Biotransformation of Panax notoginseng saponins into ginsenoside compound K production by Paecilomyces bainier sp. 229

Aims: Development and optimization of an efficient and inexpensive biotransformation process for ginsenoside compound K production by Paecilomyces bainier sp. 229. Methods and Results: We have determined the optimum culture conditions required for the efficient production of ginsenoside compound K by P. bainier sp. 229 via biotransformation of ginseng saponin substrate. The optimal medium constituents were determined to be: 30 g sucrose, 30 g soybean steep powder, 1 g wheat bran powder, 1 g (NH₄)₂SO₄, 2 g MgSO₄·7H₂O and 1 g CaCl₂ in 1 l of distilled water. An inoculum size of 5–7·5% with an optimal pH range of 4·5–5·5 was essential for high yield. Conclusions: The Mol conversion quotient of ginseng saponins increased from 21·2% to 72·7% by optimization of the cultural conditions. Scale‐up in a 10 l fermentor, under conditions of controlled pH and continuous air supply in the optimal medium, resulted in an 82·6% yield of ginsenoside compound K. Significant and Impact of the Study: This is the first report on the optimization of culture conditions for the production of ginsenoside compound K by fungal biotransformation. The degree of conversion is significantly higher than previous reports. Our method describes an inexpensive, rapid and efficient biotransformation system for the production of ginsenoside compound K.     

Enhanced production of heteropolysaccharide-7 by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Beijerinckia indica</Emphasis> HS-2001 in repeated batch culture with optimized substitution of culture medium

In this study, a process of removing a half volume of culture broth and replacing it with an equal volume of substituted solution was developed to enhance the production of heteropolysaccharide-7 (PS-7) by Beijerinckia indica HS-2001. The optimal substitution time and volume of the substituted solution were found to be 48 h after cultivation and 50% of the initial volume of the culture broth. The optimal composition of the substituted solution was determined to be 20.0 g/L glucose, 10.0 g/L soybean pomace, 0.1 g/L MgSO₄·7H₂O, 0.9 g/L NH₄NO₃, and 5.0 g/L potassium phosphate, which was the same composition as the medium developed in a previous study for the production of PS-7 by B. indica HS-2001. The total amount and productivity of PS-7 by B. indica HS-2001 with a substitution under optimized conditions in a 7 L bioreactor for 96 h were 49.28 g and 0.51 g/h, respectively, which were 1.76 and 1.31-foldgreater values than those without a substitution for 72 h.     

Excretion of l-Tryptophan by Analogue-resistant Mutants of Pseudomonas hydrogenothermophila TH-1 in Autotrophic Cultures

Cells of a thermophilic hydrogen bacterium, Pseudomonas hydrogenothermophila TH-1 were treated with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and resulting mutants resistant to tryptophan analogues were selected under autotrophic culture conditions (energy source, H₂; carbon source, CO₂). A mutant strain, 7922, which was resistant to 2000 µg/ml of 5-methyltryptophan and 200–500 µg/ml of 5-fluorotryptophan, was obtained by two step mutations. This mutant excreted 38–70 µg/ml of tryptophan into flask culture broth and a maximum of 200 µg/ml into jar fermentor broth.     

Crystallization of Membrane-bound Alcohol Dehydrogenase of Acetic Acid Bacteria

We sought optimum culture conditions for the production by Pseudomonas chlororaphis B23 of nitrile hydratase activity. Addition of ferric and ferrous ions and the use of methacrylamide as an inducer greatly enhanced nitrile hydratase formation. When P. chlororaphis B23 was cultivated for 26 hr at 25°C in a medium consisting of 1 g of sucrose, 0.5 g of methacrylamide, 0.2 g of l-cysteine, 0.2 g of l-glutamate (Na), 0.2g of l-proline, 50 mg of KH₂PO₄, 50 mg of K₂HPO₄, 50 mg of MgSO₄·7H₂0, and 1 mg of FeSO₄·7H₂0 per 100 ml of tap water with the pH controlled at pH 7.5 to 7.8, the enzyme activity in the culture broth was 900-times that previously reported.     

