Simple and sensitive determination of diacetyl and acetoin in biological samples and alcoholic drinks by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

Acetoin was quantitatively oxidized into diacetyl by Fe³⁺ in 1 M perchloric acid. The reaction of diacetyl with 4,5-dichloro-1,2-diaminobenzene afforded 6,7-dichloro-2,3-dimethylquinoxaline (DCDMQ), which was extracted by benzene containing aldrin (25 ng/ml) as an internal standard, and determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The method is very simple and sensitive. The detection limit of DCDMQ (either diacetyl or acetoin) was 10 fmol/μl of the benzene extract, and the determination limit of DCDMQ (either diacetyl or acetoin) was 50 fmol/μl of the extract. Both acetoin and diacetyl could be determined in 0.1 ml of normal human urine or blood, and both were found in rat liver, kidney and brain. The method was also applied to the determination of acetoin and diacetyl in alcoholic drinks.     

Production of Acetylacetoin by Bacterial Fermentation

Bacillus sp. YUF-4 did not produce acetylacetoin with general culture media, such as bouillon medium containing glucose or acetoin. When diacetyl was added to a medium cultured for 18–20 h in the presence of glucose or acetoin, AAC was produced as culture continued. AAC was assayed by GLC with a Carbowax 20M capillary column. The AAC produced was purified by several steps: the final HPLC using a Shodex E411 column was effective. The yield of AAC was 346 mg per liter of the medium (7.5% recovery) and the purity was 97%. AAC was identified by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR.     

Diacetyl, Acetoin, and Acetaldehyde Production by Mixed-Species Lactic Starter Cultures

Citrate utilization and acetoin, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and lactic acid production in milk at 21 C by five different mixed-strain starters, containing Streptococcus diacetilactis (D type), Leuconostoc (B type), and S. diacetilactis and Leuconostoc (BD type), were measured. BD and D cultures utilized citrate more rapidly and produced more diacetyl, acetoin, and acetaldehyde than B types. All cultures produced much more acetoin than diacetyl, with the BD and D cultures producing four to five times larger amounts of acetoin than the B cultures. Reduction of diacetyl and acetoin toward the end of the normal incubation period was characteristic of BD and D cultures, whereas a similar reduction of acetaldehyde was characteristic of BD and especially of B cultures. Continued incubation of B cultures beyond 17 h also resulted in reduction of diacetyl and acetoin. Addition of citrate to the milk retarded diacetyl and acetoin reduction. Mn²⁺ had no effect on diacetyl production by a BD culture but increased citrate utilization and, as a consequence, caused greater diacetyl destruction in one of the B cultures.     

Separation of diacetyl, acetoin, and 2,3-butylene glycol by ion-exchange chromatography

Mixtures of diacetyl, acetoin, and 2,3-butylene glycol were quantitatively separated by ion-exchange chromatography on Dowex 1-X8 resin in the bisulfite form. Initial elution with water removed 2,3-butylene glycol from the column. Further elution with 0.1 m NaCl separated acetoin from diacetyl. Sulfite in the eluates was deactivated with $\text{I}{}_2\text{KI}$ reagent. After oxidation by bromine, 2,3-butylene glycol was measured as acetoin. Excess bromine was neutralized by addition of 40% NaOH and saturated Na₂S₂O₅. After separation and conversion of the glycol to acetoin, the Westerfeld colorimetric method was used to determine the three components quantitatively.     

Effect of Initial Oxygen Concentration on Diacetyl and Acetoin Production by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis

The production of aroma compounds (acetoin and diacetyl) in fresh unripened cheese by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis CNRZ 483 was studied at 30°C at different initial oxygen concentrations (0, 21, 50, and 100% of the medium saturation by oxygen). Regardless of the initial O₂ concentration, maximal production of these compounds was reached only after all the citrate was consumed. Diacetyl and acetoin production was 0.01 and 2.4 mM, respectively, at 0% oxygen. Maximum acetoin concentration reached 5.4 mM at 100% oxygen. Diacetyl production was increased by factors of 2, 6, and 18 at initial oxygen concentrations of 21, 50, and 100%, respectively. The diacetyl/acetoin concentration ratio increased linearly with initial oxygen concentration: it was eight times higher at 100% (3.3%) than at 0% oxygen (0.4%). The effect of oxygen on diacetyl and acetoin production was also shown with other lactococci. At 0% oxygen, specific activity of α-acetolactate synthetase (0.15 U/mg) and NADH oxidase (0.04 U/mg) was 3.6 and 5.4 times lower, respectively, than at 100% oxygen. The increasing α-acetolactate synthetase activity in the presence of oxygen would explain the higher production of diacetyl and acetoin. The NADH oxidase activity would replace the role of the lactate dehydrogenase, diacetyl reductase, and acetoin reductase in the reoxidation of NADH, allowing accumulation of these two aroma compounds.     

