Biological production of functional chemicals from renewable resources

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 548-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutaka Tokiwa ◽  
Buenaventurada P Calabia

The development and implementation of renewable feedstocks for the production of multifunctional chemicals has received attention from the food and pharmaceutical industries and also as potential raw materials for the manufacture of biodegradable polymers. A major shift towards renewable resources, however, requires new ways to optimize and evaluate industrial processes. There are several possibilities to replace chemical techniques with biological methods based on renewable resources. This review discusses some examples of process development in which a biotechnological route might be favorable leading to industrial realization. Herein are described the production of biomaterials that can be used as monomers in plastics, such as lactic acid for polylactide (PLA), (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (R-3HB) for poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB), and succinic acid for poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). Moreover, several species of microorganisms that produce significant quantities of these functional chemicals under specific cultivation conditions from biomass-derived carbohydrates are also reviewed.Key words: functional chemicals, renewable resources, lactic acid, (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid, succinic acid.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 998-1008
Author(s):  
Grzegorz S. Jodłowski ◽  
Edyta Strzelec

Abstract Lactic acid is a naturally existing organic acid, which may be used in many different branches of industrial application. It can be made in the sugar fermentation process from renewable raw lactic acid, which is an indispensable raw material, including in the agricultural, food, and pharmaceutical industries. It is an ecological product that has enjoyed great popularity in recent years. In 2010, the US Department of Energy published a report about lactic acid to be a potential building element for future technology, whose demand grows year by year. The lactic acid molecule naturally exists in plants, microorganisms, and animals and can also be produced by carbohydrate fermentation or chemical synthesis from coal, petroleum products, and natural gas. In industry, lactic acid can be produced by chemical synthesis or fermentation. Although racemic lactic acid is always produced chemically from petrochemical sources, the optically pure L(+) – or D(−) – lactic acid forms can be obtained by microbial fermentation of renewable resources when an appropriate microorganism is selected. Depending on the application, one form of optically pure LA is preferred over the other. Additionally, microbial fermentation offers benefits including cheap renewable substrates, low production temperatures, and low energy consumption. Due to these advantages, the most commonly used biotechnological production process with the use of biocatalysts, i.e., lactic acid bacteria. The cost of raw materials is one of the major factors in the economic production of lactic acid. As substrate costs cannot be reduced by scaling up the process, extensive research is currently underway to find new substrates for the production of LA. These searches include starch raw materials, lignocellulosic biomass, as well as waste from the food and refining industries. Here, the greatest attention is still drawn to molasses and whey as the largest sources of lactose, vitamins, and carbohydrates, as well as glycerol – a by-product of the biodiesel component production process. Focusing on the importance of lactic acid and its subsequent use as a product, but also a valuable raw material for polymerization (exactly to PLA), this review summarizes information about the properties and applications of lactic acid, as well as about its production and purification processes. An industrial installation for the production of lactic acid is only planned to be launched in Poland. As of today, there is no commercial-scale production of this bio-raw material. Thus, there is great potential for the application of the lactic acid production technology and research should be carried out on its development.


Catalysts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Kuenz ◽  
Lisa Hoffmann ◽  
Katharina Goy ◽  
Sarah Bromann ◽  
Ulf Prüße

With the transition to the bio-based economy, it is becoming increasingly important for the chemical industry to obtain basic chemicals from renewable raw materials. Succinic acid, one of the most important bio-based building block chemicals, is used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in the field of bio-based plastics. An alternative process for the bio-based production of succinic acid was the main objective of this study, focusing on the biotechnological production of succinic acid using a newly isolated organism. Pure glycerol compared to crude glycerol, at the lowest purity, directly from a biodiesel plant side stream, was successfully converted. A maximum final titer of 117 g L−1 succinic acid and a yield of 1.3 g g−1 were achieved using pure glycerol and 86.9 g L−1 succinic acid and a yield of 0.9 g g−1 using crude glycerol. Finally, the succinic acid was crystallized, achieving maximum yield of 95% and a purity of up to 99%.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2148
Author(s):  
Se-Jin Lee ◽  
Hye-Sung Jeon ◽  
Ji-Yeon Yoo ◽  
Jeong-Hwan Kim

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been used for various food fermentations for thousands of years. Recently, LAB are receiving increased attention due to their great potential as probiotics for man and animals, and also as cell factories for producing enzymes, antibodies, vitamins, exopolysaccharides, and various feedstocks. LAB are safe organisms with GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and possess relatively simple metabolic pathways easily subjected to modifications. However, relatively few studies have been carried out on LAB inhabiting plants compared to dairy LAB. Kimchi is a Korean traditional fermented vegetable, and its fermentation is carried out by LAB inhabiting plant raw materials of kimchi. Kimchi represents a model food with low pH and is fermented at low temperatures and in anaerobic environments. LAB have been adjusting to kimchi environments, and produce various metabolites such as bacteriocins, γ-aminobutyric acid, ornithine, exopolysaccharides, mannitol, etc. as products of metabolic efforts to adjust to the environments. The metabolites also contribute to the known health-promoting effects of kimchi. Due to the recent progress in multi-omics technologies, identification of genes and gene products responsible for the synthesis of functional metabolites becomes easier than before. With the aid of tools of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, it can be envisioned that LAB strains producing valuable metabolites in large quantities will be constructed and used as starters for foods and probiotics for improving human health. Such LAB strains can also be useful as production hosts for value-added products for food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries. In this review, recent findings on the selected metabolites produced by kimchi LAB are discussed, and the potentials of metabolites will be mentioned.