Isolation of Amylase Inhibitor-producing Microorganism

An amylase inhibitor-producing microorganism was identified as a subspecies of Strepto- myces diastaticus from morphological and physiological studies and was named Streptomyces diastaticus subsp. amylostaticus No. 2476.

When this strain was aerobically cultured in a shaking flask containing 100 ml of medium consisting of 4% corn starch, 2% soy bean flake extract, 0.3 % NaCl, 0.1 % K₂HPO₄, 0.05% MgSO₄·7H₂O, 0.001% FeS0₄ · 7H₂O, 0.0001% CuSO₄-5H₂O, 0.0001% ZnSO₄·7H₂O, and 0.0001% MnS0₄ nH₂O (pH 7.0) at 30°C, the highest inhibitory activity was obtained after 70 ~ 80 hr of cultivation.

This amylase inhibitor (S-AI) had inhibitory activity on α-amylases and glucoamylase, but not on β-amylases and pullulanase.     

Optimization of submerged culture conditions for the production of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flammulina velutipes</Emphasis>

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory effect was tested in the culture broth from submerged mycelial cultures of 20 basidiomycetes. The ACE inhibitory effect of culture broth from Flammulina velutipes strain 414 was the highest (52.8%), followed by Lentinus edodes strains 2 (44.4%) and 16 (41.3%). Nutritional requirements for the production of ACE inhibitory substance from F. velutipes were studied. Sucrose, ammonium acetate, and glutamic acid were chosen for the maximum production of ACE inhibitory substance. The optimal medium composition was (g/l): sucrose 20, ammonium acetate 5, glutamic acid 2, KH₂PO₄ 3, MgSO₄·7H₂O 0.8, and yeast extract 0.5. Under optimal culture conditions, the ACE inhibitory effect was more than 80%. Received 04 May 2002/ Accepted in revised form 11 June 2002     

Production of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-phenylacetylcarbinol by microbial transformation in polyethylene glycol-induced cloud point system

Microbial transformation of benzaldehyde into l-phenylacetylcarbinol by whole cell Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been carried out in a novel polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced cloud point system. The system is composed of 80 g PEG 20,000, 75 ml Triton X-100, 20 g peptone, 10 g yeast extract, 25 g glucose, 1 g MgSO₄·7H₂O, 0.05 g CaCl₂·2H₂O, 35 g Na₂HPO₄·12H₂O, and 10.7 g citric acid per liter of tap water. The microbial transformation is conducted at 0.6 ml of acetaldehyde (35% volume content), 0.9 ml of benzaldehyde, and 7 g of wet cell per 100 ml of the PEG-induced cloud point system. Under the conditions, a relatively longer-term bioactivity of whole cell microorganism in the PEG-induced cloud point system has been achieved. A fed-batch microbial transformation process with a discrete addition of glucose and substrate gets a high final product concentration of about 8 g/l.     

Optimization of Mixed Cultivation of the Moderate Thermophilic Bioleaching Microorganisms for High Cell Density Using Statistical Methodology

The low functional microbial population density in the industrial bioleaching process has been a limiting factor for the high leaching efficiency, making the microbial cultivation and continuous inoculation an alternative for sustaining the microbial activity. In the present experiment, the defined mixed cultivation of Leptospirillum ferriphilum YSK, Sulfobacillus acidophilus TPY, Acidithiobacillus caldus S2, and Ferroplasma thermophilum L1 was evaluated and optimized by Statistical Methodology. Going through the Plackett–Burman experimental design, pH value, temperature, and c(MgSO₄·7H₂O) were considered as the most significant factors in the defined range. Then, the relationships were analyzed using the steepest ascent design, the central composite design, and finally the response surface methodology. It was suggested that the optimum parameters were pH 1.38, MgSO₄·7H₂O 0.552?g/L, temperature 44?°C, FeSO₄·7H₂O 40?g/L, sulfur 8?g/L, yeast 0.02% w/v, (NH₄)₂SO₄ 3g/L, K₂HPO₄ 0.5g/L, KCl 0.1g/L, Ca(NO₃)₂ 0.01?g/L, in which allowed total cell density of the microbial community to reach 7.63?×?10⁸ cells/mL in the cultivation period. The lab experiments were routinely undertaken with the expectation that the L. ferriphilum YSK, S. acidophilus TPY, A. caldus S2, F. thermophilum L1 could rapid grown from initial cell density of 0.25?×?10⁷ cells/mL to 2.82?×?10⁸ cells/mL, 1.68?×?10⁸ cells/mL, 2.76?×?10⁸ cells/mL, 2.51?×?10⁷ cells/mL, respectively in 58?h. It demonstrates a possibility to co-culture these microbes in a single reactor, providing an efficient way to regenerate of inoculation for biomining process.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus amyloliquefaciens</Emphasis> Spore Production Under Solid-State Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Residues

