Improvement of clavulanic acid production by Streptomyces clavuligerus with peanut derivatives

Abstract

Clavulanic acid (CA) production by Streptomyces clavuligerus was compared in fermentation media containing various nitrogen sources, including soybean meal, peptone, corn steep powder, cotton seed meal, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium nitrate, respectively. The basal fermentation medium was also supplemented with various concentrations of peanut derivatives. The highest CA concentration was obtained in medium containing soybean meal supplemented with peanut protein. The production of N2-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-arginine (CEA) by a wild-type and a mutant strain of Streptomyces clavuligerus [in which the gene encoding β-lactam synthetase (orf3 ) was inactivated] in fermentation broth was compared. The assay of CA and CEA in the peanut protein-containing fermentation broth of the orf3 blocked mutant of S. clavuligerus and the analysis of amino acids and fatty acids of peanut seed flour showed that peanut protein can provide the aspartate amino acids family, arginine, and glycerol for the production of CA. Based on these results, we conclude that peanut seed flour and its derivatives can be used for CA production on an industrial scale as a supplementary nitrogen and carbon source.