In the present study, the effect of collagen hydrolysate (CH) on the growth of Bacillus subtilis was investigated for its valuable utilization in the fermentation industry. The influences of CH and other nitrogen sources, the proportion of CH and corn steep liquor, and the different carbon source at the present of CH on the growth of B. subtilis were significantly explored. Further, the effects of CH as nitrogen source on the fermentation for several bacteria was also investigated. With a positive effect on the biomass of Bacillus subtilis, CH was observed to be a suitable nitrogen source for the microbial fermentation. Comparing with corn steep liquor, CH exhibited a strong ability to improve the growth of Bacillus subtilis and keep its biomass in a high level. However, starch was a better carbon source than glucose and sucrose for the growth of Bacillus subtilis with the present of CH. Moreover, CH showed the significant value to be used as the nitrogen resource for the growth of Escherichia coli (ATCC 15489) and Bacillus licheniformis (CICC 20031). This suggests that CH possesses the potential to be utilized as a nitrogen resource for the growth of multiple microorganisms in the fermentation industry.
