APPLICATION OF AN ENCAPSULATED FILAMENTOUS FUNGUS IN SOLUBILIZATION OF INORGANIC-PHOSPHATE

Spores of Aspergillus niger were encapsulated in agar, calcium alginat e and k-carrageenan and further applied in citric acid production duri ng six repeated batch cultivations. Rock phosphate (RP) at concentrati ons of 3 g l(-1) and 7 g l(-1) was supplemented to the culture medium to test encapsulated-fungus solubilizing capability. The highest avera ge citric acid productivity of 0.15 g l(-1) h(-1) was reached with alg inate-bead-encapsulated A. niger on RP-free culture medium while agar seemed to be the most suitable carrier on RP-supplemented medium. Acco rdingly, the highest average soluble P concentration of 0.20 g l(-1) b atch-(1) was obtained with agar-cell beads as compared with other enca psulated systems. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.