Production of Candida utilis Biomass and Intracellular Protein Content: Effect of Agitation Speed and Aeration Rate

Abstract

The effects of agitation speed and aeration rate on the Candida utilis biomass and the intracellular protein content were investigated in this study. C. utilis inoculum of 10 6 cells/mL (7.8 % v/v) was cultured in 1.5 L pineapple waste medium (3 % Brix) in a 2-L fermentor for 30 h at 30 °C. Agitation speed and aeration rate have significant effects on the dissolved oxygen concentration, which in turn affect the cell growth and the intracellular protein content. The agitation speed of 100, 300, 500, 700 and 900 rpm was employed. The highest yield of protein content (1.2 g/L media) and total biomass (7.8 g/L media) were resulted from yeast cultivation with agitation speed of 900 rpm. Thus, the effects of aeration rate (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 L/min) were studied at agitation speed of 900 rpm. A maximum yield of protein content (1.6 g/L media) and biomass (9.5 g/L media) were attained at aeration rate of 2.0 L/min.