Propionic acid production by immobilized cells of a propionate-tolerant strain of Propionibacterium acidipropionici

Cells of the propionate-tolerant strain Propionibacterium acidipropionici P200910, immobilized in calcium alginate beads, were tested for propionic and acetic acid production both in a semidefined laboratory medium and in corn steep liquor in batch, fed-batch, and continuous fermentation. Cell density was about 9.8 × 10⁹ cells/g (wet weight) of beads, and beads were added to the medium at 0.1 g (wet weight) beads/ml. Beads could be reused for several consecutive batch fermentations; propionic acid production in the tenth cycle was about 50%–70% of that in the first cycle. In batch culture complete substrate consumption (glucose in semidefined medium, lactate in corn steep liquor) and maximum acid production were seen within 36 h, and acid yields from the substrate were higher than in free-cell fermentations. Fed-batch fermentations were incubated up to 250 h. Maximum propionic acid concentrations obtained were 45.6 g/l in corn steep liquor and 57 g/l in semidefined medium; this is the highest concentration achieved to date in our laboratory. Maximum acetic acid concentrations were 17 g/l and 12 g/l, respectively. In continuous fermentation of semidefined medium, dilution rates up to 0.31 h^–1 could be used, which gave higher volumetric productivities (0.96 g l^–1 h^–1 for propionic acid and 0.26 g l^–1 h^–1 for acetic acid) than we have obtained with free cells. Corn steep liquor shows promise as an inexpensive medium for production of both acids by immobilized cells of propionibacteria.Journal paper no. J- 15614 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project no. 3122     

Propionic acid fermentation by Propionibacterium acidipropionici: effect of growth substrate

Summary Batch propionic acid fermentations by Propionibacterium acidipropionici with lactose, glucose, and lactate as the carbon source were studied. In addition to propionic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid and CO₂ were also formed from lactose or glucose. However, succinic acid was not produced in a significant amount when lactate was the growth substrate. Compared to fermentations with lactose or glucose at the same pH, lactate gave a higher propionic acid yield, lower cell yield, and lower specific growth rate. The specific fermentation or propionic acid production rate from lactate was, however, higher than that from lactose. Since about equimolar acid products would be formed from lactate, the reactor pH remained relatively unchanged throughout the fermentation and would be easier to control when lactate was the growth substrate. Therefore, lactate would be a preferred substrate over lactose and glucose for propionic acid production using continuous, immobilized cell bioreactors. Correspondence to: S. T. Yang     

Propionic acid fermentation of glycerol and glucose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp.shermanii

A comparative study was carried out in anaerobic batch cultures on 20 g/l of either glycerol or glucose using two propionibacteria strains, Propionibacterium acidipropionici and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii. In all cases, fermentation end-products were the same and consisted of propionic acid as the major product, acetic acid as the main by-product and two minor metabolites, n-propanol and succinic acid. Evidence was provided that greater production of propionic acid by propionibacteria was obtained with glycerol as carbon and energy sources. P. acidipropionici showed higher efficiency in glycerol conversion to propionic acid with a faster substrate consumption (0.64 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹) and a higher propionic acid production (0.42 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 0.79 mol/mol). The almost exclusive production of propionic acid from glycerol by this bacterium suggested an homopropionic tendency of this fermentation. Acetic acid final concentration was two times lower on glycerol (2 g/l) than on glucose (4 g/l) for both micro-organisms. P. freudenreichii ssp. shermanii exhibited a glycerol fermentation pattern typical of non-associated glycerol-consumption-product formation. This could indicate a particular metabolism for P. freudenreichii ssp. shermanii oriented towards the production of other specific components. These results tend to show that glycerol could be an excellent alternative to conventional carbon sources such as carbohydrates for propionic acid production. Received: 21 May 1999 / Accepted: 1 November 1999     

利用纤维床反应器固定化发酵生产丙酸

构建了一种纤维床反应器(FBB), 并将其应用于丙酸的生产。将棉纤维绕成桶状, 固定于反应器中, 即可用于丙酸固定化发酵。以40 g/L的葡萄糖为碳源, 与游离细胞相比, 利用FBB生产丙酸, 丙酸产量由14.58 g/L提高至20.41 g/L, 发酵时间由120 h缩短至60 h。研究了不同糖浓度条件下FBB生产丙酸情况, 并将补料策略应用于丙酸发酵中。结果表明: 补料发酵能够有效改善Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015在高糖条件下丙酸对葡萄糖转化率较低、副产物较多的问题。经补料发酵280 h, 丙酸产量达45.91 g/L, 丙酸质量约占有机酸总质量比例为72.31%。     

