Citric acid production from glucose. I. Growth and excretion kinetics in a stirred fermentor

The growth and citric acid production kinetics of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica on glucose are investigated in an aerated stirred fermentor. Cellular growth first proceeds exponentially until exhaustion of ammonia in the fermentation medium. Cells then continue to grow at a reduced rate with a concomitant decrease in intracellular nitrogen content. Citric and isocitric acid production starts at the end of the growth phase. During about 80 hr excretion proceeds at a constant rate of 0.7 g/liter/hr for citric acid and 0.1 g/liter/hr for isocitric acid. The final citric and isocitric acid concentrations are 95 and 10g/liter, respectively. During acid excretion cellular respiration accounts for 60 and 35% of consumed oxygen and glucose. Both acid and CO2 production rates follow a Michaelis–Menten‐type dependence on oxygen concentration with Michaelis–Menten constants of 0.9 and 0.15 mg/liter for acid and CO2 productions, respectively.