Effect of ammonium and nitrate ratio on glucose oxidase activity during gluconic acid fermentation by a mutant strain of Aspergillus niger.

Of the factors tested, the source and concentration of carbon and nitrogen in the medium exerted maximum effect on growth and acid production. Glucose (15%) and urea (0.14%) induced glucose oxidase synthesis and optimum yield of calcium gluconate. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (0.2%) and magnesium sulphate (0.06%) stimulated glucose oxidase activity and calcium gluconate production. Borax at a concentration of 1.5 g/L induced maximum glucose oxidase and calcium gluconate production with increased glucose utilization.

Optimisation of different physical parameters for bioleaching of phosphate by Aspergillus niger from Indian rock phosphate.

A mutant strain of Aspergillus niger AB100 was incubated with samples of rock phosphate. Mutation resulted in a greater amount of solubilisation (30 to 35%) as against the parent strain (10 to 15%). The influence of leaching parameters such as ore concentration (pulp density), particle size, initial pH of the medium, temperature, volume of the medium in 250 ml flasks, inoculum concentration and age of inoculum was studied. When low quantity of rock phosphate is applied (0.1%) the solubilisation of phosphorus was optimal (40.5%). Optimum particle size was--200 to 240 mesh, initial pH of the medium 4.0, optimum volume of the fermentation medium 160 ml, time period of incubation was 8 days, inoculum volume was 7.5 ml, and age of inoculum 7 days. The maximum leaching of phosphorus by using these optimum physical parameters is 45 to 50%.

Development of a mutant strain of Aspergillus niger and optimization of some physical factors for improved calcium gluconate production.

In the course of mutation studies of Aspergillus niger strain AB with ethylene imine (1:4000), a mutant A. niger AB 501, produced greater amount of calcium gluconate in the culture broth (88.0 g/lit) as against the parent strain (36.0 g/lit) by the surface culture method of fermentation. This mutant was then exposed to UV-rays and a mutant, A.niger AB 1801, was found to produce high calcium gluconate in the culture broth (120 g/lit). The optimum cultural conditions for the production of calcium gluconate by A.niger AB 1801 were pH, 6.5; period of incubation, 9 days; volume of medium in 1 litre flask, 150 ml; temperature, 30 degrees C, volume of inoculum, 7.5 ml of cell suspension containing 2.6 x 10(7) spores and age of inoculum, 6 days old spores of A. niger AB 1801. The maximum yield of calcium gluconate to the above conditions was 168 g/lit. The cultural conditions that support maximum cultural growth did not, however, give optimal yield of calcium gluconate because after having yielded the maximum of calcium gluconate the growth of organism continued to increase further.