Diacetyl Biosynthesis in Streptococcus diacetilactis and Leuconostoc citrovorum

Pyruvate was shown to be the precursor of diacetyl and acetoin in Streptococcus diacetilactis, but dialyzed cell-free extracts of S. diacetilactis and Leuconostoc citrovorum that had been treated with anion-exchange resin to remove coenzyme A (CoA) formed only acetoin from pyruvate in the presence of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) and Mg(++) or Mn(++) ions. The ability to produce diacetyl was restored by the addition of acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-phosphate did not replace the acetyl-CoA. Neither diacetyl nor acetoin was formed when the otherwise complete reaction system was modified by using boiled extract or by omitting the extract, pyruvate, TPP, or the metal ions. Free acetaldehyde was not involved in the biosynthesis of diacetyl or acetoin from pyruvate, dialyzed cell-free extracts of the bacteria produced only acetoin (besides CO(2)) from alpha-acetolactate, and acetoin was not involved in the biosynthesis of diacetyl. Only one of the optical isomers present in racemic alpha-acetolactate was attacked by the extracts, and there was no appreciable spontaneous decarboxylation of the alpha-acetolactate at the pH (4.5) used in experiments.     

Biosynthesis of Diacetyl in Bacteria and Yeast

Both diacetyl and acetoin were produced by cell-free extracts and cultures of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Aerobacter aerogenes, Lactobacillus brevis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 299, whereas only acetoin was produced by cell-free extracts and cultures of Streptococcus lactis, Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, and S. cerevisiae strains 513 and 522. Cell-free extracts that produced diacetyl did not produce it from acetoin; they produced it from pyruvate, but only if acetyl-coenzyme A was was added to the reaction mixtures. Production of diacetyl by S. cerevisiae 299 was prevented by valine, inhibited by sodium arsenite, and stimulated by pantothenic acid. Valine did not prevent the production of acetoin. E. coli and the three strains of S. cerevisiae did not decarboxylate alpha-acetolactate but did use acetaldehyde in the production of acetoin from pyruvate. The other organisms produced acetoin from pyruvate via alpha-acetolactate.     

Acetoin Fermentation by Citrate-Positive Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 3022 Grown Aerobically in the Presence of Hemin or Cu2+

Citr⁺Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 3022 produced more biomass and converted most of the glucose substrate to diacetyl and acetoin when grown aerobically with hemin and Cu²⁺. The activity of diacetyl synthase was greatly stimulated by the addition of hemin or Cu²⁺, and the activity of NAD-dependent diacetyl reductase was very high. Hemin did not affect the activities of NADH oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase. These results indicated that the pyruvate formed via glycolysis would be rapidly converted to diacetyl and that the diacetyl would then be converted to acetoin by the NAD-dependent diacetyl reductase to reoxidize NADH when the cells were grown aerobically with hemin or Cu²⁺. On the other hand, the Y_Glu value for the hemincontaining culture was lower than for the culture without hemin, because acetate production was repressed when an excess of glucose was present. However, in the presence of lipoic acid, an essential cofactor of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase part of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, hemin or Cu²⁺ enhanced acetate production and then repressed diacetyl and acetoin production. The activity of diacetyl synthase was lowered by the addition of lipoic acid. These results indicate that hemin or Cu²⁺ stimulates acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) formation from pyruvate and that lipoic acid inhibits the condensation of acetyl-CoA with hydroxyethylthiamine PP_i. In addition, it appears that acetyl-CoA not used for diacetyl synthesis is converted to acetate.     

Diacetyl and acetoin production from the co-metabolism of citrate and xylose by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides

The co-metabolism of citrate plus xylose by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides results in a growth stimulation, an increase in d-lactate and acetate production and repression of ethanol production. This correlated well with the levels of key enzymes involved. A partial repression of alcohol dehydrogenase and a marked stimulation of acetate kinase were observed. High citrate bioconversion yields in diacetyl plus acetoin were obtained at pH 5.2 in batch (11.5%) or in chemostat (up to 17.4%) culture. In contrast, no diacetyl or acetoin was detected in citrate plus glucose fermentation. Received: 6 December 1996 / Received revision: 14 February 1997 / Accepted: 14 February 1997     

Reducing diacetyl production of wine by overexpressing <Emphasis Type="Italic">BDH1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">BDH2</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces uvarum</Emphasis>

