidized bed bioreactor were studied for their potential application in production of penicillin from lactose, a fermentable sugar. Kinetics of immobilized cell fermentation, showed the penicillin yield of ~0.0155 g/l, with highest penicillin concentration of ~57.09 mg/l and the high reactor productivity of ~23.8 mg/l h^-1. Repeated batch fermentation experiments showed that the immobilized biocatalysts could be recycled effectively for 5 cycles. Penicillin yield was 4-5-fold greater by this method of immobilization, with high productivity as compared to free cells and other immobilization methods.