This study was conducted to elucidate cultivation conditions determining Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B-1895 growth and enhanced spore formation during the solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial lignocellulosic biomasses. Among the tested growth substrates, corncobs provided the highest yield of spores (47?×?10¹⁰ spores g^?1 biomass) while the mushroom spent substrate and sunflower oil mill appeared to be poor growth substrates for spore formation. Maximum spore yield (82?×?10¹⁰ spores g^?1 biomass) was achieved when 15 g corncobs were moistened with 60 ml of the optimized nutrient medium containing 10 g peptone, 2 g KH₂PO₄, 1 g MgSO₄·7H₂O, and 1 g NaCl per 1 l of distilled water. The cheese whey usage for wetting of lignocellulosic substrate instead water promoted spore formation and increased the spore number to 105?×?10¹⁰ spores g^?1. Addition to the cheese whey of optimized medium components favored sporulation process. The feasibility of developed medium and strategy was shown in scaled up SSF of corncobs in polypropylene bags since yield of 10?×?10¹¹ spores per gram of dry biomass was achieved. In the SSF of lignocellulose, B. amyloliquefaciens B-1895 secreted comparatively high cellulase and xylanase activities to ensure good growth of the bacterial culture.     

The effects of several factors on the growth of pure and mixed cultures of Azotobacter chroococcum and Bacillus subtilis

We studied the effect of a clay mineral, palygorskite, on the physiological activity of Azotobacter chroococcum and the phosphate-mobilizing bacterium Bacillus subtilis, as well as their mixed cultures, under various oxygen supply conditions during the utilization of phosphorus from readily and poorly soluble compounds (K₂HPO₄ · 3H₂O) and (Ca₃(PO₄)₂), respectively. During cultivation of the bacteria in a nutrient medium with Ca₃(PO₄)₂, the number of microorganisms was higher than that observed in a medium with K₂HPO₄. An increase in oxygen mass transfer in the nutrient medium was followed by a rise in the number of Bacillus subtilis cells and an inhibition of Azotobacter chroococcum growth. An addition of palygorskite (5 g/l) into the nutrient medium stimulated the growth of both bacteria and stopped the decreasing growth of Azotobacter chroococcum at high values of oxygen mass transfer. The number of Bacillus and, particularly, Azotobacter cells was two to five times lower in a mixed culture than in a monoculture. These differences were less significant during the cultivation of mixed cultures in medium with palygorskite.     

Determination of an economical medium for growth of Lactobacillus fermentum using response surface methodology

Aim: Lactobacillus fermentum is a widely utilized probiotic compound fed as an alternative to antibiotics for growth promotion in a wide variety of livestock species. The objective of this research is to develop an economical and practical fermentation medium for the growth of Lact. fermentum using response surface methodology. Methods and Results: A two‐level Plackett–Burman design was used to determine which factors in the fermentation medium influence the growth of Lact. fermentum. Under our experimental conditions, peptone, urea and yeast extract were found to be major factors. Then, the steepest ascent method and the central composite design were applied to optimize the culture of Lact. fermentum. The following composition of the fermentation medium was estimated to be the most economical formula (per litre): 30 g corn syrup, 15 g glucose, 14·4 g peptone, 7 g (NH₄)₂SO₄, 0·5 g urea, 3 g sodium acetate, 4 g sodium citrate, 0·1 g MnSO₄·4H₂O, 0·5 g MgSO₄·7H₂O, 7·3 g yeast extract, 0·5 g K₂HPO₄. Conclusion: Based on 10 side‐by‐side comparisons, we found that the yield of Lact. fermentum using our fermentation medium was 64% greater than those using modified de Man, Rogosa and Sharp broth (MRS) medium (1·8 × 10⁹ CFU ml^?1vs 1·1 × 10⁹ CFU ml^?1, respectively), while the cost was 89% lower than MRS. This research indicates that it is possible to increase bacterial yield by using inexpensive materials. Significance and Impact of the Study: It is more likely that the use of Lact. fermentum as a probiotic will increase. The low cost medium developed in this research can be used for large‐scale, commercial application where economics are quite likely to be important.     

