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Isolation of Soil Microorganisms Using iChip Technology
Published on: January 10, 2025
A natural isolate producing shikimic acid: isolation, identification, and culture condition optimization
Garima Rawat1, Priyanka Tripathi, Firdaus Jahan
1Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, 110021, India. garima_205@yahoo.com
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
|February 28, 2013
Summary
Researchers isolated Citrobacter sp. GR-21, a soil microorganism capable of producing shikimic acid. Optimized fermentation processes increased production 14-fold, offering a sustainable alternative for this key pharmaceutical precursor.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Background:
- Shikimic acid is a crucial precursor for Tamiflu synthesis, essential for treating influenza (Swine flu).
- Current plant-based isolation methods for shikimic acid are costly and limited, hindering drug availability.
- Fermentation using renewable resources presents a viable alternative for shikimic acid production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and identify wild-type microorganisms capable of producing shikimic acid.
- To optimize the fermentation process for enhanced shikimic acid yield.
- To validate the scalability and confirm the identity of the produced shikimic acid.
Main Methods:
- Screening of 42 soil microbial isolates for shikimic acid production.
- Identification of the best-performing isolate (GR-21) as Citrobacter sp.
- Process optimization through fermentation and scale-up in a 14 L bioreactor.
- Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for product confirmation.
Main Results:
- Isolate GR-21 (Citrobacter sp.) was identified as the most effective producer, with an initial yield of 0.54 g/L.
- Process optimization led to a significant 14-fold increase in shikimic acid production.
- Successful validation of shikimic acid production in a 14 L bioreactor.
- FTIR analysis confirmed the identity of the produced compound as shikimic acid.
Conclusions:
- Citrobacter sp. GR-21 is a promising microorganism for sustainable shikimic acid production.
- The optimized fermentation process offers a cost-effective and scalable alternative to plant extraction.
- This microbial approach has the potential to meet the global demand for shikimic acid.
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