Kinetic studies of gluconic acid fermentations

The kinetics of the gluconic acid fermentation have been studied at pH 5.8 Pseudomonas ovalis B‐1486 was used as the fermenting organism. D‐Gluconolactone was found as an intermediate in the fermentation and accumulated at times in large amounts. When this occurred, hydrolysis of the lactone was found to be the rate limiting reaction. This can be, under certain conditions, a poor fermentation in which to study oxygen transfer limiting conditions. Further, it is impossible to relate batch and continuous kinetic data for this fermentation unless the lactone hydrolysis reaction is taken into account.