[Kinetic models for the effect of temperature on batch glutathione fermentation by Candida utilis]

Glutathione (L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine), one of the major non-protein thiol compounds, is widely distributed in living cells and plays an important role in maintaining the normal redox environment of cells as an antioxidant. In the production of glutathione by fermentation, temperature is one of the most important environmental factors that affect the yield and the productivity of glutathione. Here the effect of temperature, varied from 24 degrees C to 32 degrees C, on the batch fermentation of glutathione in a 7 L stirred fermenter by Candida utilis WSH 02-08 was investigated. It was found that cell growth was hastened along with the increase of temperature. The maximum dry cell weight was achieved approximately 16 g/L under various temperatures, as soon as the glucose was exhausted. The effect of temperature on glutathione production was different from that on cell growth: the lower the temperature, the higher the glutathione production, i.e. the maximum glutathione concentration at 32 degrees C (235 mg/L) was only 75% and 64% of that at 30 degrees C and 26 degrees C, respectively. The maximum average specific growth rate (0.13 h(-1)) was achieved at 30 degrees C while the maximum glutathione concentration (366 mg x L(-1)) and the maximum intracellular glutathione content (2.3%) were obtained at 26 degrees C. Therefore, the optimum temperatures for cell growth and glutathione production are quite different in the batch fermentation. A modified Logistic equation was successfully applied to estimate the kinetics of cell growth. The maximum specific growth rate and the substrate inhibition constant, calculated from this equation, were both increased along with the temperature. In addition, the glutathione fermentation by C. utilis WSH 02-08 under various temperatures was proven to be a partial growth-associated process by estimating the process with the Luedeking-Piret equation. Based on the estimated parameon the estimated parameters, the effect of temperature on the kinetics of cell growth was further studied. An equation, dX / dt = [0.0224(T + 1.7)]2 X(1-X/Xmax) / 1 + S/ {8.26 x 10(6) x exp [-31477/R/(T+273)]}, was developed and applied to interlink the relationship between biomass concentration and temperature as well as substrate concentration in the batch glutathione fermentation. The experiment results showed that this model could predict the growth pattern very well.