Ultrasound assisted in-situ separation of sophorolipids in multi-phase
fermentation system to achieve efficient production of Candida bombicola
Abstract
Sophorolipids (SLs) are regarded as one of the most promising
biosurfactants. However, high production costs are the main obstacle to
extended SLs application. Semi-continuous fermentation, which is based
on in-situ separation, is a promising technology for achieving high SLs
productivity. In this study, the sedimentation mechanism of SLs was
analyzed. The formation of a hydrophobic mixture of SLs and rapeseed oil
was a key factor in sedimentation. And the hydrophobicity and density of
the mixture determined SLs sedimentation rate. On this basis, ultrasonic
enhanced sedimentation technology (UEST) was introduced, by which the
sedimentation rates were increased by 46.9% to 485.4% with different
ratio of rapeseed oil to SLs. UEST-assisted real-time in-situ separation
and semi-continuous fermentation were performed. SLs productivity and
yield were 2.15 g/L/h and 0.58 g/g, respectively, simultaneously the
loss ratio of cells, glucose, and rapeseed oil were significantly
reduced. This study provides the new horizon for optimization of the SLs
fermentation process.