Sunday, May 4, 2008
4-42

Effect of yeast extract supplementation on curdlan production from condensed corn distillers solubles

Thomas P. West, Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Box 2104, Brookings, SD 57007

Curdlan is an alkali-soluble polysaccharide with several food applications. The polysaccharide is synthesized by the bacterium Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 under growth conditions of excess carbon and limiting nitrogen. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of yeast extract supplementation on bacterial curdlan production using a coproduct resulting from corn dry-milling for ethanol production, namely condensed corn distillers solubles. A phosphate-buffered minimal medium (pH 6.8) containing selected solubles concentrations as its source of carbon and nitrogen was utilized. When supplemented, the yeast extract concentration in the medium was 0.5%. When testing whether supplementing additional carbon source increased curdlan production, corn syrup (3%) was added to the medium. After inoculation with a culture grown in the same medium (48 hours), the shake flask cultures were grown for up to 120 hours at 30oC. Gravimetric determinations were used to monitor bacterial curdlan and biomass production.  For all solubles concentrations tested, it was determined that yeast extract supplementation decreased polysaccharide production after 120 hours compared to curdlan production on the unsupplemented medium. In general, bacterial curdlan production was higher after 120 hours when the medium contained corn syrup relative to production on the medium containing no additional carbon source. Biomass production by ATCC 31749 after 120 hours was found to be elevated when yeast extract was supplemented in the medium containing solubles alone or also containing corn syrup. Overall, yeast extract supplementation only increased bacterial curdlan production in the solubles medium containing corn syrup as an additional carbon source.