Submerged cultivation of a high yielding strain of Aspergillus terreus DRCC
122 for the production of lovastatin in the batch process had limited succ
ess with a maximum titre of 1270 mg l(-1) in 288 h and an overall volumetri
c productivity of 4.41 mg l(-1) h(-1) in a 10001 bioreactor. A cost effecti
ve repeated fed-batch process with maltodextrin and corn steep liquor feed
as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, showed a significant increase
in lovastatin yield. The final titre was 2200 mg l(-1) in 288 h of ferment
ation, with overall volumetric productivity of 7.64 mg l(-1) h(-1), showing
an increase of 73% over the batch process. The kinetic parameters were stu
died; maximum specific oxygen uptake rate (Q(O2)) and volumetric mass trans
fer coefficient (K(L)a) were 0.24 m mole O-2 g(-1) dry cell wt. h(-1) and 2
80 h(-1), respectively, in fed-batch process. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd
. All rights reserved.