Kinetic study on succinic acid and acetic acid formation during continuous cultures of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens grown on glycerol

Abstract

Succinic acid-producing Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens was anaerobically grown in a glycerol-fed continuous bioreactor in order to investigate the physiological responses of the cell to different pH values (5.9, 6.2, or 6.5) and various dilution rates, D. In these experiments, A. succiniciproducens showed a pH-dependent glycerol consumption behavior. When pH was maintained at 5.9 or 6.5, glycerol started to accumulate even at a very low D of 0.027 h(-1). Succinic acid yield was not significantly affected by the pH of the culture or the Ds. However, more acetic acid formation was observed when the growth rate of A. succiniciproducens was fast on glycerol at pH 6.2 (at D > or = 0.15 h(-1)). The highest obtainable succinic acid/acetic acid ratio was 40:1, which was 10 times higher than that obtained by batch cultures grown on glucose. The maximum obtainable productivity of succinic acid was 2.1 g L(-1) h(-1)), which was 14 times higher than that obtained by batch culture.