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Updated: May 8, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Novel method utilizing microbial treatment for cleaner production of diosgenin from Dioscorea zingiberensis C.H.
Mi Wei1, Yun Bai1, Mingzhang Ao1
1Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Abstract:
A novel method utilizing microbial treatment for cleaner production of diosgenin from Dioscorea zingiberensis C.H. Wright (DZW) was presented. A new Bacillus pumilus HR19, which has the great ability to secrete pectinase, was screened and applied in the microbial treatment. Low-pressure steam expansion pretreatment (LSEP) was employed in advance to assist microbial treatment efficiently in releasing saponins, which are the precursors of diosgenin. Compared with the traditional process of acid hydrolysis, this novel process reduced the consumptions of water, acid and organic solvent by more than 92.5%, 97.0%, 97.0%, respectively, while simultaneously increasing the diosgenin yield by 6.21%. In addition, the microbial treatment was more efficient than enzymatic treatment, which arised from that microorganisms could be induced to secrete related enzymes by the compositions of DZW and relieve product inhibition by utilizing enzyme hydrolysates.
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