The effect of levitated water on fermentation kinetics

The rate of anaerobic glucose fermentation by baker's yeast is found to be altered when tap water is replaced with "levitated" (i.e., hydrodynamically processed) water. To analyze the effect in more detail, we developed a fermentation kinetics model that differentiates between (i) nutrient transport into the cell, (ii) the "catabolic" and (iii) the "anabolic" reactions. As a result, the levitated water affects specifically the glucose uptake kinetics, whereas the other kinetic parameters remain unchanged. Remarkably, the sign of the effect changes with the water used to prepare the culture. When levitated water is used for both the culture preparation and the fermentation, the rate constant of glucose transport is increased by (67+/-25)%, relative to ordinary tap-water. When the culture is prepared in ordinary water and only the fermentation is performed in levitated water, the rate constant of glucose transport decreased by (50+/-12)%. Three-week old levitated water has no discernable effect any more.