The Use of Fatty Acid Esters to Enhance Free Acid Sophorolipid Synthesis

Fatty acid esters were prepared by transesterification of soy oil with methanol (methyl-soyate, Me-Soy), ethanol (ethyl-soyate, Et-Soy) and propanol (propyl-soyate, Pro-Soy) and used with glycerol as fermentation substrates to enhance production of free-acid sophorolipids (SLs). Fed-batch fermentations of Candida bombicola resulted in SL yields of 46 ± 4 g/l, 42 ± 7 g/l and 18 ± 6 g/l from Me-Soy, Et-Soy, and Pro-Soy, respectively. Liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (LC/API-MS) showed that Me-Soy resulted in 71% open-chain SLs with 59% of those molecules remaining esterified at the carboxyl end of the fatty acids. Et-Soy and Pro-Soy resulted in 43% and 80% open-chain free-acid SLs, respectively (containing linoleic acid and oleic acid as the principal fatty acid species linked to the sophorose sugar at the omega-1 position), with no evidence of residual esterification. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.     

Production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by solid-state fermentation with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ralstonia eutropha</Emphasis>

The use of solid-state fermentation is examined as a low-cost technology for the production of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) by Ralstonia eutropha. Two agroindustrial residues (babassu and soy cake) were evaluated as culture media. The maximum poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) yield was 1.2 mg g^–1 medium on soy cake in 36 h, and 0.7 mg g^–1 medium on babassu cake in 84 h. Addition of 2.5% (w/w) sugar cane molasses to soy cake increased PHB production to 4.9 mg g^–1 medium in 60 h. Under these conditions, the PHB content of the dry biomass was 39% (w/w). The present results indicate that solid-state fermentation could be a promising alternative for producing biodegradable polymers at low cost.Revisions requested 31 August 2004; Revisions received 12 October 2004     

High‐titer production and strong antimicrobial activity of sophorolipids from Rhodotorula bogoriensis

Rhodotorula bogoriensis produces sophorolipids (SLs) that contain 13‐hydroxydocosanoic acid (OH‐C₂₂) as the lipid moiety. A systematic study was conducted to further understand the fermentative production of SLs containing OH‐C₂₂ (C₂₂‐SL) by R. bogoriensis. Shake‐flask studies showed that R. bogoriensis consumed glucose at a slow pace. HPLC analysis of the C₂₂‐SL products from shake‐flask fermentations at different glucose concentrations showed a correlation between glucose depletion and the extent of C₂₂‐SL deacetylation. A large‐scale bioreactor fermentation resulted in the isolation of C₂₂‐SL at a volumetric product yield of 51 g/L. HPLC analysis of C₂₂‐SL product from the bioreactor fermentation corroborated the finding that glucose depletion correlated with extensive deacetylation of C₂₂‐SL. The antimicrobial activity of C₂₂‐SL was established for the first time to be stronger than the C₁₈‐SL from Candida bombicola against Propionibacterium acnes in a plate assay. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:867–874, 2015     

Batch and continuous cultures of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Mannheimia succiniciproducens</Emphasis> MBEL55E for the production of succinic acid from whey and corn steep liquor

Mannheimia succiniciproducens MBEL55E isolated from bovine rumen is able to produce a large amount of succinic acid in a medium containing glucose, peptone, and yeast extract. In order to reduce the cost of the medium, whey and corn steep liquor (CSL) were used as substrates for the production of succinic acid by M. succiniciproducens MBEL55E. Anaerobic batch cultures of M. succiniciproducens MBEL55E in a whey-based medium containing CSL resulted in the production of succinic acid with a yield of 71% and productivity of 1.18 g/l/h, which are similar to those obtained in a whey-based medium containing yeast extract (72% and 1.21 g/l/h). Anaerobic continuous culture of M. succiniciproducens MBEL55E in a whey-based medium containing CSL resulted in a succinic acid yield of 69% and a succinic acid productivity as high as 3.90 g/l/h. These results show that succinic acid can be produced efficiently and economically by M. succiniciproducens MBEL55E from whey and CSL.     

