Abstract
In batch cultures of Lactobacillus delbrueckii, cell growth and lactic acid production were affected by two main factors, inhibition by lactic acid and limitation by nutritional components. In order to increase th productivity significantly, a continuous stirred tank reactor with cell recycle was employed. A cell desnity of 145g dry weight/l and a volumetric productivity of 73 g/l$\cdot $h were obtained with an effluent concentration of 85 g/l lactic acid. The productivity achieved by this system was 23-fold higher than those obtained by the corresponding batch cultivations. Once the lactic acid concentration reached the steady steady state, lowering the yeast extract concentration caused the reduction of the lactic acid concentration without affection the biomass concentration. Finally, the formation of D-lactate was investgated. During the various cultures, a small amount of D-lactate always formed, even thought a majority of lactate was L-isomer, It was supposed that the relative amount of the D-lactate was affected by glucose limitation, and there seems to exist a certain relationship between the concentration of D-lactate and acetate.
