Optimization of ricotta cheese whey (RCW) fermentation by response surface methodology

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Fermentation Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Ricotta cheese whey is a rich byproduct suitable for bio-ethanol production.
• Efficient fermentation requires optimization of key process parameters.
• Kluyveromyces marxianus is a yeast strain capable of fermenting lactose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize bio-ethanol production from ricotta cheese whey.
• To evaluate the impact of temperature, pH, agitation, and lactose concentration on fermentation.
• To identify optimal conditions for yeast fermentation using Kluyveromyces marxianus.

Main Methods:

• Central Composite Design (CCD) for experimental design.
• Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for process optimization.
• Anaerobic batch fermentation using Kluyveromyces marxianus.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal operating conditions: Temperature 32.35°C, pH 5.41, Agitation 195.56 rpm, Lactose concentration 40 g/L.
• Developed an empirical polynomial model to fit experimental data.
• Demonstrated good fitting of the model to observed fermentation data.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully optimized bio-ethanol production from cheese whey.
• The identified parameters provide a basis for industrial-scale fermentation.
• Kluyveromyces marxianus shows potential for efficient bio-ethanol synthesis from lactose-rich substrates.