Propionic acid fermentation of lactose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici: effects of pH

Batch propionic acid fermentation of lactose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici were studied at various pH values ranging from 4.5 to 7.12. The optimum pH range for cell growth was between 6.0 and 7.1, where the specific growth rate was approximately 0.23 h(-1). The specific growth rate decreased with the pH in the acids have been identified as the two major fermentation products from lactose. The production of propionic acid was both growth and nongrowth associated, while acetic acid formation was closely associated with cell growth. The propionic acid yield increased with decreasing pH; It changed from approximately 33% (w/w) at pH 6.1-7.1 to approximately 63% at pH 4.5-5.0. In contrast, the acetic acid yield was not significantly affected by the pH; it remained within the range of 9%-12% at all pH values. Significant amounts of succinic and pyruvic acids were also formed during propionic acid fermentation of lactose. However, pyruvic acid was reconsumed and disappeared toward the end of the fermentation. The succinic acid yield generally decreased with the pH, from a high value of 17% at pH 7.0 to a low 8% at pH 5.0 Effects of growth nutrients present in yeast ex-tract on the fermentation were also studied. In general, the same trend of pH effects was found for fermentations with media containing 5 to 10 g/L yeast extract. However, More growth nutrients would be required for fermentations to be carried out efficienytly at acidic pH levels.     

利用纤维床反应器固定化发酵生产丙酸

构建了一种纤维床反应器(FBB), 并将其应用于丙酸的生产。将棉纤维绕成桶状, 固定于反应器中, 即可用于丙酸固定化发酵。以40 g/L的葡萄糖为碳源, 与游离细胞相比, 利用FBB生产丙酸, 丙酸产量由14.58 g/L提高至20.41 g/L, 发酵时间由120 h缩短至60 h。研究了不同糖浓度条件下FBB生产丙酸情况, 并将补料策略应用于丙酸发酵中。结果表明: 补料发酵能够有效改善Propionibacterium freudenreichii CCTCC M207015在高糖条件下丙酸对葡萄糖转化率较低、副产物较多的问题。经补料发酵280 h, 丙酸产量达45.91 g/L, 丙酸质量约占有机酸总质量比例为72.31%。     

Inhibitory Effect of Autoclaving Whey-Based Medium on Propionic Acid Production by Propionibacterium shermanii

Propionic acid production by Propionibacterium shermanii was compared in pasteurized and autoclaved whey-based media. Propionic acid production decreased with increasing whey concentration in autoclaved media but not in pasteurized media. Increasing the yeast extract concentration from 5 to 10 g/liter greatly reduced the inhibitory effect of autoclaving.     

Production of propionate by fed-batch fermentation of Propionibacterium acidipropionici using mixed feed of lactate and glucose

Propionibacterium acidipropionici was grown in a fed-batch culture, fed with glucose or lactate, or mixtures of lactate and glucose. Lactate and glucose were always simultaneously consumed. As co-substrate, glucose modified the propionate:acetate molar ratio (P/A) and increased the fraction of carbon used for biomass production. A P/A of 7.63 was obtained with a lactate:glucose molar ratio of 4; a P/A value of 1.34 was obtained with lactate alone and 1.85 with glucose alone. The fraction of carbon recovered in biomass was 0.09 for glucose, 0.12 for lactate, and 0.21 for a lactate:glucose molar ratio of 4.     

Optimization of a Propionibacterium acidipropionici continuous culture utilizing sucrose

To produce propionic acid and vitamin B₁₂ from sucrose, the strain Propionibacterium acidipropionici NRRL B3569 was selected by screening a number of Propionibacterium strains. The nutrient composition and the fermentation conditions for this strain were optimized in continuous culture. The investigations show that within a concentration range of 30–170 g l^–1 of sucrose in the fermentation medium, no significant substrate inhibition occurred. For the production of propionic acid and vitamin B₁₂, concentrations of 1.5 mg FeSO₄·7H₂O g^–1 dry biomass, 0.75 mg cobalt ions g^–1 dry biomass, 0.3 mg 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole g^–1 dry biomass, and 12 g yeast extract 1^–1 were necessary additions to the sources of nitrogen, phosphate, and magnesium ions. The extra addition of up to 2.8 g betaine g^–1 dry biomass significantly increases the production of vitamin B₁₂. In the optimization of the pH value, temperature, and aeration, it was established that the conditions for propionic acid production and vitamin B₁₂ production are different. Whereas the optimal production of propionic acid took place under completely anaerobic conditions with a pH value of 6.5 and a temperature of 37°C, optimal vitamin B₁₂ production required a temperature of 40°C and aerobic conditions (0.5 vvm aeration at 100 rpm) with a pH value of 6.5.     

