[Effect of redox potential of culture broth on oxytetracycline biosynthesis]

The influence of the redox potential on the biosynthesis of oxytetracycline was studied. It was shown that during the first hours of the Streptomyces rimosus cultivation Eh decreased to the negative values. There was detected a relationship between Eh within the negative values and the antibiotic production: the lower Eh, the lower the antibiotic content in the fermentation broth by the end of the process. It was noted that the Eh value during the first days of the fermentation determined the level of the antibiotic production for the entire cycle of the biosynthesis regardless of the further cultivation conditions.