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Fermentation Technology

Fermentation technology involves the breakdown of larger molecules into simpler ones using microorganisms, which can be classified into autotrophs and heterotrophs based on their ATP-generating pathways. Various types of microbial cultures, such as batch, continuous, and fed-batch cultures, are utilized to produce primary and secondary metabolites, enzymes, and microbial biomass. Techniques like mutation and recombination are employed to improve the productivity of microbial strains for higher yields of desired products.

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2 views

Fermentation Technology

Fermentation technology involves the breakdown of larger molecules into simpler ones using microorganisms, which can be classified into autotrophs and heterotrophs based on their ATP-generating pathways. Various types of microbial cultures, such as batch, continuous, and fed-batch cultures, are utilized to produce primary and secondary metabolites, enzymes, and microbial biomass. Techniques like mutation and recombination are employed to improve the productivity of microbial strains for higher yields of desired products.

Uploaded by

saidiachy181
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fermentation technology

The word ‘Fermentation’ is derived from the Latin word ‘fervere’,


which means to boil.

Conventional definition:Fermentation is the breakdown of


larger molecules into smaller and simple molecules using micro-
organisms.

In Biotechnology: Fermentation means any process by which


micro-organisms are grown in large quantities to produce any
type of useful materials.

Biochemically: Fermentation involves a number of oxidation


reduction reactions in which the organic compounds act as
donors or acceptors of hydrogen ions.
Types of organisms

Depending on the ATP generating metabolic pathways, the organisms


can be classified into two groups such as –

Autotrophs: In autotrophs ATP is generated by electron transport


chain, which follows oxidation of organic material prepared during
photosynthesis. Here oxidation is taken place within the
microorganism.

Heterotrophs: In heterotrophs, ATPs are generated by oxidation of


organic compounds in the growth substrates either in presence or
absence of oxygen.it is taken place in the medium.anisms, ATPs are
generated by oxidation of organic compounds in presence of oxygen
named asare generated by oxidation of organic compoungrowrbsenof
oxygen and known as anaerobic respiration or fermentation.
Micro-organisms Used in Fermentation

Many species of micro-organisms are used in


fermentation process to produce useful products.
They include.
1.Bacteria
2.Algae
3.Fungi
4.Actinomycetes
Cultivation of Micro organisms
Different types of microbial cultures are used for different
purposes. Some of the common types of cultures are –

 Batch culture
 Continuous culture
 Fed-Batch culture.
Batch Culture
Simplest method of culturing the micro-
organisms. In this system the fermentor is a
closed system,
where micro-organisms are placed after isolation
and medium are provided through inlet. In a batch
culture, the microbes pass through a number of
stages in their growth, they are-
 Latent stages or lag phase
 Exponential stages or log phase.
 Stable stage or stationary phase
 Death stage or decline phase
Latent stage or lag phase
The growth of micro-organisms will not occur immediately
after inoculation. They take sometime to adjust or adapt
to the medium. This time is called as lag phase or latent
stage.

The time is reduced by optimizing the conditions such as –


pH, temperature, nutrients etc to make it economical
Exponential stages or log phase
There is a rapid growth of cell and there is a drustic
multiplication of cell. In this phase, the microbes
grow in an exponential manner consuming the
nutrients present in the medium. This phase is
called as exponential or log phase. Primary
metabolites produced during exponential stage.
Stable stage or stationary phase
As soon as the level of nutrients is reduced or
exchausted in the medium, the growth of culture
gradually slow down due to accumulation of toxic
metabolites which inhibit the growth. This phase is
known as stationary phase or deceleration phase.

At this stage, cell growth is continued and secondary


metabolites are also found at this stage.
Death stage or decline phase
At the final stage, the nutrients in the medium exhaust
completely & there will be accumulation of toxic
materials, which leads to the death of the microbial cells
& this stage is called as death or decline phase.

This stage sometimes plays a vital role, because the toxic


materials which responsible for cell death are very promising
source of desired components (such as antibiotic)
Continuous Culture

If the culture is designed such that the cessation of


growth is due to depletion of nutrients rather than
by accumulation of toxins, the exponential growth in
batch culture can be prolonged by the addition of
fresh medium to the reactor. If the addition of fresh
medium displaces an equal amount of culture, then
continuous production of cells could be achieved.

It is useful in case of industrial purpose & applicable


where by-product is not toxic.
Fed-Batch cultures

It is also the batch culture, which is fed continuously


with fresh medium without the removal of original
culture from the fermenter. The volume of the
medium in the fermenter increases continuously.
It is an open-close system.
Products obtained from Micro-
organisms

 Primary metabolites
 Secondary metabolites
 Enzymes
 Microbial biomass.
Primary metabolites

These are the substances produced during log phase


of growth curve. These are the intermediate
products of metabolism of micro-organisms. They
are required either for growth or for energy
Secondary metabolites

These are the products obtained from micro-


organisms during stationary phase of growth curve.
These are the substances other than primary
metabolites like toxins, alkaloids, antibiotics etc.
These are produced by micro-organisms in response
to depletion of one or more nutrients in the culture
medium.
Enzymes

Most of the microbes produce extra cellular enzymes


but some intracellular enzymes are also produced.
These enzymes are isolated & purified in different
process.
Microbial Biomass

The microbial biomass is also called as microbial


protein or single cell protein (SCP), SCP is highly
useful in supplying protein during food shortage
Improvement of Microbial strains

To get the highest possible yield of the fermented


product it is the major requirement that the micro-
organism being utilized should have highest
production capacities.
But such strains are very rare in nature & the
organisms from natural environment produce very
small amount of desired metabolites. Hence, it is
necessary to improve the “productivity” of the
organisms.
Techniques to improve productivity

To improve the productivity of the organism, there


are two prominent techniques,
 Mutation.
 Recombination
Mutation
Definition : the changes that occur in the nucleotide
sequence of DNA are called as mutation.

 Mutant: The strain that exhibits altered characters due to


mutation is called mutant.

 Mutagens: The factor due to which the change occurred in


the nucleotide sequence of DNA is called the mutagen.
The mutagenic agents could be –
UV radiation, ionization radiation, chemicals (like – nitrous
acid, nitrosoguanidine, alkylating agents etc.)

Due to the mutation, there are change in genes of genome


which responsible for the change of characteristics of cells
of microorganism to produce new proteins. So, these new
strains give high yield.
Limitation

The major drawback of this mutation induced


improvisation of cell strains are that.
 It is not always possible using standard mutation
techniques.
 To predetermine the gene that will be affected by
the mutagens because a mutagenesis is not site
specific.
Process

Take broth culture medium into


Erlenmeyer flask

Inoculate micro-organisms into it

Exposure to either physical or chemical


mutagens

About 90 to 99% cell will die only 10 to


1% cell survive which is mutant.

A small portion of these cells could be


the one which produces large amount of
bioactive components of interest
Purpose of selection of mutant

Identification of superior producers from a group of


mutants is an important task. Usually types of
metabolites are identified.
 Selection of mutant producing improved level of
primary metabolites
 Selection of secondary metabolites producing
strains.
Selection of mutant producing
unproved level of primary metabolites

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