Industrial Microbiology

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By

Dr.Jitender Kumar

Department of Biotechnology

HMV,Jalandhar

Introduction

• Industrial Microbiology synonym with fermentations
• Vitamins
• Organic acids
• Pharmaceutical drugs
• Biotransformations

Fermentation Process

1. Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes.
2. In biochemistry, it is defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen.
3. Microbiologically different compounds are produced.

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Zymology

1. Fermentation usually implies desirable action of microorganisms.
2. In microorganisms, fermentation is the primary means of producing adenosine triphosphate by the degradation of organic nutrients an aerobically.
3. The science of fermentation is known as zymology.
4. It includes applications of various enzymes.

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Fermentation in food processing

• Fermentation in food processing is the process of converting carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids.
• Microorganisms like yeasts or bacteria under anaerobic conditions catalyze the breakdown.
• Reoxidation of reducing power through cytochrome system in which oxygen act as terminal electron acceptor.
• It produces of food like curd,yoghurt,saurkraut etc.

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Historical Aspects

• There is strong evidence that people were fermenting alcoholic drinks in Babylon 3000 BC, ancient Egypt 3150 BC, pre-Hispanic Mexico 2000 BC and Sudan 1500 BC.
• Seven-thousand-year-old jars containing the remains of wine, now on display at the University of Pennsylvania were excavated in the Zagros Mountains in Iran.

History of fermented products

• Since ancient times humans have exploited the fermentation process and the earliest archaeological evidence of fermentation is 13,000-year-old residues of a beer found in a cave near Haifa in Israel.
• Another early alcoholic drink made from fruit, rice, and honey, dates from 7000-6600 BC, in the Neolithic Chinese village of Jiahu and wine making dates from 6000 BC in Georgia.

History of fermented products

• The Rigveda (1500 BC) shows that fermentation technology took its first step in connection with the preparation of Soma juice in India.
• There is also another drink known as Sura (wine/beer) prepared by fermentation.
• Hence it is believed that acetic fermentation was known to India since the early times.
• Organic acids were reported and produced from different organisms.

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Fermentation is a metabolic process

1. Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes.
2. In biochemistry, it is defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen.
3. Organic compound serves as both electron donor as well as acceptor.
4. Energy conservation pathways.

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Curd formation

• In the beginning, fermentation was mainly associated with the preparation of spiritual drinks, but later on it was used for other purposes also.
• It still remains a popular food and the technology of curdling milk is also found in a number of texts associated with Yajurveda.
• Curd is another very popular fermentation product described in the Rigveda .
• Lactobacillus was involved for production besides other microflora.

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Fermentation technology

• Traditional fermentation technology is more than 3000 year old in India as mentioned in ancient literature.
• Alcoholic beverages were main products.
• Later on various products were reported and their technologies for production was optimized.

Food fermentation

• Food fermentation is the conversion of sugars and other carbohydrates into alcohol, organic acids and carbon dioxide. All three products have showed their importance in human uses.
• The production of alcohol is made use of when fruit juices are converted to wine, when grains are made into beer and when foods rich in starch, such as potatoes, are fermented and then distilled to make spirits such as gin and vodka.

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Bioreactors

• Most fermentors used in industry are of the submerged type, because the submerged fermentor saves space and is more susceptible to engineering control and design.
• Top bench fermenters are used in laboratory scales.
• Tower fermenters are used for alcoholic beverages.

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Fermentation technique

1. Fermentation systems may be liquid, submerged or solid state, also known as surface fermentations.
2. Much work still needs to be done to identify the best fermentation technique for each bioactive compound.
3. Mostly solid state fermentations are of high commercial value.

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Early fermentation

• So, Fermentation is one of the oldest technologies used for food preservation and it is a process of digesting certain substances that leads to chemical conversion of organic substances into simpler compounds.
• Over the centuries, it has evolved, been refined and diversified.
• Most widely used products for human uses.

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References

• De-Robertis, F.D.P. and De-Robertis Jr. E.M.F. (1991) Cell and Molecular Biology, Saunders,Philadelphia.
• Davis, B.D., Dulbecco. R., Eisen, H.N. and Ginsberg, H.S. (1990). Microbiology: 4th Edition, Harper & Row,Publishers, Singapore.
• Tortora, G.J., Funke, B.R. and Case, C.L. (1994). Microbiology: An introduction: 5th Edition, The Benjamin /Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.
• Stanier, R.Y. (1995). General microbiology, MacMillan Press, Londan.
• Pelczar, M.T. (1995). Microbiology, Tata McGraw Hill Publication, New Delhi.
• Schlegel. H. G., (1995). General Microbiology 7th Edition, Cambridge Univ. Press.
• Prescott and Dunn (1999). Industrial Microbiology 4th Edition, By S.K. Jain for CBS Publishers & Distributors.
• Chander, M. And Puri, P. (2008). A Concise Course in Microbiology. Krishna Brothers Publishers, Old Railway Road, Jalandhar.
• Tortora. G.J., Funke. B.R., 2001. Microbiology: An Introduction, Benjamin Cummings.

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Thank you