Evaluation of agro-food byproducts for gluconic acid production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus niger</Emphasis> ORS-4.410

Certain cost-effective carbohydrate sources in crude as well as after purification were utilized as the sole sources of carbon for gluconic acid production using Aspergillus niger ORS-4.410 under submerged fermentation. Crude grape must (GM) and banana-must (BM) resulted into significant levels of gluconic acid production i.e. 62.6 and 54.6 g/l, respectively. The purification of grape and banana-must led to a 20–21% increase in gluconic acid yield. Molasses as such did not favour gluconate production (12.0 g/l) but a significant increase in production (60.3 g/l) was observed following hexacyanoferrate (HCF) treatment of the molasses. Rectified grape must (RGM) appeared to be best suitable substrate which after 144 h resulted in 73.2 g of gluconic acid/l with 80.6% yield followed by the yield obtained from the rectified banana must (RBM) (72.4%) and treated cane molasses (TM) (61.3%). Abundant growth of mould A. niger ORS-4.410 was observed with crude grape (0.131 g/l/h) and banana must (0.132 g/l/h).     

Effect of salt nutrients on mannitol production by Lactobacillus intermedius NRRL B-3693

The effects of four salt nutrients (ammonium citrate, sodium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and manganese sulfate) on the production of mannitol by Lactobacillus intermedius NRRL B-3693 in a simplified medium containing 300 g fructose, 5 g soy peptone, and 50 g corn steep liquor per liter in pH-controlled fermentation at 5.0 at 37°C were evaluated using a fractional factorial design. Only manganese sulfate was found to be essential for mannitol production. Added manganese sulfate concentration of 0.033 g/l was found to support maximum production. The bacterium produced 200.6±0.2 g mannitol, 61.9±0.1 g lactic acid, and 40.4±0.3 g acetic acid from 300 g fructose per liter in 67 h.Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.     

Ergosterol production from molasses by genetically modified <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

Ergosterol is an economically important metabolite produced by fungi. Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae YEH56(pHXA42) with increased capacity of ergosterol formation was constructed by combined overexpression of sterol C-24(28) reductase and sterol acyltransferase in the yeast strain YEH56. The production of ergosterol by this recombinant strain using cane molasses (CM) as an inexpensive carbon source was investigated. An ergosterol content of 52.6 mg/g was obtained with 6.1 g/l of biomass from CM medium containing 60 g/l of total sugar in 30 h in shake flask. The ergosterol yield was enhanced through the increasing cell biomass by supplementation of urea to a concentration of 6 g/l in molasses medium. Fermentation was performed in 5-l bioreactor using the optimized molasses medium. In batch fermentation, the effect of agitation velocity on ergosterol production was examined. The highest ergosterol yield was obtained at 400 rpm that increased 60.4 mg/l in comparison with the shake flask culture. In fed-batch fermentation, yeast cells were cultivated, firstly, in the starting medium containing molasses with 20 g/l of total sugar, 1.68 g/l of phosphate acid, and 6 g/l of urea (pH 5.4) for 5 h, then molasses containing 350 g/l of total sugar was fed exponentially into the bioreactor to keep the ethanol level in the broth below 0.5%. After 40 h of cultivation, the ergosterol yield reached 1,707 mg/l, which was 3.1-fold of that in the batch fermentation.     

Improvement of acetic acid tolerance and fermentation performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis> by disruption of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">FPS1</Emphasis> aquaglyceroporin gene

The FPS1 gene coding for the Fps1p aquaglyceroporin protein of an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was disrupted by inserting CUP1 gene. Wild-type strain, CE25, could only grow on YPD medium containing less than 0.45% (v/v) acetic acid, while recombinant strain T12 with FPS1 disruption could grow on YPD medium with 0.6% (v/v) acetic acid. Under 0.4% (v/v) acetic acid stress (pH 4.26), ethanol production and cell growth rates of T12 were 1.7 ± 0.1 and 0.061 ± 0.003 g/l h, while those of CE25 were 1.2 ± 0.1 and 0.048 ± 0.003 g/l h, respectively. FPS1 gene disruption in an industrial ethanologenic yeast thus increases cell growth and ethanol yield under acetic acid stress, which suggests the potential utility of FPS1 gene disruption for bioethanol production from renewable resources such as lignocelluloses.     