Isolation and Identification of ATP: Nucleotide Pyrophospho-transferase-producing Microorganism

ATP: nucleotide pyrophosphotransferase-producing microorganism was isolated from soil in Osaka prefecture. The morphological and physiological characteristics of this microorganism were studied. This strain was identified and named Streptomyces adephospholyticus nov. sp.

When this strain was aerobically cultured in a fermentor at 30°C in a medium containing 2% glycerol, 4% polypepton, 0.1 % KH₂PO₄, 0.04% MgSO₄ · 7H₂O, 2 ppm FeSO₄ · 7H₂O and 2 ppm MnSO₄ · 6Н₂О at pH 7.0, ATP; nucleotide pyrophosphotransferase was produced in the culture filtrate. The highest activity was obtained after 30 to 40 hr cultivation. The maximum enzyme production was 3000 to 4000 unit per liter.     

Optimisation of medium and culture conditions for the production of antifungal substances to Colletotrichum musae by Trametes elegans SR06

An endophytic fungus SR06 was isolated from a leaf of Amomum villosum Lour., which had a high antagonistic effect on Colletotrichum musae with an inhibition ratio of 41.20%. The antifungal substances could be secreted into fermentation broth, which had a high inhibitory activity. Strain SR06 was identified as Trametes elegans according to internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimise the process parameters of antifungal substances production. Using the Plackett–Burman design, three variables (glucose, yeast extract and MgSO₄·7H₂O) exerted significant effects on antifungal substances production. Then RSM experiments were conducted to further optimise the three variables. The optimal medium components were 26.45?g/L glucose, 10?g/L peptone, 14.96?g/L yeast extract and 1.49?g/L MgSO₄·7H₂O, and the optimal initial pH was 6.0, with a culture temperature of 28°C and a shaking speed of 180?rpm. Under the optimised conditions, a significant improvement in the production of antifungal substances by T. elegans SR06 was accomplished, and the inhibition zone diameter was up to 29.2?mm after culturing for 7d. The average control efficacy of the fermentation supernatant of SR06 against C. musae was 51.29% on banana fruits, which was significantly higher than that of the fungicide carbendazim.     

Production and characterization of keratinase from<Emphasis Type="Italic">Paracoccus</Emphasis> sp. WJ-98

A bacterial strain WJ-98 found to produce active extracellular keratinase was isolated from the soil of a poultry factory. It was identified asParacoccus sp. based on its 16S rRNA sequence analysis, morphological and physiological characteristics. The optimal culture conditions for the production of keratinase byParacoccus sp. WJ-98 were investigated. The optimal medium composition for keratinase production was determined to be 1.0% keratin, 0.05% urea and NaCl, 0.03% K₂HPO₄, 0.04% KH₂PO₄, and 0.01% MgCl₂·6H₂O. Optimal initial pH and temperature for the production of keratinase were 7.5 and 37°C, respectively. The maximum keratinase production of 90 U/mL was reached after 84 h of cultivation under the optimal culturing conditions. The keratinase fromParacoccus sp. WJ-98 was partially purified from a culture broth by using ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, followed by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-75. Optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme reaction were pH 6.8 and 50°C, respectively and the enzymes were stable in the pH range from 6.0 to 8.0 and below 50°C. The enzyme activity was significantly inhibited by EDTA, Zn²⁺ and Hg²⁺. Inquiry into the characteristics of keratinase production from these bacteria may yield useful agricultural feed processing applications.     

