Optimization and kinetic modeling for bioconversion of cheese whey to Ganoderma lucidum in batch fermentations

Response surface methodology (RSM) was successfully applied to optimize for the production of Ganoderma lucidum in batch fermentations using the whey (40,000 mg latose/L) as substrate. This study was performed according to the central composite design (CCD) with respect to pH and temperature, where the designed intervals were 3.3$22.9^{\circ}C$$37.1^{\circ}C$, respectively. A second-order factorial design of the experiments was used to build empirical models providing a quantitative interpretation of the relationships between the two variables. The optimum conditions to maximize the production of G. lucidum were pH 4.2 and $28.3^{\circ}C$. At optimum conditions, the mycelial dry weight (MDW) and residual soluble COD (SCOD) were simultaneously used to evaluate the biokinetic coefficients assocoated with substrate inhibition model by nonlinear least squares method with 95% confidence interval. The. maximum microbial growth rates (${\mu}m$), half saturation coefficient ($K_s$), and the inhibition substrate concentration ($K_{is}$) were determined to be 0.095 l/hr, 128,000 mg SCOD/L and 49,000 mg SCOD/L, respectively. And the microbial yield coefficient (Y), biomass decay rate coefficient ($K_d$), and the maintenance energy coefficient ($m_s$) were determined to be 0.37 mg MDW/mg SCOD, 0.001 1/hr, and 0.0015 1/hr, respectively.