Abstract :
Central composite design of response surface methodology was applied to understand the interactions
between the process parameters for pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans MTCC 2195 using a second
order quadratic model. A total of 20 shake-flask runs were conducted and response (both 3 dimensional surface and
contour) plots were generated to study the interaction. From analysis of variance (ANOVA) results, it was observed
that total fermentation time (h) plays a critical role and has shown significant influence on pullulan production
compared to initial pH of medium. No previous work has used statistical optimization of process parameters in
pullulan biopolymer production from jaggery. A maximum pullulan concentration of 15.589 g/l was obtained at the
optimum levels of parameters (initial jaggery concentration 50 g/l, initial pH 5.0, total fermentation time 120 h).
Keyword :
Pullulan, RSM, CCD, Jaggery, Optimization.