Solid state cultivation of Streptomyces clavuligerus for cephamycin C production

Solid state cultivation of Streptomyces clavuligerus for cephamycin C production was carried out in a system consisting of wheat rawa 5 g; cotton seed deoiled cake 5 g; sunflower cake 0·5 g; corn steep liquor 1 g; MgSO₄.7H₂O 0·06 g; CaCO₃ 0·1 g; K₂HPO₄ 4·4 g; with initial moisture content of 80%, initial pH 6·5 and a fermentation temperature in the range 28–30°C. The fermentation cycle was about 5 days. Streptomyces clavuligerus growth was observed on the 2nd day and production of cephamycin C was initiated on 3rd day. Abundant mycelial growth was observed from the 3rd day and reached stationary phase by the 5th day. Cephamycin C was produced maximally at a rate of 15 mg/g substrate on the 5th day and was stable until the 30th day with only marginal decrease in titre.     

Conversion of dibenzothiophene by the mushrooms <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrocybe aegerita</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coprinellus radians</Emphasis> and their extracellular peroxygenases

The conversion of the heterocycle dibenzothiophene (DBT) by the agaric basidiomycetes Agrocybe aegerita and Coprinellus radians was studied in vivo and in vitro with whole cells and with purified extracellular peroxygenases, respectively. A. aegerita oxidized DBT (110 μM) by 100% within 16 days into eight different metabolites. Among the latter were mainly S-oxidation products (DBT sulfoxide, DBT sulfone) and in lower amounts, ring-hydroxylation compounds (e.g., 2-hydroxy-DBT). C. radians converted about 60% of DBT into DBT sulfoxide and DBT sulfone as the sole metabolites. In vitro tests with purified peroxygenases were performed to compare the product pattern with the metabolites formed in vivo. Using ascorbic acid as radical scavenger, a total of 19 and seven oxygenation products were detected after DBT conversion by the peroxygenases of A. aegerita (AaP) and C. radians (CrP), respectively. Whereas ring hydroxylation was favored over S-oxidation by AaP (again 2-hydroxy-DBT was identified), CrP formed DBT sulfoxide as major product. This finding suggests that fungal peroxygenases can considerably differ in their catalytic properties. Using H₂ ¹⁸O₂, the origin of oxygen was proved to be the peroxide. Based on these results, we propose that extracellular peroxygenases may be involved in the oxidation of heterocycles by fungi also under natural conditions.     

Mass production of lipase by fed-batch culture of Pseudomonas fluorescens

Summary High concentration production of an extracellular enzyme, lipase, was achieved by a fed-batch culture of Pseudomonas fluorescens. During the cultivation, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration wwre maintained at 23°C, 6.5 and 2–5 ppm, respectively. Olive oil was used as a carbon source for microbial growth. To produce lipase effectively the specific feed rate of olive oil had to be maintained in a range of 0.04–0.06 (g oil) · (g dry cell)^-1 · h^-1. The CO₂ evolution rate was monitored to estimate the requirement of olive oil. The ratio of feed rate of olive oil to the CO₂ evolution rate was varied in the range of 20–60 g oil/mol CO₂. The higher value of the ratio accelerated microbial growth, but did not favour lipase production. Once the high cell concentration of 60 g/l had been achieved, the ratio was changed from 50 to 30 g oil/mol CO₂ to accelerate the lipase production. By this CO₂-dependent method a very high activity of lipase, 1980 units/ml, was obtained. Both the productivity and yield of lipase were prominently increased compared with a conventional batch culture.     

