Process Biochemistry, Vol.64, 46-50, 2018
Improving the performance of cell biocatalysis and the productivity of acetoin from 2,3-butanediol using a compressed oxygen supply
Acetoin is useful as a food additive and a valuable intermediate chemical which can be made from 2, 3-butanediol. To improve the production of acetoin, a compressed oxygen supply in a sealed aerated stirred tank reactor (COS-SSTR) based method is adopted. The strain of Gluconobacter oxydansNL71 was used for bio-oxidization of 2, 3-butanediol to acetoin. After optimization of the fed-batch concentration in an aerated stirred tank reactor, the yield of acetoin was 97.6 g L-1 from an initial substrate concentration of 40 g L-1 2, 3-butanediol. To improve the efficiency of acetoin production, we supplied COS-SSTR to obtain 165.9 g L-1 acetoin with a productivity of 11.43 g L-1 h(-1) in 36 h. The product concentration and yield of the process are both new record for acetoin bioproduction. Our results demonstrate a promising industrial potential of the bacterial cell-catalysis of 2, 3-butanediol to acetoin in a significantly increased bioconversion rate.