Determination of the reaction yield during biotransformation of the volatile and chemically unstable compound beta-ionone by aspergillus niger

Abstract

Biotransformation of beta-ionone by Aspergillus niger IFO 8541 was a complex system, due to the low precursor solubility in water (0.88 mol/m(3)) which gave a two-phase liquid system, its high volatility (vapor pressure 7.2 Pa), and its poor chemical stability. A dynamic model, considering transfers between organic, aqueous, and gas layers, was established. It also took into account the decrease in organic layer area exchange during a process, due to progressive precursor disappearance. Its solving needed separate determination of two parameters. The first-order kinetic constant for chemical degradation, K(1), was estimated from side experiments involving a model system at thermodynamic equilibrium; its value was found to be close to 4.17 x 10(-)(6) s(-)(1). The volumetric transfer coefficient between gas and aqueous phase was estimated by analogy with results obtained for oxygen transfer. Results obtained demonstrated high liquid-gas transfer rates, while liquid-liquid transfers were severely limited. These data were then used to estimate the true yield of a biotransformation experiment, which was found to be close to unity.