Optimal Production and Purification of Citric Acid from Cane Molasses by Aspergillus niger MTCC 282 using Response Surface Methodology

A sequential optimization based on statistiscal design was employed to optimize the media constituents for the improvement of citric acid production from cane molasses through surface fermentation using Aspergillus niger MTCC 282. The selected medium constituents were optimized by the central composite design under the response surface methodology where the maximum yield of citric acid and minimal residual sugar concentration was found to be 28.75 g/L and 0.9 g/L at pH at a temperature of 30ºC having a substrate concentration of 120 g/L under 9 days of incubation. The produced citric acid was then separated using cation-exchange chromatography.