Selection of correct carbon source is very critical in process optimization.Carbon sources were screened for the production of PDC and biosynthesis of PAC. It was observed that cane molasses was the bestcarbon source as it produced 2.22 g/L PAC whereas other sources produced lesser amounts.That ispure cheese whey (whey without suspended proteins) 1.11, whole cheese whey (whey with suspended proteins) produced 0.88, glucose 0.99, galactose 0.44, fructose 0.66, maltose 0.77 and Carbon sulphite liquor 0.33 (Fig. 1.Screening of carbon sources for PDC production.).Some other researchers stated thatcane molasses as an excellent carbon sourcefor growth of yeastsand production of different enzymes and other metabolitessuch as pectinases proteases, xylanases and bioethanol etc. (Aguilar et al 2002, Sughra et al. 2013). As molasses is a rich source of sugars, vitamins, minerals and a number of other nutrients. Moreover this industrial waste and is easily available round the year (Darvishi and Moghaddami 2019).
3.1.Response Surface based optimization
The use of RSM for experiment design and statistical analysis of results is increasing day by day due to its robust response. Several researchers have used it for many novel research projects,like synthesis of nanoparticles (Othman et al.2017), Bioethanol (Darvishi and Moghaddami. 2019) and pretreatment of certain substrate (Asadi and Zilouei 2016).
3.2. Plackett Burman Burman Model (PBM)
By using the Design-Expert version 10.1.6 (Stat-Ease, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA)Sugar Conc. (%, v/v),Incubation Time (Hrs) and Temperature of fermentation (oC) were selected as significant factors through PBM. Other factors were non-significant as R2was greater than 1 and P value was out of standard limit.Linear regression analysis of eleven factorsthrough four responses (Table 1A)was done using Plackett Burman Model.Standard error of design ( Fig.2) was smaller and similar within all types of co-efficients. VIF was 1.0 and hence satisfactory. Ri2 for all factors was 0.00. All these aspects showed terms are not co-related and Model is significant.
As per ANOVA, P-values for initial sugar (%,v/v), Time (Hrs)and Temperature (oC) were less than 0.05 therefore these were significant factors. Central Composite Design was designed using selected factors to determine and optimize their co-relation for higher productions.Asif et al. 2012 designed experiments for proteases using the similar approaches.
3.3.Central Composite Designe and evaluation
Sugar Conc. (%, v/v), Incubation Time (Hrs) and Temperature of fermentation (oC) were used as input factors for CCD (Table 1B.) and studied through four responses as PDC activity (mmol/L) final pH, sugar consumed (%,v/v) and PAC (g/L) produced.The fitted models in terms of the coded values ofSugar Conc. (A), Time (B) and Temperature (C) are given below;
3.4. Evaluation of RSM Designe
Final Equation in Terms of Coded Factors:
YPDC activity(mM)=+48.25+0.44* A+4.12* B-4.24* C-0.27 * A * B-0.12*A* C+0.26* B* C-13.05*A2-8.08* B2-13.05* C2
Final Equation in Terms of Coded Factors:
Y PAC(g/l) =+7.24+0.070* A+0.62* B-0.64* C-0.027*A*B-0.027*A*C+0.030*B* C-1.95*A21.21*B2-1.95* C2
where y is the PDC activity and PAC produced (g/L) positive sign in front of the terms indicates synergetic effect, whereas negative sign indicates antagonistic effect.
3.5.Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
ANOVA for Pyruvate decarboxylase activity showed that the F-values of Model (3.71,18.4 and 6.08), P-Values less than 0.005 forPDC activity, Sugar consumed and PAC produced implies that the models for all these responces were significant. Wherase P-Value for lack of fit was greater than 0.005 so the lack of fit was non-significant for all responces, which made them more significant (Table 2).There are only 2.65, 2.2 and 2.9% chances that the"Model F-Value" could occur due to noise.
In this case A2, B2, C2are significant model terms.Values greater than 0.1000 indicate the model terms are not significant.The "Lack of Fit F-value" of 1.72 implied that the Lack of Fit was not significant relative to the pureerror. There was a 28.30% chance that a "Lack of Fit F-value" could occur due to noise. Morover ,
Std. Dev. 12.7
R-Squared 0.770
Mean 24.9
Adj R-Squared 0.562
C.V. % 51.1
PRESS 8.62E+003
Adeq Precision 4.888
“Adeq Precision" measures the signal to noise ratio. A ratio greater than 4 is desirable. The ratio of 4.888 indicated an adequate signal. This model can be used to navigate the design space.
