Development of a Strategy for L-Lactic Acid Production by Rhizopus oryzae Using Zizania latifolia Waste and Cane Molasses as Carbon Sources.

As a biodegradable and renewable material, polylactic acid is considered a major environmentally friendly alternative to petrochemical plastics. Microbial fermentation is the traditional method for lactic acid production, but it is still too expensive to compete with the petrochemical industry. Agro-industrial wastes are generated from the food and agricultural industries and agricultural practices. The utilization of agro-industrial wastes is an important way to reduce costs, save energy and achieve sustainable development. The present study aimed to develop a method for the valorization of Zizania latifolia waste and cane molasses as carbon sources for L-lactic acid fermentation using Rhizopus oryzae LA-UN-1. The results showed that xylose derived from the acid hydrolysis of Z. latifolia waste was beneficial for cell growth, while glucose from the acid hydrolysis of Z. latifolia waste and mixed sugars (glucose and fructose) from the acid hydrolysis of cane molasses were suitable for the accumulation of lactic acid. Thus, a three-stage carbon source utilization strategy was developed, which markedly improved lactic acid production and productivity, respectively reaching 129.47 g/L and 1.51 g/L·h after 86 h of fermentation. This work demonstrates that inexpensive Z. latifolia waste and cane molasses can be suitable carbon sources for lactic acid production, offering an efficient utilization strategy for agro-industrial wastes.

Efficient Co-production of Docosahexaenoic Acid Oil and Carotenoids in Aurantiochytrium sp. Using a Light Intensity Gradient Strategy.

Aurantiochytrium is a promising source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and carotenoids, but their synthesis is influenced by environmental stress factors. In this study, the effect of different light intensities on the fermentation of DHA oil and carotenoids using Aurantiochytrium sp. TZ209 was investigated. The results showed that dark culture and low light intensity conditions did not affect the normal growth of cells, but were not conducive to the accumulation of carotenoids. High light intensity promoted the synthesis of DHA and carotenoids, but caused cell damage, resulting in a decrease of oil yield. To solve this issue, a light intensity gradient strategy was developed, which markedly improved the DHA and carotenoid content without reducing the oil yield. This strategy produced 30.16 g/L of microalgal oil with 15.11 g/L DHA, 221 µg/g astaxanthin, and 386 µg/g ß-carotene. This work demonstrates that strain TZ209 is a promising DHA producer and provides an efficient strategy for the co-production of DHA oil together with carotenoids.

High-efficiency l-lactic acid production by Rhizopus oryzae using a novel modified one-step fermentation strategy.

In this study, lactic acid fermentation by Rhizopus oryzae was investigated using the two different fermentation strategies of one-step fermentation (OSF) and conventional fermentation (CF). Compared to CF, OSF reduced the demurrage of the production process and increased the production of lactic acid. However, the qp was significantly lower than during CF. Based on analysis of µ, qs and qp, a novel modified OSF strategy was proposed. This strategy aimed to achieve a high final concentration of lactic acid, and a high qp by R. oryzae. In this strategy, the maximum lactic acid concentration and productivity of the lactic acid production stage reached 158g/l and 5.45g/(lh), which were 177% and 366% higher, respectively, than the best results from CF. Importantly, the qp and yield did not decrease. This strategy is a convenient and economical method for l-lactic acid fermentation by R. oryzae.

Effects of pellet characteristics on L-lactic acid fermentation by R. oryzae: pellet morphology, diameter, density, and interior structure.

The effects of pellet morphology, diameter, density, and interior structure on L-lactic acid fermentation by Rhizopus oryzae were characterized for different inoculum sizes and concentrations of peptone and CaCO3. Inoculum size was the most important factor determining pellet formation and diameter. The diameter decreased with increasing inoculum size, and larger pellets were observed for lower inoculum sizes. Peptone concentration had the greatest effect on pellet density, which increased with increasing peptone concentration. L-lactic acid production depended heavily on pellet density but not on pellet diameter. Low-density pellets formed easily under conditions of low peptone concentration and often had a relatively hollow structure, with a thin condensed layer surrounding the pellet and an extraordinarily loose biomass or hollow center. As expected, this structure greatly decreased production. The production of L-lactic acid increased until the density reached a certain level (50-60 kg/m(3)), in which the compact part was distributed homogeneously in the thick outer layer of the pellet and loose in the central layer. Homogeneously structured, denser pellets had limited mass transfer, causing a lower overall turnover rate. However, the interior structure remained nearly constant throughout all fermentation phases for pellets with the same density. CaCO3 concentration only had a slight influence on pellet diameter and density, probably because it increases spore germination and filamentous hypha extension. This work also provides a new analysis method to quantify the interior structure of pellets, thus giving insight into pellet structure and its relationship with productivity.