Production of oligosaccharide from alginate using Pseudoalteromonas agarovorans

A marine bacterium was isolated from seawater near the Korean south coast for efficient saccharification from alginate. Based on 16S rDNA sequence, the isolated strain was identified as Pseudoalteromonas agarovorans. Various environmental factors affecting saccharification of alginate using P. agarovorans CHO-12 have been investigated in flask cultures. The optimum concentration of sugar was obtained at 30 rpm and 29 degrees C. Among various NaCl concentrations, when NaCl concentration was increased from 10 to 30 g/l, the cell concentration sharply increased, while there is no increase at above 40 g/l. The maximum sugar concentration was obtained at 13.8 when 30 g/l of NaCl was used. Yeast extract and corn steep liquor were the best nitrogen source for efficient saccharification. Especially, the sugar concentration of 14.9 g/l was obtained after 3 days of culture using a mixture of 1.0 g/l of yeast extract and 1.5 g/l of corn steep liquor. Scale up was carried out at 50 l of reactor for 3 days using P. agarovorans CHO-12 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia sp. When S. maltophilia was used, cell concentration was about twofold higher than that of P. agarovorans CHO-12. On the other hand, when P. agarovorans CHO-12 was used, the maximum saccharification rate was obtained, 7.5 g/l/day after 2 days of culture, which was about tenfold higher than that of S. maltophilia.