Optimizations (Figs. 3A,3B) goals for sugar consumed, PDC activity and PAC were maximized. All possiblities of interaction and their co-relations were studied. Importance for all was of high importance i.e.,+++. 3D graphs to study the co-relation of Time, sugar concentration and temperature were plotted. Effects of these interactions over PDC activity and PAC produced (g/L)were studied. As shown in Fig. 4A and 5A.
Linear plots (Fig.3A.) between standardized effects and Normal %age probability for PDC activity, PACand sugar Consumed during fermentation showed that the resultant values were uniformly distributed along a linear trend line. Box-Cox plots (Fig.3B.) for PDC activity, PAC and sugar Conc. showed that Lameda for PDC activity and PAC produced were near to the ideal values that is 1 for PAC and 0.048 for PDC, whereas for sugar consumed it was beyond the limit for good models. Shown by blue lines in Fig 3B.
According to ANOVA and statistical analysis temperature is significant. As per analysis of Ramps (3C. I,II,III), temperature significantly effected activity of PDC and hence yield of PAC. Wheras sugar conc. and time were not significant. Smooth ramps showed that these factors have no significancant effect on production of PDC and its products. Positive impact of temperature have been reported by many researchers (Shukla and kulkarni 2002, Andrews and McLeish 2012). The 38oC (Fig. 3C.I)was optimume temperature for PDC production from Pichia cecembencesthis goes withShukla and kulkarni 2002.
Interaction of Temperature & sugar and Temperature & Time positively effect (4A) the PDC activity which rose to 42.8 U/ml. In simple words it could be suggested that temperature was a key factor to enhance the activity of PDC.Interaction of Temperature with sugar concentration and incubation Time produced significant Response Surface Models and 3D surface graphs. Co-relation of Time and Sugar was not effective for higher PDC activity (14 U/ml).Standard error for PDC for all co-relations was almost similar as shown in 3D plots in Fig. 4B.
Interactions of Temperature with sugar Conc. and Time, enhanced PAC produced but interactions of Time and Sugar conc. could not produce good yields of PAC (g/L). Standard error of interactions was uniform for all interactions (Fig.5A, 5B). Hence, through CCD design it was found that Temperature was the factor which can produce higher activity of PDC and its Products.Arroyo-López et al2009, reported temperature and sugar as significant parameters, affecting the microbial growth and product formation using CCD of RSM. They maximize the yield by process optimization for five factors (initial pH, initial molasses concentration %,v/v, incubation temperature °C, mixing rate rpm, and incubation period (Hrs). In present study eleven factors through PBM and three factors through CCD were optimized to enhance the yield of PDC and PAC. Design Expert 6.0.7 software (Stat-Ease Inc., Minneapolis, USA) was reported for optimization of alcoholic fermentation. We used Design-Expert version 10.1.6 (Stat-Ease, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) for optimization.According to the RSM optimization process, the response for each fermentation parameter was defined within the studied levels range to get the highest performance.
RSM combines the individual desirability, intoa single number and searched to optimize the function, based on the response. Arroyo-López et al. (2009) calculated bioethanol production 30.7 g/L with bioethanol yield of 42% under fermentation conditions; pH 5, 25% initial molasses concentration, 35°C, 116 rpm, and 60 hrs. The experimental result of these conditions was found to be 32 g/L with 43.57 %bioethanol yield. In present model maximum PDC activity was 56.27 U/ml producing 8.44 g/L PAC. The yield was increased by 71% under optimized fermentation conditions, initial pH 5.0, total sugar concentration 18% (v /v), Incubation temperature 33°C and 13hrs of incubation. Retention times (Table 3A) for PAC, Benzoic acid and Benzyl alcohol were5.5-6.0, 17.5 and 1.5-2.0 min through HPLC purification.
Whole cells of Pichia cecembences (Table 3B) have better half-life at 4oCwith and without 40mM benzaldehyde (240hrs and 336hrs, respectively) as compared to candida utilis reported bySatianegara et al. 2006. Who reported half-life of 228hrs in presence of benzaldehyde at same temperature. Whereas crude extract exhibits extended half-lives at 25oC with and without Benzaldehyed (24 and 32.5 Hrs) rather than crude extracts of Candida utilis12.9 and 26.3Hrsrespectively it goes in agreement with Leksawasdi 2004. Partially purified PDC in current research work have better half life time (72Hrs) in presence of benzaldehyde as compared to partially purified PDC of Candida utilis which losses it activity by one half in presence of benzaldehyde at 6oC within 60.5Hrs.