Fermentation media provide essential nutrients for microbial growth and product formation.
It significantly impacts productivity and efficiency.
Types of Media
They are classified as:
Synthetic or Defined Media
Contains chemically defined components.
Used for research purposes to study specific microbial needs.
Complex Media
Contains undefined components such as yeast extract, peptone, and malt extract.
Commonly used in industrial fermentation.
Selective Media
Encourages the growth of specific microorganisms while inhibiting others.
Example: Media for lactic acid bacteria in dairy fermentation.
Production Media
Optimized for large-scale product formation.
Contains specific nutrients to enhance yield.
Enriched Media
Supplemented with additional nutrients to support fastidious organisms.
Components of Media
Carbon source (glucose, sucrose, lactose, molasses).
Nitrogen source (ammonia, nitrates, yeast extracts, peptone).
Minerals and Vitamins (magnesium, phosphate, iron).
Growth factors (vitamins, amino acids).
