The strain Klebsiella sp. K18 produces the enzyme glucosyltransferase and catalyses the conversion of sucrose to palatinose, an alternative sugar that presents low cariogenicity. Response Surface Methodology was successfully employed to determine the optimal concentration of culture medium components. Maximum glucosyltransferase production (21.78 U mL(-1)) was achieved using the optimized medium composed by sugar cane molasses (80 g L(-1)), bacteriological peptone (7 g L(-1)) and yeast extract (20 g L(-1)), after 8 hours of fermentation at 28°C. The conversion of sucrose to palatinose was studied utilizing immobilized cells in calcium alginate. The effects of the alginate concentration (2-4%), cell mass concentration (20-40%) and substrate concentration (25-45%) were evaluated and the yield of palatinose was approximately 62.5%.
Keywords: Klebsiella sp; cell immobilization; glucosyltransferase; palatinose; response surface methodology.