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Published on: April 19, 2024
Fumaric acid production using renewable resources from biodiesel and cane sugar production processes
Aikaterini Papadaki1, Harris Papapostolou1, Maria Alexandri1,2
1Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece.
This study optimized fumaric acid production using soybean cake hydrolysate and VHP sugar, achieving 40 g/L. Pretreatment of sugarcane molasses may further enhance microbial fumaric acid yields.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Industrial Microbiology
- Biochemical Engineering
Background:
- Soybean cake and VHP sugar are underutilized byproducts from biodiesel and sugar industries.
- Fumaric acid is a valuable organic acid with diverse industrial applications.
- Microbial production offers a sustainable route for fumaric acid synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the microbial production of fumaric acid using soybean cake hydrolysate and VHP sugar.
- To optimize fumaric acid yield by adjusting free amino nitrogen (FAN) concentrations.
- To compare enzyme sources (Aspergillus oryzae and Rhizopus arrhizus) for hydrolysate preparation.
Main Methods:
- Soybean cake was processed into a nutrient-rich hydrolysate using enzymes from solid-state fermentation (SSF) of A. oryzae or R. arrhizus.
- Fed-batch cultures of R. arrhizus were used for fumaric acid production, with varying initial FAN concentrations.
- VHP sugar was used as a co-substrate alongside the soybean cake hydrolysate.
Main Results:
- Fumaric acid production reached 27.3 g/L with R. arrhizus-derived enzymes at 200 mg/L FAN.
- Using A. oryzae-derived enzymes and VHP sugar yielded 40 g/L fumaric acid with a yield of 0.86 g/g.
- Sugarcane molasses resulted in low fumaric acid production, likely due to inhibitory compounds.
Conclusions:
- Valorization of VHP sugar and soybean cake is effective for microbial fumaric acid production.
- Optimizing FAN concentration and enzyme source significantly impacts fumaric acid yield.
- Further research into molasses pretreatment could unlock enhanced production capabilities.
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