Optimization of nutritional supplements for enhanced lactic acid production utilizing sugar refinery by-products

The present study investigated the synergistic effect of nutritional supplements (amino acid and Tween 80) on lactic acid production by Lactobacillus delbruckii utilizing a sugar refinery by product (cane molasses) in a submerged fermentation process. Initially, the effect of individual factors on lactic acid yield was studied by supplementing amino acids and their combinations, Tween 80 and cane molasses at varying concentrations in production medium. A combination of l-phenylalanine and l-lysine gave a maximum lactic acid yield of 47.89?±?0.1 g/L on a dry cell weight basis at individual factor level. Similarly, maximum lactic acid yield was obtained by supplementing the production medium with 40.0 g/L and 2.0 g/L Tween 80 and cane molasses, respectively, at individual factor level. In order to further improve the lactic acid yield, nutritional supplements were optimized by central composite rotatable design (CCRD) using Minitab 15 software. Shake flask cultivation under optimized conditions, i.e., cane molasses (32.40 g/L), Tween 80 (2.0 g/L) and l-phenylalanine and l-lysine (34.0 mg/L) gave a lactic acid yield of 64.86?±?0.2 g/L, corresponding to 95.0 % of the predicted yield of 67.78?±?0.3 g/L. Batch cultivation performed in 7.5 L bioreactor (working volume: 3.0 L) under optimized conditions gave maximum lactic acid yield and productivity of 79.12?±?0.2 g/L and 3.40 g/L·h, which is higher than previous studies with reduced fermentation time. Screening of lactic acid producing bacteria and characterization of lactic acid was also done.     

Recovery of purified lactonic sophorolipids by spontaneous crystallization during the fermentation of sugarcane molasses with Candida albicans O-13-1

Numerous studies have focused on how to obtain high yield of sophorolipids using low-cost materials as substrates, and there has been various work on the experimental methods for purifying lactonic sophorolipids. These studies have not yet obtained satisfied results in combining a low-cost fermentation process and the purification of lactonic sophorolipids. This study establishes a fed-batch fermentation process of purifying sophorolipids from Candida albicans O-13-1 using low-cost sugarcane molasses as the substrate. In the optimized conditions of this research, using sugarcane molasses as a substrate and product synthesis based on the temperature stage-controlled fermentation, our result indicates that sophorolipids production could reach 108.7 g/L. More importantly, lactonic sophorolipids can crystallize and precipitate during our established fermentation process. The structures and content of sophorolipids separated from the fermentation broth and sophorolipids crystallized in the fermentation broth were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The fermentation process produced 90.5 g/L crystallized lactonic sophorolipids with 90.51% purity. This is an energy-saving and low-cost method to obtain such pure lactonic sophorolipids.     

Vegetable oil enhances sophorolipid production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodotorula bogoriensis</Emphasis>

The yeast Rhodotorula bogorensis produces sophorolipids of different structures to those produced by Candida bombicola. However, the yield is very low. To improve sophorolipid production by R. bogoriensis, vegetable oil was supplemented to the medium as a hydrophobic substrate: with rapeseed oil the sophorolipid yield was 1.26 g/l but without oil was 0.33 g/l. Cultures with meadowfoam oil produced 0.77 g sophorolipids/l. Lipase-treated meadowfoam oil, however, gave no significant increase in sophorolipid production. Possible explanations for the enhanced sophorolipid synthesis are discussed.     

