Work

Determination of phosphorus in antibiotic fermentation broth by merging-zone flow injection analysis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Precise determination of dissolved phosphorus concentration in antibiotic fermentation broths is essential for microbial growth and metabolism during fermentation. The conventional method often relies on manual operations, leading to low reproducibility. Herein, we applied the phosphomolybdenum blue reaction to flow injection analysis (FIA) to create an automated approach for phosphorus quantification in antibiotic fermentation broths. Key parameters for the FIA system, including flow rate (1.75 mL/min), ammonium molybdate concentration (20 g/L), and sulfuric acid concentration (0.30 mol/L), were optimized, resulting in a reliable standard curve. Compared to the conventional method, which requires a 10-min incubation in a 50 °C water bath, the FIA method enables measurements in approximately 20 s (sample throughput = 178 h−1). Furthermore, this method offers a wider linear range (0.53–200 mg/L). With good accuracy and precision (relative standard deviation (RSD)=0.35%) and a low limit of detection (LOD, 0.16 mg/L) and limit of quantification (LOQ, 0.53 mg/L), this FIA method presents significant potential for microbial fermentation monitoring. It offers advantages such as automation, low reagents consumption, and the capacity to produce high-precision data at large scale.

Source: Instrumentation Science & Technology

DOI: 10.1080/10739149.2025.2533248