Richter Gedeon Vegyeszeti Gyar Rt

Tamas Szontagh

Laszlo Szemler

Judit Bekes Nee Erdos

Laszlo Kuti

Erzsebet Kovacs Nee Komoroczy

Bela Johan

Denes Szekely

Janos Kiss

Karoly Polinszky

Emilia Simonovits

Aniko Hargital Nee Franyo

Aniko Hargitai Nee Franyo

Emilia Simonovits Nee Czink

Janos Fulop

Laszlo Szabo

Tade Vajda

Robert Toros

Karoly Seitz

The invention relates to a process for the production of a fermentation broth with increased vitamin B.sub.12 content by a fermentation process carried out with a methane-producing mixed bacterium population under anaerobic septic conditions in the presence of known nutrient components and precursors. According to the invention, methanol, preferably in an amount of 0.5 v/v %, is added for some days, preferably for 3 days to the fermentation broth containing vitamin B.sub.12 used as the starting substance. Thereafter a minor part, preferably 10% of the fermentation broth, is removed and an equal volume of a nutrient broth containing the usual components in tenfold concentrations is added periodically in every 5th to 12th day, then the removal of fermentation broth is interrupted for 0 to 2 days, preferably for 1 day, and only 0.4 to 1.5 v/v% of methanol are added to the fermentation broth, and subsequently a minor part, preferably 10% of the fermentation broth, is removed daily and an equal volume of a nutrient broth containing the usual components in the usual concentrations is added together with 0.4 to 1.5 v/v % of methanol, depending on the biogas production of the fermentation broth. This series of operations is repeated periodically during the complete fermentation procedure taking into consideration the pH of the fermentation broth.

Process for the production of fermentation broth with increased vitamin

The invention relates to a method for increasing the vitamin B.sub.12 production of fermentation processes performed in a known way with a mixed population of mesophilic methane-producing bacteria under anaerobic conditions. According to the invention in an enrichment period of preferably 4 to 7 days a nutrient concentrate containing mainly inorganic ammonium compounds as nitrogen source and mainly methanol as carbon source and having a N:C weight ratio of 1:10 to 1:20, preferably 1:11 to 1:15 is added in daily portions to a fermentation broth obtained from a usual vitamin B.sub.12 fermentation process and containing living bacterium populations so as to increase the total concentration of assimilable nitrogen by a factor of maximum 4 until the end of the enrichment period, and thereafter the fermentation is terminated and the obtained fermentation broth with an increased vitamin B.sub.12 content is processed, or the fermentation is continued by periodically removing a portion of the fermentation broth and supplementing it with a same volume of fresh nutrient medium containing mainly inorganic ammonium compounds as nitrogen source and mainly methanol as carbon source and having a N:C weight ratio of 1:10 to 1:20, preferably 1:11 to 1:15. By this process fermentation broths with as high vitamin B.sub.12 concentration as 40.000 mcg./l. can be obtained.

Method for increasing the vitamin B.sub.12 production in fermentation

Growing community of inventors

Budapest, Hungary

Tamas Szontagh