Immobilization of Providencia stuartii Cells in Pumice Stone and Its Application for N-Acetylglucosamine Production

Abstract

Research background. Shrimp shells contain chitin that can further be processed into N-acetylglucosamine which has been extensively used to treat joint damage. Providencia stuartii isolated form previous research has strong chitinolytic activity and may be utilized in the form of immobilized cells to be used in repeated fermentation. Pumice is a porous and rigid stone that offers superior mechanical strength, making it suitable to be used for immobilization process. Experimental approach. The research used experimental method to conduct the submerged fermentation process with different pumice stone size and pumice stone:growth medium ratio (m/V). The fermentation was carried out for 4 days at 37 C and pH of 7.0. The optimum pumice stone size and pumice stone:growth medium ratio (m/V) were used to determine the optimum fermentation cycle to produce N-acetylglucosamine. Results and conclusions. Pumice stones of 1.0×1.0×1.0 cm and pumice stone:growth medium ratio (m/V) of 1:5 were found to be the optimum conditions which successfully immobilized (89.99±1.65) % cells and produced (331.37±7.34) g/L N-acetylglucosamine. The highest N-acetylglucosamine concentration of (322.97±2.46) g/L was obtained in the first fermentation cycle which then decreased and remained stable throughout the last three cycles of fermentation. Novelty and scientific contribution. P. stuartii was a strong chitinolytic bacteria previously isolated from rotten shrimp shells and was used for the first time in immobilized form to produce N-acetylglucosamine. The findings in this research showed potential use of P. stuartii cells immobilized in pumice stone for continuous production of N-acetylglucosamine using fermentation method.