KINETICS OF GROWTH AND LACTIC-ACID PRODUCTION IN CONTINUOUS AND BATCH CULTURE

In a lactic acid fermentation by Streptococcus faecalis, the specific consumption rate of glucose (nu) and the specific production rate of lactic acid (pi) were represented by the following simple equations as functions of the specific growth rate (mu): 1/nu = gamma(nu)(1/mu)+delta(nu) 1/pi = gamma(pi)(1/mu)+delta(pi) By use of data from a batch culture, these two equations were derived from enzyme kinetics of the product inhibition. These equations were successfully applied to the results of batch culture and chemostat culture. In addition, calculation of ATP yield by these equations agreed with the experimental results better than the conventional Luedeking-Piret type equation, which includes two terms associated with growth and not with growth.