Semicontinuous production of lipase by Acinetobacter radioresistens in presence of nonwoven fabric

The effect of a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric on the lipase production by Acinetobacter radioresistens was investigated with semicontinuous culture. The fermentation medium contained n-hexadecane as the carbon source. The nonwoven fabric was made from nylon 6 and coated with an acrylic resin. Equipping the nonwoven fabric around the baffles of a 2.5-L agitated fermentor could provide a fine dispersion of n-hexadecane, thus enhancing lipase production. The improvement on lipase yield by using the nonwoven fabric was found to be comparable to that of using an emulsifier (gum arabic). Compared with the corresponding culture in the absence of nonwoven fabric, the employment of the nonwoven fabric could significantly enhance both lipase yield and volumetric productivity.