EFFECT OF SOYBEAN OIL ON ANTIFOAMING, OXYGEN-TRANSFER AND PENICILLIN PRODUCTIVITY

The effect of soybean oil on foam control, oxygen transfer and penicil lin productivity was examined with the fermentation by Penicillium chr ysogenum. Soybean oil was found to possess a great ability of antifoam ing, and its use as a foam breaker was more efficient than use as a fo am inhibitor, which was due to the consumption by the mold. However, t he achievement in foam control was accompanied by several adverse effe cts, including decrease of dissolved oxygen tension, delay of the peni cillin production phase, and low efficiency of penicillin synthesis. T he function of antifoaming as well as the hindrance in oxygen transfer due to soybean oil were explained in terms of the spreading coefficie nt on water.