A. Converti et al., EVALUATION OF KINETIC-PARAMETERS AND THERMODYNAMIC QUANTITIES OF STARCH HYDROLYSATE ALCOHOL FERMENTATION BY SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE, Bioprocess engineering, 15(2), 1996, pp. 63-69
The kinetic parameters and thermodynamic quantities of corn starch hyd
rolysate fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae are evaluated follow
ing two different approaches and using the experimental data of batch
fermentations carried out at different temperatures. The former approa
ch, that is based on the Arrhenius equation, allows for the separate c
alculations of thermodynamic quantities referred to the transition sta
tes of both alcohol fermentation and thermal deactivation. The latter,
supposing the existence of an instantaneous equilibrium between activ
e and inactive forms of the biocatalyst, includes all these quantities
in the same relationship. The results obtained in this study suggest
that the simple activated-complex theory is inadequate to the kinetic
and thermodynamic description of a process using microorganisms, while
the so-called ''thermodynamic approach'' can represent a promising al
ternative.