The fermentation process of glutathione production in flasks by Candida utilis WSH 02-08 under different agitation rates and diverse media volumes were studied.It was concluded that dissolved oxygen (DO) was one of the most important factors in the cultivation of the strain by influencing cell growth and glutathione production.Based on this result

batch fermentation of glutathione under constant agitation rate of 300 r·min-1 and constant DO concentrations of 20%

35%

50%

65% and 80% were investigated.Dry cell weight (DCW) and glutathione production both increased evidently under constant DO concentrations rather than those obtained under constant agitation rate of 300 r·min-1.As a result

DCW and glutathione production increased under constant DO concentration of 35% by 22% and 30%

respectively.Then the reason for the increase of DCW and glutathione production was quantitatively described in detail by the comparison of parameters obtained from fermentation kinetic models

together with the distribution of flux for metabolites in metabolic network of glutathione production by Candida utilis WSH 02-08.