Influences of alcohol derivatives on citric acid productivity by Aspergillus niger in stirred fermentor

Influences of phenol, α-naphtol and β-naphtol, which are toxic chemicals, on citric acid biosynthesis and biomass in the artificial culture setting of Aspergillus niger using batch fermenter are examined in the most favorable fermentation conditions, and a model is proposed. Addition of certain concentrations of phenol, α-naphtol and β-naphtol to the culture reduces the citric acid production. According to this model, maximum citric acid concentration is 48.3 g L in a culture that does not contain any toxic chemicals, whereas the maximum concentrations obtained in cultures containing 25 mg L phenol, 25 mg L alpha-naphtol and 15 mg L beta-naphtol are 62.5 g L, 78.1 g L and 86.0 g L, respectively. Moreover, addition of toxic chemicals to the culture reduces fermentation time by 24 hrs.