Fermentation: Cruz, Tiffany Era, Emil D. Humarang, Jelain
Fermentation: Cruz, Tiffany Era, Emil D. Humarang, Jelain
Fermentation: Cruz, Tiffany Era, Emil D. Humarang, Jelain
Cruz, Tiffany
Grace V.
Era, Emil D.
Humarang, Jelain
A.
Introduction
Fermentation technology is the oldest of all biotechnological processes.
The term is derived from the Latin verb fevere, to boil--the appearance of
fruit extracts or malted grain acted upon by yeast, during the production
of alcohol.
Fermentation is a process of chemical change caused by organisms or
their products, usually producing effervescence and heat.
Microbiologists consider fermentation as 'any process for the production
of a product by means of mass culture of micro-organisms'.
Biochemists consider fermentation as 'an energy-generating process in
which organic compounds act both as electron donors and acceptors';
hence fermentation is an anaerobic process where energy is produced
without the participation of oxygen or other inorganic electron
acceptors.
MICROORGANISMS
Several speciesbelongingto the following categories of
micro-organisms are used in fermentation processes:
PROKARYOTIC Unicellular: bacteria,
cyanobacteria
Multicellular:
cyanobacteria
EUKARYOTIC Unicellular: yeasts,
algae
Multicellular: fungi,
MICROBIAL GROWTH
A. REQUIREMENTS FOR ARTIFICIAL CULTURE
The growth of organisms involves complex energy basedprocesses. The rate of
growth of micro-organisms is dependent upon severalculture conditions,which
should provide for the energy required for various chemical reactions. The
production of a specific compound requires very precise cultural conditions at a
particular growth rate. Many systems now operate under computer control.
The rate of growth of micro-organisms and hence the synthesis of various chemical
compounds under artificial culture, requires organism specific chemical compounds
as thegrowth (nutrient) medium. The kinds and relative concentrations of
the ingredients of the medium, the pH, temperature, purity of the cultured organism,
etc., influence microbial growth and hence the production ofbiomass(the total
mass of cells or the organism being cultured), and the synthesis of various
compounds. The nutrient sources for industrial fermentation are given in Table 1.
Exponential Phase
The second phase in the fermentation process
The cells have adjusted to their environment
and rapid growth takes place
Cell growth rate is highest in this phase
Stationary phase
This is the third phase in the fermentation process
The cell growth rate has leveled off and become constant
The number of cells multiplying equals the number of cells dying
Death phase
The fourth phase in the fermentation process
The number of cells dying is greater than the number of cells
multiplying
The cause of the death phase is usually that the cells have consumed most of
the nutrients in the medium and there is not enough left for sustainability
FERMENTERS AND
BIOREACTORS
A fermenter is the set up to carry out theprocess of fermentation. The
fermenters vary from laboratory experimental models of one or two liters
capacity, to industrial models of several hundred liters capacity, which
refers to the volume of the main fermenting vessel.
Abioreactordiffers from a fermenter in that the former is used for the
mass culture of plant or animal cells, instead of micro-organisms. The
chemical compounds synthesized by these cultured cells, such as
therapeutic agents, can be extracted easily from the cell biomass.
The design engineering and operational parameters of both fermenters
and bioreactors are identical. With the involvement of micro-organisms
as elicitors in some situations, the distinction between the two concepts is
being gradually obliterated.
DESIGN OF INDUSTRIAL
FERMENTATIONPROCESS
The fermentation process requires the following:
a) a purecultureof the chosen organism, in sufficient quantity and in the
correct physiological state;
b) sterilised, carefully composedmedium for growthof the organism;
c) aseed fermenter, a mini-model of production fermenter to develop an
inoculum to initiate theprocessin themain fermenter;
d) aproduction fermenter, the functional large model; and
e) equipment for i) drawing the culture medium in steady state, ii) cell
separation, iii) collection of cell free supernatant, iv) product purification, and
v) effluent treatment.
