Mass and energy balance in glucose and lactose metabolism in Fusarium oxysporum

The fungus Fusarium oxysporum was cultivated on glucose and lactose medium in a 2 l bioreactor to evaluate its carbon conversion efficiency. The initial optimization of culture conditions indicated NH₄NO₃ or NH₄Cl as the best N source at a C/N ratio between 1:4.5 to 1:11.5 at 1% glucose concentration. The pattern of allocation of the substrate carbon and energy into the production of biomass, carbon dioxide, and heat during growth was identified by applying mass and energy balance equations. It is indicated that glucose-containing substrates are better for SCP production from the organism than substrates with lactose.