Advances in Fermentation Technology

Media for
Industrial
Fermentations:
INHIBITORS
 Media for Industrial Fermentations
When certain inhibitors are added to fermentations, more
of a specific product may be produced, or a metabolic
intermediate which is normally metabolized is accumulated.
One of the earliest examples is the microbial production of
glycerol. Glycerol production depends on modifying the
ethanol fermentation by removing acetaldehyde. The
addition of sodium bisulphite to the broth leads to the
formation of the acetaldehyde bisulphite addition
compound (sodium hydroxy ethyl sulphite). Since
acetaldehyde is no longer available for re-oxidation of
NADH2, its place as hydrogen acceptor is taken by
dihydroacetone phosphate, produced during glycolysis. The
product of this reaction is glycerol-3-phosphate, which is
converted to glycerol.
 Media for Industrial Fermentations
The application of general and specific inhibitors
are illustrated in Table (in next slide). In most
cases the inhibitor is effective in increasing the
yield of the desired product and reducing the
yield of undesirable related products.

A number of studies have been made with

potential chlorination inhibitors, e.g. bromide,
to minimize chlortetracycline production during
a tetracycline fermentation.
 Media for Industrial Fermentations
Specific and General Inhibitors used in fermentations
Product Inhibitor Main effect Micro-organism
Glycerol Sodium Acetaldehyde pro- Saccharomyces cerivisiae
bisulphate duction repressed
Tetracycline Bromide Chlortetracycline Streptomyces aureofaciens
formation
repressed
Glutamic acid Penicillin Dell wall Micrococcus glutamicus
permeability
Citric acid Alkali metal/ Oxalic acid Aspergillus niger
phosphate, pH repressed
below 2.0
Valine Various inhibitors Various effects Brevibacterium roseum
with different
inhibitors
Rifamycin B Di-ethyl Other rifamycins Nocardia mediterranel
barbiturate inhibited
Media for Industrial Fermentations

Inhibitors have also

been used to affect
cell-wall structure
and increase the
permeability for
release of
metabolites. The
best example is the
use of penicllin
and surfactants in
glutamic acid
production.