The influence of increasing media methanol concentration on sophorolipid biosynthesis from glycerol-based feedstocks

Candida bombicola, a known producer of sophorolipids (SLs; glycolipid surfactants), was grown on glycerol and oleic acid with up to 1.5% (v/v) methanol in the fermentation growth media to assess the effects of methanol presence on SL synthesis and structural distribution. Increasing methanol concentrations had little effect on the growth of the organism resulting in average cell dry weights (CDW; after SL separation) of 20.8 ± 0.7 g/l between 0 and 1.5% methanol. However, increasing methanol concentrations decreased SL production by 56% (from 12.7 to 5.6 g/l at 1.5% methanol) which translated to SL yields on a cellular basis of between 0.60 g SL/g cells (in the absence of methanol) to 0.27 g SL/g cells (in the presence of 1.5% methanol). LC/MS revealed that increased methanol concentrations also resulted in larger concentrations (up to 20 mol%) of free acid SLs but had little effect on the ratios of diacetylated SL lactones synthesized with palmitic acid (4 mol%), linoleic acid (3 mol%), oleic acid (80 mol%), and stearic acid (13 mol%) as the hydrophobic moieties.     

代谢改造熊蜂生假丝酵母提高酸型槐糖脂产量

【目的】槐糖脂是一类生物表面活性剂,不仅具有常规表面活性剂所具有的增溶、乳化、润湿、发泡、分散、降低表面张力等通用性能,且对环境的耐受性极强。熊蜂生假丝酵母(Starmerella bombicola)能够发酵生产槐糖脂,但槐糖脂具有酸型、内酯型和乙酰化型等不同类型,结构多样,难以分离。本文拟通过代谢工程改造,构建高产酸型槐糖脂的熊蜂生假丝酵母工程菌株。【方法】利用潮霉素抗性基因构建了标记基因重复利用系统Rec-six基因编辑系统,在此基础上将合成内酯型槐糖脂的关键基因——内酯酶基因SBLE敲除获得一株只产酸型槐糖脂的工程菌株Δsble,进一步同源过量表达葡萄糖基转移酶基因UGTB并敲除过氧化物酶体膜转运蛋白编码基因PXA1,构建了高产酸型槐糖脂的酵母工程菌。【结果】与出发菌株相比,重组熊蜂生假丝酵母发酵油酸能够合成单一的酸型槐糖脂,而不再合成内酯型槐糖脂,同时酸型槐糖脂的产量由20 g/L提高到44 g/L,提高了2.1倍。【结论】通过敲除PXA1、SBLE和过表达UGTB来改造熊蜂生假丝酵母,能够有效提高重组菌的酸型槐糖脂产量,为发酵法生产酸型槐糖脂奠定了基础。     

Effects of pretreated beet molasses on benzaldehyde lyase production by recombinant Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLySs

Aims: To investigate the effects of pretreated‐beet molasses on Escherichia coli fermentation using benzaldehyde lyase (BAL) production by recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3)pLySs process as the model system. Methods and Results: The effect of the initial pretreated (hydrolysed) beet molasses concentration was investigated at 16, 24, 30 and 56 g l^?1 at a dissolved oxygen condition of 40% air saturation cascade to airflow, at N = 625 min^?1 and pH_C = 7·2 controlled‐pH operation conditions. The highest cell concentration and BAL activity were obtained as C_X = 5·3 g l^?1 and A = 1617 U cm^?3, respectively, in the medium containing 30 g l^?1 pretreated beet molasses consisting of 7·5 g l^?1 glucose and 7·5 g l^?1 fructose. Production with and without IPTG (isopropyl‐β‐d ‐thiogalactopyranoside) induction using the medium containing 30 g l^?1 of pretreated beet molasses yielded the same amount of BAL production, where the overall cell yield on the substrate was 0·37 g g^?1, and the highest oxygen transfer coefficient was K_La = 0·048 s^?1. Conclusions: Pretreated beet molasses was used in the fermentation with E. coli for the first time and it yielded higher cell and BAL production compared with the glucose‐based medium. Significance and Impact of the Study: Pretreated beet molasses was found to be a good carbon source for E. coli fermentation. Furthermore, IPTG addition was not required to induce recombinant protein production as galactose, one of the monomers of trisaccharide raffinose present in the beet molasses (1·2%), induced the lac promoter.     

