Production of fructosyltransferase by Aureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524 in batch and two-step batch cultures.

A comparison of fructosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.9) production by Aureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524 in batch and two step batch cultures was investigated in a 1-l stirred tank reactor using a sucrose supply of 200 g/l. Results showed that the innovative cultivation in two step of Aureobasidium sp. produced more fructosyltransferase (FFase) than the single batch culture at the same sucrose concentration with a maximal enzyme production of 523 U/ml, which was 80.5% higher than the one obtained in the batch culture. The production of fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) was also analyzed; their concentration reached a maximum value of 160 g/l the first day in the two-step culture and 127 g/l in the single-batch mode. The use of the two-step batch culture with Aureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524 in allowing the microorganism to grow up prior to the induction of sucrose (second step), proved to be a powerful method for producing fructosyltransferase and FOSs.