CONDITIONS FOR PILOT PRODUCTION OF MICROBIAL TRANSGLUTAMINASE (MTG)

The effect of starch pretreatment on microbial transglutaminase(MTG) production was investigated in a 5 L fermentor. The result showed that MTG activity, MTG productivity and MTG yield increased by 32%, 32% and 70%, respectively compared with the production from medium with unliquified starch. Gradual scale up principals were studied during the process of MTG pilot production. The production scale was enlarged from the 5 L fermentor to a 30 L and even a 300 L fermentor. The results showed that the scale up principles of the same aeration rate and the same agitated power per volume were obtained during the gradual scale up MTG production. When the above principles were applied, MTG activity and MTG productivity in 30 L fermentor were all higher than those in 5 L fermentor. MTG activity obtained 3.15 u/mL and average specific MTG formation rate reached 2.68 u h -1 g -1 in 300 L fermentor, which were almost equal to those in 5 L fermentor. Thus, it can be seen that the above principles are rational. Fig 3, Tab 2, Ref 12