Rosmarinic acid production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coleus forskohlii</Emphasis>hairy root cultures

Coleus forskohlii hairy root cultures were found to produce forskolin and rosmarinic acid (RA) as the main metabolites. The growth and RA production by C. forskohlii hairy root cultures in various liquid media were examined. The hairy root cultures showed good growth in hormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose (MS medium), and Gamborg B5 medium containing 2% (w/v) sucrose (B5 medium). RA yield reached 4.0 mg (MS medium) and 4.4 mg (B5 medium) after 5 weeks of culture in a 100 ml flask containing 20 ml of each medium. Hairy root growth and RA were also investigated after treatment with various concentrations of yeast extract (YE), salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonic acid (MJA). RA production in a 100 ml flask containing 20 ml B5 medium reached 5.4 mg (1.9 times more than control) with treatment of 0.01 or 1% (w/v) YE, 5.5 mg (2.0 times more than control) with treatment of 0.1 mM SA, and the maximum RA content with 9.5 mg per flask (3.4 times more than control) was obtained in the hairy roots treated with 0.1 mM MJA. These results suggest that MJA is an effective elicitor for production of RA in C. forskohlii hairy root cultures.     

EVALUATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIALS OF SOME INDUSTRIAL FUNGI IN ECONOMICAL LIPID ACCUMULATION AND BIOFUEL PRODUCTION AS A FIELD OF USE

Considering the vast number of scientific reports on various potential uses of fungi, there was an attempt to select the best lipid producer of some fungi at optimized conditions (Aspergillus versicolor, Rhizopus oryzae, Rhizopus arrhizus, Tramates versicolor). The aim was to offer new fields of use to the industries already culturing and using such materials. Aspergillus versicolor mycelia were found to be accumulating the highest amount of lipids. Experiments to improve lipid accumulation and transesterification properties were performed in molasses medium; the first steps were testing the effects of different pH values and different nitrogen sources on lipid accumulation. Various concentrations of KNO₃ (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 gL^?1) and molasses (6%, 8%, 10%) were tried in order to find the optimum carbon and nitrogen requirements. Maximum lipid content was 22.8% in the samples containing 6% molasses solution and 1.0 gL^?1 KNO₃ at pH 4 after 10 days of incubation. The highest fatty acid ethyl ester yield of these samples was 77% (5.0 ethanol:oil, 0.4 sulfuric acid:oil at 30°C for 6 hr). Since the crude lipids were rich in C16 and C18 fatty acids, this was considered as suitable feedstock for biodiesel production.     

Callus induction and plantlet regeneration in Bixa oreliana L., an annatto-yielding tree

Summary A protocol has been developed for plantlet regeneration from seed callus of Bixa orellana L. Seeds demonstrated a high percentage of callus induction (63±7.3%) and a high yield (356±14.7 mg per seed) of white friable callus on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 5.0 μM l-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 2.5μM N ⁶-benzyladenine (BA) within 6 wk of culture in the dark. Callus induction frequency was greater under 24h dark as compared to 16h light/8h dark photoperiod or 24h light photoperiod. Increased myo-inositol (MI: 200mgl⁻¹) and addition of ascorbic acid (AA: 200 mgl⁻¹) to the culture medium positively improved callus induction frequency and growth. Shoot differentiation from white friable seed callus was best using 10.0 μM BA and 5.0 μM NAA, where the highest percentage of calluses forming shools (74.9±4.8%), the highest number of shoots per callus (six or seven) and the highest shoot-forming index (5.0) were obtained within 6 wk. Shoots elongated to 4 cm within 4 wk of transfer onto MS medium devoid of growth regulators. Shoots were rooted using half-strength MS medium containing 5.0 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). About 85% of these plants were established in pots containing pure garden soil and organic manure after 3 wk of hardening. Regenerated plants were morphologically uniform with normal leaf, shape and growth patterns. These plants are currently being screened for the presence of agronomically useful genetic variants.     

