A. KRASTANOV1, D. BLAZHEVA1 and TOSHIOMI YOSHIDA2
1 University of Food Technology, Department of Biotechnology, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2 ICBiotech, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
KRASTANOV, A., D. BLAZHEVA and TOSHIOMI YOSHIDA, 2006. Conversion of sucrose into palatinose with immobilized Serratia plymuthica cells. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 12: 721-726
Palatinose (isomaltulose) can be used as a substitute of sucrose. Here we describe a simple and effective method of converting concentrated sucrose solutions into palatinose using immobilized Serratia plymuthica cells. The cells were immobilized in alginate beads and on chitin. A conversion rate of up to 99 % was achieved. The process was carried out in a batch and continuous mode in a column. The effect of temperature and flow rate on the conversion rate and the productivity of the column was investigated.