As a byproduct of yeast valine metabolism during fermentation, diacetyl can produce a buttery aroma in wine. However, high diacetyl concentrations generate an aromatic off-flavor and poor quality in wine. 2,3-Butanediol dehydrogenase encoded by BDH1 can catalyze the two reactions of acetoin from diacetyl and 2,3-butanediol from acetoin. BDH2 is a gene adjacent to BDH1, and these genes are regulated reciprocally. In this study, BDH1 and BDH2 were overexpressed in Saccharomyces uvarum to reduce the diacetyl production of wine either individually or in combination. Compared with those in the host strain WY1, the diacetyl concentrations in the recombinant strains WY1-1 with overexpressed BDH1, WY1-2 with overexpressed BDH2 alone, and WY1-12 with co-overexpressed BDH1 and BDH2 were decreased by 39.87, 33.42, and 46.71%, respectively. BDH2 was only responsible for converting diacetyl into acetoin, but not for the metabolic pathway of acetoin to 2,3-butanediol in S. uvarum. This study provided valuable insights into diacetyl reduction in wine.     

Purification and Properties of a Diacetyl Reductase from Escherichia coli

A reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent reductase with the ability to reduce diacetyl has been isolated from Escherichia coli and has been purified 800-fold to near homogeneity. The product of the reduction of diacetyl was shown to be acetoin. The enzyme proved to catalyze the oxidation of NADPH in the presence of both uncharged α- and β-dicarbonyl compounds. Even monocarbonyl compounds showed slight activity with the enzyme. On the basis of its substrate specificity, it is suggested that the enzyme functions as a diacetyl reductase. In contrast to other diacetyl reductases, the one reported here is specific for NADPH and does not possess acetoin reductase activity. The pH optimum of this enzyme was found to be between 6 and 7. The maximal velocity for the NADPH-dependent reduction of diacetyl was determined to be 9.5 μmol per min per mg of protein and the K_m values for diacetyl and NADPH were found to be 4.44 mM and 0.02 mM, respectively. The molecular weight was estimated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 to be approximately 10,000.     

Properties of 2,3-Butanediol Dehydrogenases from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis in Relation to Citrate Fermentation

Two 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenases (enzymes 1 and 2; molecular weight of each, 170,000) have been partially purified from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (Streptococcus diacetylactis) D10 and shown to have reductase activity with either diacetyl or acetoin as the substrate. However, the reductase activity with 10 mM diacetyl was far greater for both enzymes (7.0- and 4.7-fold for enzymes 1 and 2, respectively) than with 10 mM acetoin as the substrate. In contrast, when acetoin and diacetyl were present together, acetoin was the preferred substrate for both enzymes, with enzyme 1 showing the more marked preference for acetoin. meso-2,3-Butanediol was the only isomeric product, with enzyme 1 independent of the substrate combinations. For enzyme 2, both the meso and optical isomers of 2,3-butanediol were formed with acetoin as the substrate, but only the optical isomers were produced with diacetyl as the substrate. With batch cultures of strain D10 at or near the point of citrate exhaustion, the main isomers of 2,3-butanediol present were the optical forms. If the pH was sufficiently high (>pH 5), acetoin reduction occurred over time and was followed by diacetyl reduction, and meso-2,3-butanediol became the predominant isomer. Interconversion of the optical isomers into the meso isomer did occur. The properties of 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenases are consistent with diacetyl and acetoin removal and the appearance of the isomers of 2,3-butanediol.     

Formation and stabilization of diacetyl and acetoin concentration in fully grown cultures ofStreptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis

Summary The effects of pH and temperature on diacetyl and acetoin concentration and diacetyl:acetoin ratio evolution of non-growing cells ofStreptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis CNRZ 124 were studied. A cooling down to 10°C allowed the cells to retain 6 to 10 times as much diacetyl. A large reduction of acetoin was promoted at pH 7 whereas a twice increase was observed at pH 4,8. As a result of these variations, the ratio diacetyl: acetoine showed an opposite evolution according to the pH.     

High-Efficiency Conversion of Pyruvate to Acetoin by Lactobacillus plantarum during pH-Controlled and Fed-Batch Fermentations

The influence of pH on the type and concentration of metabolites produced from pyruvate by Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 was examined in pH-controlled fermentors at pH values of 4.5 to 6.5. Specific growth rates, cell dry weights, and diacetyl concentrations were highest at pH 5.5, with values of 0.78 h⁻¹, 190 mg/liter, and 1.2 mM, respectively. While the conversion efficiency (millimoles of acetoin formed per millimoles of pyruvate utilized) was highest (94.6%) at pH 4.5, acetoin levels were similar (20 mM) between pH 4.5 and 5.5. Feeding stationary-phase cells exogenous pyruvate increased acetoin levels to 78 mM.     

