Abstract
With the problems related to chemical methods of pyruvic acid (PA) synthesis, a fast-growing interest has been observed in research aiming at reducing the production cost of PA by applying biotechnological methods. This study aimed to investigate the potential applicability of Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia 1.31 yeast strain for valorisation of pure and crude glycerol through the production of industrially desired PA. Conditions required for the effective PA biosynthesis, i.e., pH value, thiamine concentration, agitation, and substrate concentration, were examined in batch and fed-batch cultivation modes. The efficient production of PA occurred under the limitation of thiamine (1 µg L−1) and was stimulated by moderate pH (4.5) and agitation (800 rev min−1) of the culture. Under optimal conditions, Y. lipolytica Wratislavia 1.31 was able to produce 85.2 g L−1 of PA with volumetric productivity of 0.90 g L−1 h−1. The yield of PA biosynthesis reached a high level of 1.03 g g−1. Obtained results confirmed the aptitude of Y. lipolytica yeast to produce high amounts of PA from simple glycerol-containing media. Presented process was very promising and might be considered as an attractive alternative for currently used chemical methods of PA synthesis.
Highlights
Pyruvic acid (PA), a final compound of glycolysis, is an intermediate of a key role in metabolism as it is involved in pathways leading to formation of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids
The cost of biotechnological production of 1 ton of pyruvic acid (PA) from glucose is calculated at the level of $1255, whereas chemical synthesis generates a cost as high as $8650 (Li et al 2001)
We offer the environmentally friendly biotechnological method of PA production that uses glycerol—considerably less expensive substrate than glucose, especially when crude glycerol is considered
Summary
Pyruvic acid (PA), a final compound of glycolysis, is an intermediate of a key role in metabolism as it is involved in pathways leading to formation of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Chemical Papers (2018) 72:3077–3083 of high purity and is cost-effective thanks to the possibility of sustainable substrate application (Zelić et al 2004). The possible impediment of this method is its relatively low productivity due to the difficulty of acquiring a strain capable of extracellular production of PA in satisfactory amounts (Song et al 2016; Li et al 2001). Even though PA is formed in central metabolic pathways of microorganisms, small amounts have been reported to be found (Maleki and Eiteman 2017). In the fermentation processes of producing PA, glucose is mainly used as the substrate, and in years of research, much effort has been put to accelerate glycolysis to enhance glucose metabolism towards PA (Li et al 2001, 2002; Song et al 2016).
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