Being a cheaper carbon source, molasses is preferred for citric acid production. As reported by several authors ,the presence of metal ions in molasses enhances growth of the fungus but inhibits citric acid production and hence the clarification of molasses was required. A SSF was carried out using clarified and nonclarified
molasses, in the presence and absence of methanol (to examine the sensitivity of fungus to metalions for citric acid production in SSF) at an initial sugar level of 31.8 g/100 g of dry solid and a moisture level 75%. The results are shown in Fig. 6. In the absence of methanol, the maximum concentration of citric acid,11.2 and 10.2 g/100 g of dry solid with a yield of 35.9 and 32.9. In the presence of methanol the maximum
concentration of citric acid 19.8 and 17.9 g/100 g of dry solid with yield of 64.5 and 60.3% (Table 5) was obtained from clarified and non-clarified molasses in SSF after 9 days of fermentation. The rate of sugar consumption was slightly higher in non-clarified molasses medium than clarified molasses medium. This indicates that the presence of metal ions in molasses enhanced growth of the fungus and reduced citric acid production. The adverse effect of metal ions (present inmolasses) on citric acid production was not very effective as the yields of citric acid, which were similar.
This may be due to the unavailability of free flowing water in SSF system, transport of these metal ions from medium to the fungal cells being difficult. It is also possible that metal ions might be adsorbed on bagasse particles and therefore less available to the microbe.