A new medium for spore production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Blakeslea trispora</Emphasis> using response surface methodology

Optimization of the medium components which enhance sporulation of the two mating types of the fungus Blakeslea trispora ATCC 14271 and ATCC 14272 (a heterothallic Zygomycota producing carotene) was achieved with the aid of response surface methodology (RSM). Glucose, corn steep liquor, yeast extract, and ammonium sulfate were investigated as carbon and nitrogen sources in a basal medium. RSM was adopted to optimize the medium in order to obtain a good growth of the fungus as a prerequisite for enhanced sporulation. In the second step, the basal medium was supplemented with different trace elements which significantly affect sporulation (i.e. CuSO₄·5H₂O, FeCl₃·6H₂O, Co(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, and MnCl₂·4H₂O). Central composite design proved to be valuable in optimizing a chemically defined solid medium for spore production of B. trispora. The composition of the new solid medium to enhance spore production by B. trispora (ATCC 14271) is as follows (per liter): 7.5 g glucose, 3.2 g corn steep liquor, 1.7 g yeast extract, 4.1 g ammonium sulfate, 6 mg CuSO₄·5H₂O, 276 mg FeCl₃·6H₂O, 2 mg Co(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, and 20 g agar (pH 6.0). Practical validation of this optimum medium gave spore number of 1.2 × 10⁸ spores/dish which is 77% higher than that produced in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). In the case of B. trispora (ATCC 14272) the new solid substrate for enhanced sporulation consists of (per l) 6.4 g glucose, 3.3 g corn steep liquor, 1.4 g yeast extract, 4.3 g ammonium sulfate, 264 mg CuSO₄·5H₂O, 485 mg FeCl₃·6H₂O, 223 mg MnCl₂^.4H₂O, and 20 g agar (pH 6.0). Spore numbers of 2 × 10⁷ spores/dish were obtained on the new medium by B. trispora (ATCC 14272), which is 95% higher than that produced on PDA. The results corroborated the validity and the effectiveness of the models. The new media considerably improved sporulation of both strains of B. trispora compared to the production of spores on PDA, which is the medium usually used for sporulation of the fungus.     

MEDIUM OPTIMIZATION OF ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY PRODUCTION BY Bacillus amyloliquefaciens USING STATISTICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In order to overproduce biofungicides agents by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BLB371, a suitable culture medium was optimized using response surface methodology. Plackett–Burman design and central composite design were employed for experimental design and analysis of the results. Peptone, sucrose, and yeast extract were found to significantly influence antifungal activity production and their optimal concentrations were, respectively, 20 g/L, 25 g/L, and 4.5 g/L. The corresponding biofungicide production was 250 AU/mL, corresponding to 56% improvement in antifungal components production over a previously used medium (160 AU/mL). Moreover, our results indicated that a deficiency of the minerals CuSO₄, FeCl₃ · 6H₂O, Na₂MoO₄, KI, ZnSO₄ · 7H₂O, H₃BO₃, and C₆H₈O₇ in the optimized culture medium was not crucial for biofungicides production by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BLB371, which is interesting from a practical point of view, particularly for low-cost production and use of the biofungicide for the control of agricultural fungal pests.     

A NEWLY ANTI-Streptococcus suis BACTERIOCIN PRODUCING STRAIN FROM UNWEANED PIGLETS FECAL MATTER: ISOLATION,PRELIMINARY IDENTIFICATION,AND OPTIMIZATION OF MEDIUM COMPOSITION FOR ENHANCED BACTERIOCIN PRODUCTION

A newly isolated anti-Streptococcus suis bacteriocin-producing strain LPL1-5 was obtained from healthy unweaned piglets' fecal matter, and was designated as Lactobacillus pentosus LPL1-5 based on morphology, biochemical properties, and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis. The medium composition for enhanced bacteriocin production by L. pentosus LPL1-5 was optimized by statistical methodology. Yeast extract, K₂HPO₄ · 3H₂O, and MnSO₄ · H₂O were identified as significant components influencing pentocin LPL1-5 production using the Plackett–Burman method. Response surface methodology was applied for further optimization. The concentrations of medium components for enhanced pentocin LPL1-5 production were as follows (g/L): lactose 20.00, tryptone 10.00, beef extract 10.00, yeast extract 14.00, MnSO₄ · H₂O 0.84, K₂HPO₄ · 3H₂O 4.92, triammonium citrate 2.00, Na-acetate 5.00, MgSO₄ · 7H₂O 0.58, Tween 80 1.00. Under the optimized condition, a value of 3154.65 ± 27.93 IU/mL bacteriocin activity was achieved, which was 4.2-fold that of the original medium.