Growth of Rhizopus arrhizus in fermentation media

Abstract

Rhizopus arrhizus biomass attached itself to fermentor walls, baffles and impellers when grown in casein/ glucose media. In shake flasks, dispersed filamentous growth was produced in media containing certain concentrations of glucose and soya flour. Other media tested produced pelleted or clumpy growth. Medium initial pH did not affect morphology type. Dispersed growth could not be obtained by addition of detergents, oils and polymers to a clear glucose/soya peptone medium. Addition of maize solids to this medium resulted in dispersed growth which occurred even in the presence of calcium, which in most media caused pellet formation. Mycelia appeared to bind to the maize particles and use these as growth centres thereby preventing pellet or clump formation. Mycelial pellets appeared to originate either from a single spore or by interaction of branched hyphae from different spores. Medium composition and macro-morphology type correlate with differences in hyphal structures. © 1989 Society for Industrial Microbiology.