OPTIMIZATION STUDY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CITRIC AND GLUCONIC ACID FROM FIG WATER EXTRACT BYASPERGILLUS NIGERIN SURFACE FERMENTATION

The production of citric and gluconic acid from fig extract by Aspergillus niger ATCC 10577 and A. niger B60 in surface fermentation was investigated. The strain 10577 gave higher concentration of citric and gluconic acid than strain B60. A maximum citric and gluconic acid concentration (20.5 and 97.0 g/L, respectively), citric acid yield (12%), biomass dry weight (18.5 g/L), and sugar utilization (85%) was achieved at an initial sugar concentration of 200 g/L and a pH of 7.0. On the other hand, the highest gluconic acid yield (79.7%) was obtained in culture grown at initial sugar concentration 100 g/L. The addition of 4% (v/v) methanol in the fig extract increased the concentration of citric and gluconic acid from 20.5 and 97.0 g/L to 30.7 and 145.5 g/L, respectively. Citric acid was separated from the gluconic acid by extraction with diethyl ether or ethyl acetate.