Production of riboflavin by Ashbya gossypii from whey

Fermentation studies on the production of riboflavin were carried out with an industrial byproduct whey, in shake flask and laboratory fermentor using Ashbya gossypll NRRL Y-1056. Effect of supplements; yeast extract, sucrose, glycine, peptone, soybean oil, soybean flour, glycine+peptone and bran on the rate, and yield of riboflavin production in whey were studied in shake flask fermentation. In fermentor studies, whey, and whey supplemented with bran and glycine+peptone were used. Riboflavin production started to increase more rapidly after 2 days of fermentation and continued to increase until 5 days. The quantities of riboflavin produced by Ashbya gossypll in whey after 8 days of shake flask fermentation with supplements; bran, soybean flour, and glycine+peptone were 389.5, 120.7 and 101.7 mg/L respectively. Lower yields were obtained using supplements; peptone and soybean oil (23.2 and 17.5 mg/L). The best yield was obtained by using bran supplement. Yield of riboflavin produced in whey, and whey supplemented with bran and glycine+peptone by Ashbya gossypll after 8 days of fermentation in fermentor were found to be nearly four times higher than that of shake flask studies and were 113.4, 1227.7 and 400.0 mg/L respectively.Key words: whey, riboflavin, Ashbya gossypll, fermentation.