Author(s):  
J Aquarista Ingratubun ◽  
Frans G Ijong ◽  
Hens Onibala

Food fermentation is one of various food processing techniques that has sufficient benefits of nutrition values, and also contains lactic acid bacteria which potentially inhibit pathogenic bacteria, thus prolong shelf life of  products. Bakasang is a traditional fermented food from North Sulawesi since many years ago. Reported research of bakasang previously had described that lactic acid bacteria was the dominant isolates and therefore current research  aimed to isolate and identify the lactic acid bacteria which associated during fermentation day 1 and day 15, respectively. Raw materials used were 5 kg intestine and liver of skipjack brought from local market Bersehati Manado. The intestine and liver of skipjack were washed and smashed and mixed with 10% salt  and 5% rice  from weight of the samples and then filled into bottle to be fermented for 15 days. Every 3 days (1,3,6,9,12,15), the samples were collected and analyzed for total lactic acid bacteria by using Total Plate Count Method on de Mann Rogosa Sharpe Agar after incubation at 37°C for 24 h. The colonies  grown were transferred to Tryptic Soy Broth and followed by streaking them on Tryptic Soy Agar and the free growing colony on agar medium were isolated into slant agar which were used for biochemical test such as Gram’s staining, motility test, catalase test, oksidase test, H2S test, IMVIC test (Indole, Methyl Red, Voges Proskauer, Citrate) and carbohydrate fermentation. The results showed that Lactobacillus sp., Bacillus sp., Eubacterium sp., and Bifidobacterium sp. All these four bacteria were distributed from day 1 to day 15 of the fermentation process© Fermentasi bahan pangan merupakan salah satu dari sekian banyak teknik pengolahan makanan yang mempunyai banyak manfaat dari kualitas gizi, mengandung bakteri asam laktat sehingga menghambat bakteri patogen sehingga daya simpan lebih panjang. Bakasang merupakan makanan fermentasi tradisional masyarakat Sulawesi Utara yang sudah ada sejak lama. Penelitian yang telah dilakukan terhadap bakasang menghasilkan informasi bahwa terdapat bakteri asam laktat pada bakasang sehingga menjadi tujuan untuk mengisolasi dan identifikasi bakteri asam laktat selama proses fermentasi 1-15 hari. Bahan baku bakasang ialah jeroan (usus dan hati) ikan cakalang Katsuwonis pelamis sebanyak 5 kg yang diambil dari pasar Bersehati Manado. Sampel jeroan dibersihkan kemudian dihancurkan, ditambahkan garam 10% dan nasi 5% kemudian difermentasi selama 15 hari dengan mengambil tiap-tiap sampel setiap 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, dan 15 untuk dihitung jumlah bakteri asam laktat dengan menggunakkan metode Total Plate Count pada media de Mann Rogosa Sharpe Agar dan koloni yang tumbuh di tumbuhkan  kembali pada media Tryptic Soy Broth  dan digores kembali pada media Tryptic Soy Agar, koloni yang tumbuh digores pada media slant agar yang selanjutnya diidentifikasi bakteri asam laktat berdasarkan uji biokimia yaitu uji pewarnaan Gram, uji motility, uji katalase, uji oksidase, uji H2S dan uji IMVIC (Indole, MethylRed, Voges Proskauer, Citrate). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa selama proses fermentasi berlangsung terdapat 4 genera bakteri asam laktat sesuai yaitu Lactobacillus sp., Bacillus sp., Eubacterium sp., dan Bifidobacterium sp., ke 4 genera ini tersebar pada fermentasi hari 1 sampai hari ke 15©


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 381
Author(s):  
Alessandro Nanni ◽  
Mariafederica Parisi ◽  
Martino Colonna

The plastic industry is today facing a green revolution; however, biopolymers, produced in low amounts, expensive, and food competitive do not represent an efficient solution. The use of wine waste as second-generation feedstock for the synthesis of polymer building blocks or as reinforcing fillers could represent a solution to reduce biopolymer costs and to boost the biopolymer presence in the market. The present critical review reports the state of the art of the scientific studies concerning the use of wine by-products as substrate for the synthesis of polymer building blocks and as reinforcing fillers for polymers. The review has been mainly focused on the most used bio-based and biodegradable polymers present in the market (i.e., poly(lactic acid), poly(butylene succinate), and poly(hydroxyalkanoates)). The results present in the literature have been reviewed and elaborated in order to suggest new possibilities of development based on the chemical and physical characteristics of wine by-products.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabin Koirala ◽  
Ndegwa Henry Maina ◽  
Hanna Nihtilä ◽  
Kati Katina ◽  
Rossana Coda

