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Effects of glycerol on alcohol fermentation. Inhibition mechanism and diffusion limitations

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Abstract

Batch alcohol fermentations have been carried out varying the starting level of glycerol in the broth and keeping constant all the other fermentation parameters, in order to study the effect of the accumulation of this metabolite on the fermentation kinetics. A linear slow decrease of the maximum specific ethanol productivity with increasing glycerol level has been followed by a sharp fall of this parameter over a glycerol concentration threshold. A kinetic study through unstructured integrated models demonstrates that, at low concentrations, glycerol behaves as a non competitive inhibitor of fermentation, while, over a concentration threshold (105 kg/m3), an additional effect takes place, likely ascribable to diffusion limitations provoked by excess viscosity of the broth.

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Abbreviations

c g kg/m3 :

glycerol concentration

c p kg/m3 :

ethanol concentration

c p,m kg/m3 :

ethanol concentration over which ethanol production is stopped

c s kg/m3 :

substrate (glucose) concentration

c s,o kg/m3 :

starting substrate concentration

c x kg/m3 :

biomass concentration

c x,o kg/m3 :

starting biomass concentration

D L cm2/s:

diffusivity

k :

Constantin eq. (14)

k 1 kg/kgh:

a constant in Ciftci model

k 2 m3/kg:

a constant in Ciftci model

K g kg/m3 :

glycerol inhibition constant

K p kg/m3 :

product inhibition constant

K s kg/m3 :

saturation constant

M kg/kmol:

molecular weight

t h:

fermentation time

T K:

temperature

T c K:

parameter in eq. (13)

V cm3/mol:

molar volume

V c cm3/mol:

parameter in eq. (13)

x :

molar fraction

X :

solvent association number

Y ps :

product yield on substrate

Y xp :

biomass yield on product

Y xs :

biomass yield on substrate

α :

parameter in eq. (3)

α 1 :

parameter in eq. (4)

β :

parameter in eq. (3)

β 1 :

parameter in eq. (4)

γ m3/kg:

parameter in eq. (3)

γ 1 m3/kg:

parameter in eq. (4)

δ 1 kg/m3 :

parameter in eq. (3)

ɛ :

parameter in eqs. (12) and (13)

ɛ 1 :

parameter in eq. (3)

η m mPa · s:

broth viscosity

ν kg/kgh:

specific productivity

ν max kg/kgh:

maximum specific productivity

ν max0 kg/kgh:

maximum specific productivity at c s,o=0

ν max′ kg/kgh:

starting specific productivity

ψ w,g :

interaction parameter

ω :

degree of substrate inhibition on ethanol formation

1:

glycerol competitive-type inhibition

2:

glycerol uncompetitive-type inhibition

3:

glycerol non competitive-type inhibition

w :

water

g :

glycerol

m :

mixture

s :

substrate

p :

product

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemical Engineering Science and Technology, Genoa University, Via Opera Pia, 15, I-16145, Genoa, Italy

    A. Converti, M. Zilli, M. Rovatti & M. Del Borghi

  2. Advanced Biotechnology Center, Viale Benedetto XV, 10, I-16132, Genoa, Italy

    A. Converti & M. Del Borghi

Authors
  1. A. Converti
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  2. M. Zilli
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  3. M. Rovatti
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  4. M. Del Borghi
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Converti, A., Zilli, M., Rovatti, M. et al. Effects of glycerol on alcohol fermentation. Inhibition mechanism and diffusion limitations. Bioprocess Engineering 13, 257–263 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00417637

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