1 research outputs found
Effect of Operational Parameters in the Continuous Anaerobic Fermentation of Cheese Whey on Titers, Yields, Productivities, and Microbial Community Structures
Volatile
fatty acids (VFAs) were produced using cheese whey as
feedstock. A mixed culture packed bed bioreactor was set up to digest
anaerobically, under an acidogenic condition, a water solution of
a cheese whey powder. Batch tests pointed out that the whole VFAs
production process occurred via two sequential phases: (a) conversion
of lactose into lactic acid and (b) conversion of lactic acid into
a mixture of VFAs. Furthermore, the same tests showed that the ceramic
material Vukopor S10 can be used as an effective support for cell
immobilization in anaerobic fermentation processes. The effect of
the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic loading rate (OLR)
were then studied in a benchtop bioreactor operated continuously.
By a HRT of 6 days, ORL of 4.2 g/L/d, and pH 5.8–6, 16 g·L<sup>–1</sup> of total VFAs were produced, with a yield higher
than 75% (Cmol<sub>VFAs</sub>·Cmol<sub>lactose</sub><sup>–1</sup>). Characterization with Illumina-based sequencing suggested that
high VFAs productivities were obtained when microbial community structures
developed in the biofilm reactor were highly enriched in few genera