Production of nisin and lactic acid from the starch of sweet potato by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with two stage pH adjustment

Abstract

Nisin is an antimicrobial peptide which is widely used as preservative, while lactic acid is a natural organic acid applied in the food industry. The aim of this work was to study the process for nisin and lactic acid production from starch of sweet potato with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) by Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis with two stage pH adjustment. The factors impacting the nisin and lactic acid production including starch concentration, glucosidase concentration, CaCO₃ and Tween-80 were studied. The nisin titre reached a high of 2516.41 IU/mL, while the lactic acid reached a high of 37.06 g/L when the optimal conditions were 40 g/L starch, 100 U glucosidase/g starch, 2.5% CaCO₃ and 1 mL/L Tween-80. The lactic acid and nisin were separated by a two stage pH adjustment at last. The SSF of starch from sweet potato coupled with a two stage pH adjustment is a promising method to produce nisin and lactic acid.

Keywords: Lactic acid; Nisin; Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation; Starch; Sweet potato.