Vinasse, a recalcitrant waste of the ethanol industry was employed for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by the extremely halophilic archaeon, Haloarcula marismortui in shake flasks. The PHA was recovered by osmotic lysis of the cells and subsequent purification by sodium hypochlorite and organic solvents. Through UV-vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the PHA was found to have characteristics very similar to that of the standard polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from Sigma. Inhibitory effect of polyphenols contained in vinasse was assessed by a quick and reliable cup-plate agar-diffusion method. Raw vinasse (10%) was utilized leading to accumulation of 23% PHA (of cell dry weight) and following an efficacious pre-treatment process through adsorption on activated carbon, 100% pre-treated vinasse could be utilized leading to 30% accumulation of PHB by H. marismortui. Maximum specific growth rate, specific production rate, and volumetric productivity attained using 10% raw vinasse were comparable to that obtained using a previously reported nutrient deficient medium (NDM), while the values with 100% pre-treated vinasse were higher than that determined using NDM medium. This is the first report of polyhydroxybutyrate production by a halophilic microorganism utilizing vinasse.

• MeSH
• Archaeal Proteins genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Haloarcula marismortui genetics   growth & development   metabolism   MeSH
• Refuse Disposal MeSH
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates metabolism   MeSH
• Industrial Waste analysis   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Archaeal Proteins MeSH
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates MeSH
• Industrial Waste MeSH

Sixteen isolates of Claviceps spp. were analyzed for the production of polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, and sucrose metabolism under conditions of submerged fermentation. Physiological markers calculated by the Verhulst-Pearl law were used for hierarchical cluster analysis. Low correlation was found between physiologically based dendrogram and phylogenetic analysis constructed from an alignment of rDNA sequences. To confirm the intraspecific uniformity of physiological markers three isolates of C. africana from different hosts and locations were included. The influence of genotype, physiological variability, environmental location and habitat on metabolite production is discussed.

• MeSH
• Claviceps classification   genetics   metabolism   physiology   MeSH
• Fermentation MeSH
• Phylogeny * MeSH
• Culture Media MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• Polysaccharides metabolism   MeSH
• Sucrose metabolism   MeSH
• Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Culture Media MeSH
• Polysaccharides MeSH
• Sucrose MeSH

Among 18 tested strains of Claviceps spp., 7 produced significant amounts of exocellular polysaccharide (EPS). The maximum production of EPS was found in fermentation broth of Claviceps viridis. The kinetics of growth, substrate consumption, and EPS production in the batch, aerobic, submerged culture of this fungus were investigated in detail. The experimental data were processed by a simple mathematical model describing mass balance of growth, substrate consumption, formation of intermediates, and production of EPS. The parameters of the model were estimated from data obtained in cultivation performed in flasks and two laboratory fermentors of different size. Physiological similarity was obtained during process scale-up in volumetric ratio 1:100. The sugar consumption efficiency (52%) and observed EPS productivity (1.9 kg/m3 per d) were comparable with literature data.

• MeSH
• Models, Biological MeSH
• Biomass MeSH
• Claviceps growth & development   metabolism   MeSH
• Fermentation MeSH
• Glucans biosynthesis   MeSH
• Kinetics MeSH
• Culture Media MeSH
• Oxygen metabolism   MeSH
• Solubility MeSH
• Sucrose metabolism   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Glucans MeSH
• Culture Media MeSH
• Oxygen MeSH
• Sucrose MeSH