Determination of antrafenine and its main acid metabolite, 2-{[7-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinyl]amino}-benzoic acid,in biological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography with large volume automatic injection and gas—liquid chromatography with derivative formation

Specific and sensitive analytical methods have been developed for the measurement of antrafenine and its main acid metabolite, 2-{[7-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinyl]amino} benzoic acid (FQB), at therapeutic concentrations in plasma and urine.Following the addition of internal standards (the methyl ester of FQB and 2-{[8-(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinyl]amino}benzoic acid) the parent drug and the metabolite were extracted from biological material with diethyl ether at a weakly acid pH. Drug extracts were evaporated to dryness prior to chromatographic analysis.Antrafenine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography using a Spherisorb 5-μm ODS column with acetonitrile—0.1 M sodium acetate as the mobile phase. Samples were injected automatically using a 500-μl injection loop. The detector wavelength was 353 nm corresponding to the maximum UV absorption of both drug and internal standard. The coefficient of variation (C.V.) for the determination of antrafenine concentrations between 5 and 250 ng/ml ranged between 24 and 3%, respectively.The acid metabolite of antranine was measured by gas—liquid chromatography with electron-capture detection using a 1-m column packed with 3% OV-225 on Gas-Chrom Q (100–120 mesh) at 240°C and on-column methylation with trimethylphenyl ammonium hydroxide. The C.V. of the methd for the analysis of metabolite concentrations between 10 and 500 ng/ml ranged between 3 and 9%, respectively.     

Ammonium and Nitrite Inhibition of Methane Oxidation by Methylobacter albus BG8 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b at Low Methane Concentrations

Methane oxidation by pure cultures of the methanotrophs Methylobacter albus BG8 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b was inhibited by ammonium choride and sodium nitrite relative to that in cultures assayed in either nitrate-containing or nitrate-free medium. M. albus was generally more sensitive to ammonium and nitrite than M. trichosporium. Both species produced nitrite from ammonium; the concentrations of nitrite produced increased with increasing methane concentrations in the culture headspaces. Inhibition of methane oxidation by nitrite was inversely proportional to headspace methane concentrations, with only minimal effects observed at concentrations of>500 ppm in the presence of 250 μM nitrite. Inhibition increased with increasing ammonium at methane concentrations of 100 ppm. In the presence of 500 μM ammonium, inhibition increased initially with increasing methane concentrations from 1.7 to 100 ppm; the extent of inhibition decreased with methane concentrations of > 100 ppm. The results of this study provide new insights that explain some of the previously observed interactions among ammonium, nitrite, methane, and methane oxidation in soils and aquatic systems.     

Acaricidal activity of petroleum ether extract of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil and its four fractions separated by column chromatography against Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi larvae in vitro

The petroleum ether extract of neem oil and its four fractions separated by column chromatography was diluted at different concentrations with liquid paraffin. The acaricidal bioassay was conducted using a dipping method. The results indicated that the median lethal concentration (LC50) of the petroleum ether extract (at the concentration of 500.0ml/l) was 70.9ml/l, 24h after treatment. At concentrations of 500.0, 250.0, 125.0, 62.5 and 31.2ml/l, the median lethal times (LT50) of the petroleum ether extract were 8.7, 8.8, 10.8, 11.5 and 13.1h, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) showed that the petroleum ether extract of neem oil separated into four fractions (F1-F4). Acaricidal activity of 68.3% and 100.0% in the F2 and F4 was confirmed. These results suggest that petroleum ether extracts of neem oil and its four fractions possess useful acaricidal activity in vitro.     

Microbial Production of 2,3-Butylene Glycol from Cheese Whey

Six microorganisms that produced acetoin or diacetyl or both from glucose were tested for the production of 2,3-butylene glycol from lactose. Bacillus polymyxa and Streptococcus faecalis gave positive results and were tested in unmodified wheys. Cottage cheese whey was unsatisfactory, but B. polymyxa produced large amounts of the glycol in sweet whey, about 60 mmol of glycol per 100 mmol of lactose utilized. Aeration and an increased ratio of surface area to volume of whey enhanced the production of glycol. 2,3-Butylene was separated from the spent whey and from acetoin and diacetyl with a Sephadex G-10 column.     

Influence of temperature on flavour compound production from citrate by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469

The citrate utilization by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 was found to be temperature-dependent. The maximum citrate utilization and incorporation of [1,5-14C]citrate rate were observed at 37 degreesC. At this temperature, maximum citrate lyase activity and specific diacetyl and acetoin production (Y(DA%)) were observed. The high levels of alpha-acetolactate synthase and low levels of diacetyl reductase, acetoin reductase and L-lactate dehydrogenase found at 37 degreesC led to an accumulation of diacetyl and acetoin. Optimum lactic acid production was observed at 45 degreesC, according to the high lactate dehydrogenase activity. The NADH oxidase activity increased with increasing culture temperature from 22 degreesC to 37 degreesC. Thus there are greater quantities of pyruvate available for the production of alpha-acetolactate, diacetyl and aceotin, and less diacetyl and acetoin are reduced.