Succinic acid production from cheese whey by biofilms of Actinobacillus succinogenes: packed bed bioreactor tests

BACKGROUND: Succinic acid (SA) biotechnological production represents a promising alternative to the fossil-fuel based chemical production route. The goal of this study was to develop a SA production process conducted with biofilms of Actinobacillus succinogenes and fed with cheese whey, a lactose-rich by-product of the cheese-making processes. RESULTS: The screening between five commercial biofilm carriers, based on a statistical analysis of the process rates and yields, led to the selection of Glaxstone®, a sintered glass porous material. The attached-cell performances obtained when SA production was fed with cheese whey or with pure lactose were equivalent. The feasibility of a repeated batch process of SA production by biofilms of A. succinogenes was demonstrated in a Glaxstone®-filled 1 L packed bed bioreactor, and an effective sequence of biofilm growth and SA production phases was identified. A SA productivity of 0.72 gSA /(L packed bed h), a SA specific production rate of 0.18 gSA /(g protein h) and a biofilm concentration of about 4 g/ L packed bed were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: SA bioproduction under biofilm conditions from organic by-products such as cheese whey is a feasible and promising process. This work represents the first attempt to develop a biofilm-based process of SA bioproduction from cheese whey. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.