Continuous propionic acid fermentation by immobilized Propionibacterium acidipropionici in a novel packed-bed bioreactor

Continuous propionic acid fermentations of lactate by Propionibacterium acidipropionici were studied in spiral wound fibrous bed bioreactors. Cells were imobilized by natural attachment to fiber surfaces and entrapment in the void volume within the fibrous matrix. A high cell density of approximately 37 g/L was attained in the reactor and the reactor productivity was approximately 4 times higher than that from a conventional batch fermentation. The bioreactor was able to operate continuously for 4 months without encountering any clogging, degeneration, or contamination problems. Also, the reactor could accept low-nutrient and low-pH feed without sacrificing much in reactor productivity. This new type of immobilized cell bioreactor is scalable and thus is suitable for industrial production of propionate. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

产酸丙酸杆菌耐酸菌株的选育及其应用

为了解除微生物发酵生产丙酸过程中代谢产物(丙酸)对菌体生长的抑制作用,以实验室保藏的产酸丙酸杆菌(耐30g/L丙酸)为出发菌株P-0,通过丙酸压力筛选获得了一株耐10g/L丙酸的产酸性能良好的菌株P-10,降低了发酵过程中丙酸对菌体生长的抑制作用。菌株P-10做摇瓶发酵,发酵周期168h,丙酸浓度为49.66g/L,产酸速率为0.30g/(L·h),较出发菌株P-0提高了53.04%;7L发酵罐实验表明,菌株P-10发酵周期168h,丙酸浓度为55.63g/L,产酸速率0.33g/(L·h)。同时对菌株P-10做二次接种实验,结果表明,84h为二次接种最适时间段,且84h进行二次接种时,丙酸浓度提高了17.77%,二次接种实验不但有利于有机酸的积累,而且可以提高菌株的产酸能力和耐酸能力;经过选育的菌株P-10具有优良的产酸稳定性,有利于菌种的工业化生产和应用,同时对后续的发酵分离耦合具有重要意义。     

Enhanced propionic acid fermentation by Propionibacterium acidipropionici mutant obtained by adaptation in a fibrous-bed bioreactor

Fed-batch fermentations of glucose by P. acidipropionici ATCC 4875 in free-cell suspension culture and immobilized in a fibrous-bed bioreactor (FBB) were studied. The latter produced a much higher propionic acid concentration (71.8 +/- 0.8 g/L vs. 52.2 +/- 1.1 g/L), indicating enhanced tolerance to propionic acid inhibition by cells adapted in the FBB. Compared to the free-cell fermentation, the FBB culture produced 20-59% more propionate (0.40-0.65 +/- 0.02 g/g vs. 0.41 +/- 0.02 g/g), 17% less acetate (0.10 +/- 0.01 g/g vs. 0.12 +/- 0.02 g/g), and 50% less succinate (0.09 +/- 0.02 g/g vs. 0.18 +/- 0.03 g/g) from glucose. The higher propionate production in the FBB was attributed to mutations in two key enzymes, oxaloacetate transcarboxylase and propionyl CoA: succinyl CoA transferase, leading to the production of propionic acid from pyruvate. Both showed higher specific activity and lower sensitivity to propionic acid inhibition in the mutant than in the wild type. In contrast, the activity of PEP carboxylase, which converts PEP directly to oxaloacetate and leads to the production of succinate from glucose, was generally lower in the mutant than in the wild type. For phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase in the acetate formation pathway, however, there was no significant difference between the mutant and the wild type. In addition, the mutant had a striking change in its morphology. With a threefold increase in its length and approximately 24% decrease in its diameter, the mutant cell had an approximately 10% higher specific surface area that should have made the mutant more efficient in transporting substrates and metabolites across the cell membrane. A slightly lower membrane-bound ATPase activity found in the mutant also indicated that the mutant might have a more efficient proton pump to allow it to better tolerate propionic acid. In addition, the mutant had more longer-chain saturated fatty acids (C17:0) and less unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1), both of which could decrease membrane fluidity and might have contributed to the increased propionate tolerance. The enhanced propionic acid production from glucose by P. acidipropionici was thus attributed to both a high viable cell density maintained in the reactor and favorable mutations resulted from adaptation by cell immobilization in the FBB.     

