OPTIMIZATION AND PRODUCTION OF CEPHALOSPORIN C FROM DIFFERENT AGRO INDUSTRIAL WASTES IN SOLID STATE FERMENTATION

Abstract

The cost of Cephalosporin C production may be significantly decreased by using inexpensive carbon substrates like agricultural residues. However, scarce information can be found in the literature about the utilization of cellulosic and lignocellulosic residues for obtaining Cephalosporin C. Usually agricultural residues producing various toxic compounds to the atmosphere; so,as an interesting alternative to the utilization of agricultural wastes (as apple pomace, cotton seed meal, soy bean powder and wheat bran) for simultaneous Cephalosporin C production. The highest Cephalosporin c production (4364 μg/g substrate) was achieved with apple pomace in solid-state fermentation. The optimization of physical parameters such as inoculum size, substrate particle size, incubation temperature, initial pH, initial moisture level, incubation period and chemical parameters such as additional carbon and nitrogen sources were studied for the production of Cephalosporin C in solid-state fermentation using Acremonium chrysogenum NCIM 1069. The optimum values of the critical components determined for the maximum Cephalosporin c production were inoculum size 2×106 CFU/g initial dry substrate, substrate particle size 1.2 mm, incubation temperature 30oC, initial pH 8, initial moisture level 70%, fructose (1% w/v), (NH4)2HPO4 (1% w/v), L-glutamine (1%w/v) and incubation period day 10. An overall 2.6-fold improvement in Cephalosporin c production was achieved due to optimization.