Product Formation Kinetics

Product is what we aim from the very first place. But there are different product
formations in every reaction type. Here, we assume that product formation is performed by
the living cells, and therefore live biomass concentration is used in the definition of the
specific product formation rate. Coulson (1994) illustrate that microbial products may be
formed as a result of a variety of processes which occur within the cells of a microbial
culture. Also, in some cases the cell itself may be the desired product, or it may be that the
product is formed as the direct consequence of its growth. Furthermore, product formation
may be due to dead cells, for example, if the product is formed as a result of dead cells
autolysing.

The essential requirements for the growth of any microbial culture are as follows;

 A viable inoculums from pure culture of bacteria as starter.

 A carbon source from lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates
 An energy source from sun light and organic molecules like sugar
 Essential nutrients for biomass synthesis such as nitrogen, sulfur, potassium, etc.
 Suitable physicochemical properties such as temperature, pH, Osmotic pressure, etc.

Product formation is associated, unassociated or partially associated with growth. The

decisive factor in this respect is obviously the way, and the time interval, in which the source
of growth is utilized for product formation (Sikyta, 1995). In relation to microbial growth,
Carberry (1986) categorized the product formation kinetics into three;

1. Growth associated products – product is formed along with the growth of the
microbial cells and product concentration is almost directly proportional to microbial
growth rate. That is product concentration increases with cell concentration. Anerobic
fermentation of sugar by saccharomyces is an example.

2. Non-growth associated products – product formation is nowhere related with growth

rate of microbial cells but it’s a function of cell concentration and we can say that
product formation and microbial growth rate are almost inversely proportional to each
other. Many biochemical processes fall into this category such as penicillin.

3. Mixed mode product – product formation is a combination of both microbial cell

concentration and microbial growth rate. Amino acids and their products are some
example
 Figure 2 Non-Growth Associated Product
Formation

Figure 1 Growth Associated Product

Formation
Figure 3 Mixed Mode Product Formation
 Carberry (1986) also divided microbial product formation into biosynthesis of
primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, and enzymes with a fourth category of
bioconversions. Primary metabolites are end products of low molecular weight that are used
as building blocks by cells. Secondary metabolites are products such as antibiotics which are
not required for growth; they are usually synthesized late in the growth cycle. Secondary
metabolites are usually mixed mode product. And finally Carberry (1986) organized
fermentation patterns into four categories, according to the similarity of the formation of
fermentation products to those produced by simple, simultaneous, consecutive, and stepwise
reaction.

a.) Simple reactions. Substrates are converted into products in a stable stoichiometric
ratio without any accumulation of intermediates. Examples are growth of bacteria or
yeast, or an enzyme conversion of substrate by precultivated microorganisms.
b.) Parallel reaction. Substrates are converted into several products in variable
stoichiometric ratios. The relative rates of formation of these products change
according to substrate concentration. An example is the accumulation of
polysaccharides or lipids in dependence on the carbon source concentration in the
medium.
c.) Sequential reactions. Chemical processes in which the product of one reaction is the
initial material for other reactions. Consecutive reactions include chemical processes
such as polymerization and thermal cracking and chlorination of hydrocarbons.
d.) Successive reactions. These processes include two or more simple reactions which can
be regulated by enzyme induction. Examples are the diauxic growth of
microorganism. During growth on a mixture of hexoses and pentoses, the former
saccharides are first utilized from the medium. During oxidation of glucose to 5-
oxoglutaric acid, bacteria first convert glucose to gluconic acid and this is then
transformed into 5-oxoglutaric acid.

Product Inhibition
Product inhibition is an important consideration in many fermentations because this
limits the final product concentration.

Product Formation Kinetic Model

A classic study by Luedeking and Piret (1959) considered the relationship of cell
growth to product formation. When the cells or some constituent of cells that is proportional
to cell mass is the product, the rate of formation of product directly relates to the rate of
growth. Many other products are known that have zero or a small rate of formation until
growth ceases. It is useful to think of this as the cell using resources to grow until some
important nutrient such as the sugar falls to a low concentration.
Type I: Product is formed simultaneously with growth of cells. That is product
concentration increases with cell concentration.
r p=q p X ❑ α μg X
⇒
1 dP
qp= =Y P μ g
X dt X
Where qp is the rate of product formation (h-1), µg is the specific
growth rate and α and β is a coefficients
Type II: Product formation is unrelated to growth rate, but is a function of cell
concentration.

dP
=q p X =βX
dt
Type III: product formation is a combination of growth rate and cell
concentration

r p=q p X ( α μ g+ β ) X
⇒
Note that if β is zero and α is YP/X, this case reduces to Type I. if α is
zero, it reduces to Type II.

Reference

Coulson, J.M. et al. (1994). Chemical engineering. Retrieved from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=216XossqQbIC&dq=how+luedeking+-
piret+model+occur&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Sikyta, B. (1995). Progress in industrial microbiology. Retrieved from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?
id=iEzWnzLNybYC&dq=how+product+formation+occur&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Microbial Growth. Retrieved from

http://www.lamission.edu/lifesciences/lecturenote/mic20/Chap06Growth.pdf

Carberry, J. (1986). Chemical reaction and reactor engineering. Retrieved from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?
id=i19FrUHMmdQC&dq=importance+of+product+formation+kinetics&source=gbs_navlink
s_s

Product formation. (2016, February). Retrieved from https://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-

eng/Biotech-Environ/LUDEKNG.HTM