Media formulation for industrial fermentation

The media used for the growth of microorganisms in industrial fermentation must
contain all the elements in a suitable form for the synthesis of cellular substances as
well as the metabolic products. While designing a medium, several factors must be
taken into consideration.

Wastes from agriculture, and byproducts of other industries are generally preferred,
although they are highly variable in composition. Raw materials used in fermentation
largely depend on their cost at a particular time, since there are seasonal variations.

The most frequently used substrates for industrial fermentation with special reference
to the supply of carbon and nitrogen sources and growth factors are briefly described
below.

Substrates Used As Carbon Sources:

Carbohydrates constitute the most predominant source of energy in fermentation

industry. Refined and pure carbohydrates such as glucose or sucrose are rarely used for
economic reasons.

a. Molasses:
Molasses is a byproduct of sugar industry and is one of the cheapest sources of
carbohydrates. Sugar cane molasses (sucrose around 48%) and sugar beet
molasses (sucrose around 33%) are commonly used. Besides being rich in sugar,
molasses also contain nitrogenous substances, vitamins and trace elements.
b. Malt extract:
Malt extract, an aqueous extract of malted barley, contains about 80%
carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose). Nitrogen compounds
constitute around 4.5% (proteins, peptides, amino acids, purines, pyrimidine’s).
c. Starch, dextrin and cellulose:
The polysaccharides-starch, dextrin and cellulose can be metabolised by
microorganisms. They are frequently used for the industrial production of
alcohol. Due to its wide availability and low cost, the use of cellulose for alcohol
production is extensively studied.
d. Whey:
Whey is a byproduct of dairy industry and is produced worldwide. Most of it is
consumed by- humans and animals. Whey is a reasonably good source of carbon
 for the production of alcohol, single-cell protein, vitamin B12, lactic acid and
gibberellic acid. Storage of whey is a limiting factor for its widespread use in
fermentation industry.
e. Methanol and ethanol:
Some of the microorganisms are capable of utilizing methanol and/or ethanol as
carbon source. Methanol is the cheapest substrate for fermentation. However, it
can be utilized by only a few bacteria and yeasts. Methanol is commonly used for
the production of single-cell protein. Ethanol is rather expensive. However, at
present it is used for the production of acetic acid.

Substrates Used As Nitrogen Sources:

The nitrogen supply to the fermentation microorganisms may come from inorganic or
organic sources.

a. Inorganic nitrogen sources:

Ammonium salts and free ammonia are cheap inorganic nitrogen sources,
particularly in industrialised countries. However, not all the microorganisms are
capable of utilizing them, hence their use is limited.
b. Organic nitrogen sources:
Urea is fairly a good source of nitrogen. However, other cheaper organic forms of
nitrogen sources are preferred.
c. Corn steep liquor:
This is formed during starch production from corn. Corn steep liquor is rich in
nitrogen (about 4%) and is very efficiently utilized by microorganisms. It is rich in
several amino acids (alanine, valine, methionine, arginine, threonine, glutamate).
d. Yeast extracts:
They contain about 8% nitrogen and are rich in amino acids, peptides and
vitamins. Glucose formed from glycogen and trehalose during yeast extraction is
a good carbon source. Yeast extracts are produced from baker’s yeast through
autolysis (at 50-55°C) or through plasmolysis (high concentration of NaCI). Yeast
extracts are very good sources for many industrially important microorganisms.
e. Soy meal:
 After extracting the soy bean oil from the soy bean seeds, the left out residue is
soy meal. It is rich in proteins (about 50%) as well as carbohydrates (about 30%)
contents. Soy meal is often used in antibiotic production.
f. Peptones:
The protein hydro-lysates are collectively referred to as peptones, and they are
good sources for many microorganisms. The sources of peptones include meat,
soy meal, peanut seeds, cotton seeds and sunflower seeds.

Sources of Growth Factors:

Some of the microorganisms are not capable of synthesizing one or more growth factors
such as vitamins. These growth factors are very expensive in pure form, hence crude
sources are preferred. Yeast extract is a rich source of almost all growth factors.
Generally, the substrates derived from plant or animal sources in a crude form are
reasonably rich in mineral content. Sometimes, however mineral (phosphate, sulfate)
supplementation may be required.