Enhancement of fumaric acid production by Rhizopus oryzae using a two-stage dissolved oxygen control strategy

Batch fermentative production of fumaric acid by Rhizopus oryzae ME-F12 was investigated in a 7-l stirred tank fermentor under different dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. High fumaric acid yield on glucose (0.56 g/g) was achieved under high DO concentration (80%), but the glucose consumption rate and fumaric acid productivity were rather low (0.91 and 0.51 g/l/h). Fumaric acid productivity was enhanced under low DO concentration (30%), but the fuamric acid yield on glucose decreased to 0.52 g/g. In order to achieve the high fumaric acid yield and productivity simultaneously, a two-stage dissolved oxygen control strategy was proposed, in which the DO concentration was controlled at 80% in the first 18 h and then switched to 30%. This was experimentally proven to be successful. Relatively high fumaric acid production (56.2 g/l), high fumaric acid yield on glucose (0.54 g/g), and high glucose consumption rate (1.3 g/l/h) were achieved by applying this strategy. The productivity (0.7 g/l/h) was improved by 37%, 21%, and 9%, respectively, compared with fermentations in which DO concentrations were kept constant at 80%, 60%, and 30%.