Figures & data
Figure 1. Two-dimensional (a) and three-dimensional (b) diagram of the new solid-fermentation bioreactor. 1: ultraviolet (UV) light source; 2: wet conditioner; 3: air conditioner; 4: aluminum shelves; 5: air pump; 6: perforated pipes; 7: tray; 8: sterilized filter; 9: water container; 10: gauze filter: 11: gas exit; and 12: rake.
Figure 2. Kinetics of diosgenin production (a) in the new SSF reactor with different initial moisture content: 70% (left diagonal 
), 80% (horizontal stripes 
) and 85% (black bars). Kinetics of medium moisture content loss (b) during SSF with different initial moisture content: 70% (
); 75% (
); 80% (
); and 85% (
). The standard deviations were less than 10%.
Figure 3. Kinetics of diosgenin production (a) in the new SSF reactor at different incubation temperatures: 25 °C (left diagonal
), 35 °C (horizontal stripes ) and 40 °C (black bars). Temperature changes (b) in the tray bed during SSF at different air-conditioning temperature: 25 °C (
); 30 °C (
); 35 °C (
); and 40 °C (
). The standard deviations were less than 10%.
Figure 4. Kinetics of diosgenin production (a) in the new SSF reactor with different tray depths: 1 cm (left diagonal
), 2 cm (horizontal stripes ) and 2.5 cm (black bars). Kinetics of medium moisture content loss (b) and temperature changes in tray bed (c) during SSF with different tray depths: 1 cm (
); 1.5 cm (
); 2 cm (
); and 2.5 cm (
). The standard deviations were less than 10%.
Figure 5. Kinetics of diosgenin production (a) in the new SSF reactor with different mixing times: once (left diagonal
), three times (horizontal stripes ) and four times (black bars). Kinetics of medium moisture content loss (b) and temperature changes in tray bed (c) during SSF with different mixing times: once (
); two times (
); three times (
); and four times (
). The standard deviations were less than 10%.
Figure 6. Kinetics of biomass growth (a) and enzyme activity (b) of α-rhamnase (
) during mixed-culture SSF. Profiles (c) of concentrations of diosgenin-diglucoside (▴), diosgenin-glucoside-rhamnoside (
), diosgenin-glucoside (△) and diosgenin (☆) during mixed-culture SSF. The standard deviations were less than 10%.