Development of an industrial medium for economical 2,3-butanediol production through co-fermentation of glucose and xylose by Klebsiella oxytoca

An industrial medium containing urea as a sole nitrogen source, low levels of corn steep liquor and mineral salts as nutrition factors to retain high 2,3-butanediol production through co-fermentation of glucose and xylose (2:1, wt/wt) by Klebsiella oxytoca was developed. Urea and corn steep liquor were identified as the most significant factors by the two-level Plackett–Burman design. Steepest ascent experiments were applied to approach the optimal region of the two factors and a central composite design was employed to determine their optimal levels. Under the optimal medium, the yield of 2,3-butanediol plus acetoin relative to glucose and xylose was up to 0.428 g/g, which was 85.6% of theoretical value. The cheap nitrogen source and nutrition factors combining the co-fermentation process using lignocellulose derived glucose and xylose as the carbon source in the developed medium would be a potential solution to improve the economics of microbial 2,3-butanediol production.