Currently, most of the succinic acid is produced by chemical synthesis, but microbial fermentation could produce succinic acid from renewable sources such as food industry waste and biomass. A. Succinogenes 130 Z has been reported to produce succinic acid from pure substrate such as glucose, but we have not found any report on the succinic acid production from food processing waste such as cheese whey using A. Succinogenes 130 Z.
In this study, a protocol for succinic acid production from cheese whey using A. Succinogenes 130 Z was developed. The optimum fermentation parameters for succinic acid production from cheese whey were obtained. The fermentation was conducted at 37 °C and pH 7.0 for 48 hours. The basic medium is composed of cheese whey, yeast extract, NaHCO₃, NaH₂PO₄.H₂O and K₂HPO₄. The effects of cheese whey concentration, cell density, and the flow rate of CO₂ sparing on the productivity of succinic acid were studied. Succinic acid production from glucose with A. Succinogenes 130 Z was also studied and the performances were compared with that of cheese whey fermentation.