High level production of 5-aminolevulinic acid by Propionibacterium acidipropionici grown in a low-cost medium

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of tetrapyrroles. Its current production is expensive. We have developed a low-cost medium for Propionibacterium acidipropionici to produce extracellular ALA. When grown at 35?°C on a medium containing 3?% (w/v) food-grade sodium lactate supplemented with 18?g glycine/l, 4.05?g succinate/l, 1.8?g glucose/l, pH 7, it produced ALA up to 7.7?g/l over 6?days. Plant-growth promoting activity assays showed that the ALA was biologically active.     

Propionic acid production by whole cells of Propionibacterium freudenreichii

The microbial production of propionic acid by Propionibacterium freudenreichii NCIM 2111, has been studied in this communication. Shake-flask studies were carried out to determine the optimum combination of various process parameters like stab age, inoculum age, inoculum level, medium constituents, temperature, and the initial pH for maximizing the production of propionic acid by using central composite design method. The system was found to exhibit product inhibition and hence the product inhibition kinetics was studied. A two parameter kinetic model, taking into account of the product inhibition, was proposed. Leudeking and Piret model was used to describe the production kinetics. The result from the shake-flask studies were compared with that obtained from mechanically stirred batch bioreactor and total recycle batch bioreactor.     

Production of Mevalonic Acid by Fermentation

The purpose of this investigation was to select microorganisms that produce substantial quantities of mevalonic acid and to develop an economic fermentation process. To screen for mevalonic acid-producing microorganisms, it was necessary to improve the method for the quantitative determination of this acid. The biological assay was modified by shortening the incubation time and simplifying the procedure. The principle of the assay is based on the essential mevalonic acid requirement of the organism Lactobacillus heterohiochii for growth. Screening was carried out by selecting high mevalonic acid-producing organisms from various type cultures. Endomycopsis fibuliger was chosen for medium development studies, and 939 mug of mevalonic acid per ml was produced in the culture filtrate after modifications of medium and fermentation conditions.     

丙酸絮凝发酵新工艺研究

报道了丙酸发酵的一种新工艺:絮凝发酵工艺。采用谢氏丙酸杆菌(Propionibacterium shermanii)W125在批次发酵产酸达到29g/L的基础上,选择氢氧化钙作为中和剂兼絮凝剂,建立了絮凝半连续发酵工艺,连续运行250h,产酸量达到了35.4g/L,产酸率提高了22%,糖酸转化率达到了51.56%,体积效率达到了0.37g/(L/h)。     

戊糖乳杆菌发酵产乳酸及高产菌株诱变选育

戊糖乳杆菌(Lactobacillus pentosus)是能利用木质纤维素水解液发酵产乳酸的潜力菌株,发酵条件优化与高产菌株的选育是提高乳酸产量的重要手段。通过单因素试验、Plackett-Burman设计与响应面试验,对戊糖乳杆菌ATCC 8041产乳酸的发酵培养基及发酵条件进行了优化。结果表明,该菌株发酵培养基的最佳组合为葡萄糖93.11 g/L、酵母浸粉5.19 g/L、碳酸钙29.43 g/L、蛋白胨10.00 g/L、Na2HPO4·12H2O 5.00 g/L、Mg SO4 0.20 g/L、Mn SO4 50 mg/L;最佳发酵条件为37℃、p H6.5、接种量6%、装液量80%。在此优化条件下,该菌株发酵产乳酸为54.12 g/L。进一步以戊糖乳杆菌ATCC 8041为出发菌株,通过原生质体进行紫外诱变,经多重筛选,最终获得一株遗传稳定性好的高产乳酸突变株,命名为戊糖乳杆菌Lactic UVC-02,由中国典型培养物保藏中心保存,注册号为CCTCC M 2013209。该突变株Lactic UVC-02经葡萄糖发酵,乳酸产量达64.17 g/L,比出发菌株ATCC 8041(54.12g/L)提高18.6%。