Items a) to c) above constitute theupstreamand e) constitutes
thedownstream, of the fermentation process,
Fermenters/bioreactors are equipped with an aerator to supply oxygen in
2. Continuous fermentation
Growth of microorganisms during batch fermentation
confirms to the characteristic growth curve, with a lag
phase followed by a logarithmic phase. This, in turn, is
terminated by progressive decrements in the rate of
growth until the stationary phase is reached. This is
because of limitation of one or more of the essential
nutrients. In continuous fermentation, the substrate is
added to the fermenter continuously at a fixed rate. This
maintains the organisms in the logarithmic growth phase.
The fermentation products are taken out continuously.
The design and arrangements for continuous
fermentation are somewhat complex.
3. Aerobic fermentations
A number of industrial processes,
although called 'fermentations', are
carried on by microorganisms under
aerobic conditions. In older aerobic
processes it was necessary to furnish
a large surface area by exposing
fermentation media to air. In modern
fermentation processes aerobic
conditions are maintained in a closed
fermenter with submerged cultures.
The contents of the fermenter are
agitated with au impeller and aerated
by forcing sterilized air.
4. Anaerobic fermentations
Basically a fermenter designed to operate under microaerophilic or anaerobic conditions will be the same as
that designed to operate under aerobic conditions,
except that arrangements for intense agitation and
aeration are unnecessary. Many anaerobic fermentations
do, however, require mild aeration for the initial growth
phase, and sufficient N agitation for mixing and
maintenance of temperature.
Inoculum build upis the preparation of the seed culture in amounts sufficient to be used in the
large fermenter vessel. This involves growing the microorganismsobtained from the pure
stock cultureinseveral consecutive fermenters. This process cuts down the time required
for the growth of microorganisms in the fermenter, thereby increasing the rate of productivity.
Then the seed culture obtained through this process is used to inoculate the fermentation
medium.
Fermentation Products
Commercially important products of fermentation can be described in five
major groups as follows.
1.Biomass(Bakers yeast, SCP, Starter cultures, animal feed, etc.)
2.Primary metabolites(amino acids, organic acids, vitamins,
polysaccharides, ethanol, etc.) andsecondary metabolites(antibiotics,
etc.)
3.Bioconvertion or biotransformation products(steroid
biotransformation, L-sorbitol etc.)
4.Enzymes(amylase, lipase, cellulase, etc.)
5.Recombinant products(some vaccines, hormones such as isulin and
growth hormones etc.)
Applications of Fermentation
Early in human history, people used naturally occurring yeast for fermentation. The
products of such reactions depended on whatever enzymes might occur in "wild" yeast.
Today, wine-makers are able to select from a variety of specially cultured yeast that
control the precise direction that fermentation will take.
Ethyl alcohol is not the only useful product of fermentation. The carbon dioxide
generated during fermentation is also an important component of many baked goods.
When the batter for bread is mixed, for example, a small amount of sugar and yeast is
added. During the rising period, sugar is fermented by enzymes in the yeast, with the
formation of carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gives the batter bulkiness and
texture that would be lacking without the fermentation process.
Fermentation has a number of commercial applications beyond those described thus far.
Many occur in the food preparation and processing industry. A variety of bacteria are
used in the production of olives, cucumber pickles, and sauerkraut from the raw olives,
cucumbers, and cabbage, respectively. The selection of exactly the right bacteria and the
right conditions (for example, acidity and salt concentration) is an art in producing food
products with exactly the desired flavors. An interesting line of research in the food
sciences is aimed at the production of edible food products by the fermentation of
petroleum.
CONCLUSION
Fermentation technology is a very vibrant and fast
growing area of biotechnology, absorbing an ever
increasing processes and products. With a longer
history than any area of biological sciences, fermentation
technology has a longer and brighter future, in the
service of mankind, covering such important areas as
food and medicine.
References:
http://www.gitam.edu/eresource/environmental/em_maruth
i/industrial.htm
http://science.jrank.org/pages/2677/Fermentation-Uses.h
tml
http://www.biotechnologyforums.com/thread-2336.html