Broth rheology, growth and metabolite production of Beta vulgaris suspension culture: A comparative study between cultures grown in shake flasks and in a stirred tank

Cells of Beta vulgaris have the ability to grow in a stirred tank under an impeller tip speed as high as 95.3 cm seg^-1. Comparing this system with cultures performing in shake flasks, a decrease of the cell concentration, betalains production, and growth rate was observed. However, the kinetic profiles of aggregates size and cellular viability were practically the same. The cultures carried out in the fermentor showed a major accumulation of extracellular arabinogalactoprotein and polysaccharide, which is an indication of the cell response to hydrodynamic stress. These extracellular molecules produced a considerable change in the rheology of cell-free medium. This change in the rheology can be playing an important role in the reduction of the actual hydrodynamic stress during cultivation. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.