Culture and exopolysaccharide production from sugarcane molasses by Gordonia polyisoprenivorans CCT 7137, isolated from contaminated groundwater in Brazil

Gordonia polyisoprenivorans CCT 7137 was isolated from groundwater contaminated with leachate in an old controlled landfill (São Paulo, Brazil), and cultured in GYM medium at different concentrations of sugarcane molasses (2%, 6%, and 10%). The strain growth was analyzed by monitoring the viable cell counts (c.f.u. mL^?1) and optical density and EPS production was evaluated at the end of the exponential phase and 24 h after it. The analysis of the viable cell counts showed that the medium that most favored bacterial growth was not the one that favored EPS production. The control medium (GYM) was the one that most favored the strain growth, at the maximum specific growth rate of 0.232 h^?1. Differences in bacterial growth when cultured at three different concentrations of molasses were not observed. Production of EPS, in all culture media used, began during the exponential phase and continued during the growth stationary phase. The highest total EPS production, after 24 h of stationary phase, was observed in 6% molasses medium (172.86 g L^?1) and 10% (139.47 g L^?1) and the specific total EPS production was higher in 10% molasses medium (39.03 × 10^?11 g c.f.u.^?1). After the exponential phase, in 2%, 6%, and 10% molasses media, a higher percentage of free exopolysaccharides (EPS) was observed, representing 88.4%, 62.4%, and 64.2% of the total, respectively. A different result was observed in pattern medium, which presented EPS made up of higher percentage of capsular EPS (66.4% of the total). This work is the first study on EPS production by G. polyisoprenivorans strain in GYM medium and in medium utilizing sugarcane molasses as the sole nutrient source and suggests its potential use for EPS production by G. polyisoprenivorans CCT 7137 aiming at application in biotechnological processes.     

Production of highly active fungal milk-clotting enzyme by solid-state fermentation

Abstract

Cheese production is projected to reach 20 million metric tons by 2020, of which 33% is being produced using calf rennet (EC 3.4.23.4). There is shortage of calf rennet, and use of plant and microbial rennets, hydrolyze milk proteins non-specifically resulting in low curd yields. This study reports fungal enzymes obtained from cost effective medium, with minimal down streaming, whose activity is comparable with calf and Mucor rennet. Of the fifteen fungi that were screened, Mucor thermohyalospora (MTCC 1384) and Rhizopus azygosporus (MTCC 10195) exhibited the highest milk-clotting activity (MCA) of 18,383?±?486?U/ml and 16,373?± 558?U/ml, respectively. Optimization exhibited a 33% increase in enzyme production (30?g wheat bran containing 6% defatted soy meal at 30?°C, pH 7) for M. thermohyalospora. The enzyme was active from pH 5–10 and temperature 45–55?°C. Rhizopus azygosporus exhibited 31% increase in enzyme production (30?g wheat bran containing 4% defatted soy meal at 30?°C, pH 6) and the enzyme was active from pH 6–9 at 50?°C. Curd yields prepared from fungal enzyme extract decreased (5–9%), when compared with calf rennet and Mucor rennet. This study describes the potential of fungal enzymes, hitherto unreported, as a viable alternative to calf rennet     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> propagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zingiber petiolatum</Emphasis> (Holttum)

Summary We describe an in vitro propagation protocol for Zingiber petiolatum (Holttum), I. Theilade, a rare species from the southern part of Thailand. Fruits were surface-sterilized and seeds germinated on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) medium supplemented with 3% sucrose. Three-month-old seedlings were used as initial plant material for in vitro propagation. Terminal buds of the plants were inoculated on MS medium containing 6-benzylaminopurine (BA; 2.2–35.5 μM) alone or in combination with 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (0.5 μM). Eight weeks after inoculation, the cultures were transferred to MS medium without plant growth regulators for 4wk. The cultures transferred from MS medium with 17.8 μM BA revealed the highest shoot induction rate of 6.1±0.7 shoots per explant. Rooting was spontaneously achieved in MS medium without plant growth regulators. Rooted plants were successfully transplanted to soil.