Abstract Background Lactic acid bacteria can synthesize dextran and oligosaccharides with different functionality, depending on the strain and fermentation conditions. As natural structure-forming agent, dextran has proven useful as food additive, improving the properties of several raw materials with poor technological quality, such as cereal by-products, fiber-and protein-rich matrices, enabling their use in food applications. In this study, we assessed dextran biosynthesis in situ during fermentation of brewers´ spent grain (BSG), the main by-product of beer brewing industry, with Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM20193 and Weissella confusa A16. The starters performance and the primary metabolites formed during 24 h of fermentation with and without 4% sucrose (w/w) were followed. Results The starters showed similar growth and acidification kinetics, but different sugar utilization, especially in presence of sucrose. Viscosity increase in fermented BSG containing sucrose occurred first after 10 h, and it kept increasing until 24 h concomitantly with dextran formation. Dextran content after 24 h was approximately 1% on the total weight of the BSG. Oligosaccharides with different degree of polymerization were formed together with dextran from 10 to 24 h. Three dextransucrase genes were identified in L. pseudomesenteroides DSM20193, one of which was significantly upregulated and remained active throughout the fermentation time. One dextransucrase gene was identified in W. confusa A16 also showing a typical induction profile, with highest upregulation at 10 h. Conclusions Selected lactic acid bacteria starters produced significant amount of dextran in brewers’ spent grain while forming oligosaccharides with different degree of polymerization. Putative dextransucrase genes identified in the starters showed a typical induction profile. Formation of dextran and oligosaccharides in BSG during lactic acid bacteria fermentation can be tailored to achieve specific technological properties of this raw material, contributing to its reintegration into the food chain.


Fermentation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Tse ◽  
Daniel J. Wiens ◽  
Jianheng Shen ◽  
Aaron D. Beattie ◽  
Martin J. T. Reaney

As barley and oat production have recently increased in Canada, it has become prudent to investigate these cereal crops as potential feedstocks for alcoholic fermentation. Ethanol and other coproduct yields can vary substantially among fermented feedstocks, which currently consist primarily of wheat and corn. In this study, the liquified mash of milled grains from 28 barley (hulled and hull-less) and 12 oat cultivars were fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine concentrations of fermentation products (ethanol, isopropanol, acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, α-glycerylphosphorylcholine (α-GPC), and glycerol). On average, the fermentation of barley produced significantly higher amounts of ethanol, isopropanol, acetic acid, succinic acid, α-GPC, and glycerol than that of oats. The best performing barley cultivars were able to produce up to 78.48 g/L (CDC Clear) ethanol and 1.81 g/L α-GPC (CDC Cowboy). Furthermore, the presence of milled hulls did not impact ethanol yield amongst barley cultivars. Due to its superior ethanol yield compared to oats, barley is a suitable feedstock for ethanol production. In addition, the accumulation of α-GPC could add considerable value to the fermentation of these cereal crops.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2531
Author(s):  
Rodion Kopitzky

Sugar beet pulp (SBP) is a residue available in large quantities from the sugar industry, and can serve as a cost-effective bio-based and biodegradable filler for fully bio-based compounds based on bio-based polyesters. The heterogeneous cell structure of sugar beet suggests that the processing of SBP can affect the properties of the composite. An “Ultra-Rotor” type air turbulence mill was used to produce SBP particles of different sizes. These particles were processed in a twin-screw extruder with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and fillers to granules for possible marketable formulations. Different screw designs, compatibilizers and the use of glycerol as a thermoplasticization agent for SBP were also tested. The spherical, cubic, or ellipsoidal-like shaped particles of SBP are not suitable for usage as a fiber-like reinforcement. In addition, the fineness of ground SBP affects the mechanical properties because (i) a high proportion of polar surfaces leads to poor compatibility, and (ii) due to the inner structure of the particulate matter, the strength of the composite is limited to the cohesive strength of compressed sugar-cell compartments of the SBP. The compatibilization of the polymer–matrix–particle interface can be achieved by using compatibilizers of different types. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fracture patterns show that the compatibilization can lead to both well-bonded particles and cohesive fracture patterns in the matrix. Nevertheless, the mechanical properties are limited by the impact and elongation behavior. Therefore, the applications of SBP-based composites must be well considered.


2015 ◽  
Vol 133 (8) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
Weraporn Pivsa-Art ◽  
Kazunori Fujii ◽  
Keiichiro Nomura ◽  
Yuji Aso ◽  
Hitomi Ohara ◽  
...  

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