Medium Optimization and Fermentation Kinetics for κ-Carrageenase Production by Thalassospira sp. Fjfst-332

Effective degradation of κ-carrageenan by isolated Thalassospira sp. fjfst-332 is reported for the first time in this paper. It was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and morphological observation using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Based on a Plackett–Burman design for significant variables, Box–Behnken experimental design and response surface methodology were used to optimize the culture conditions. Through statistical optimization, the optimum medium components were determined as follows: 2.0 g/L κ-carrageenan, 1.0 g/L yeast extract, 1.0 g/L FOS, 20.0 g/L NaCl, 2.0 g/L NaNO(3), 0.5 g/L MgSO(4)·7H(2)O, 0.1 g/L K(2)HPO(4), and 0.1 g/L CaCl(2). The highest activity exhibited by Thalassospira sp. fjfst-332 was 267 U/mL, which makes it the most vigorous wild bacterium for κ-carrageenan production. In order to guide scaled-up production, two empirical models—the logistic equation and Luedeking–Piretequation—were proposed to predict the strain growth and enzyme production, respectively. Furthermore, we report the fermentation kinetics and every empirical equation of the coefficients (α, β, X(0), X(m) and μ(m)) for the two models, which could be used to design and optimize industrial processes.