Comparative analysis of biotechnological and catalytic approaches to the production of organic acids

Abstract

Using renewable resources to produce valuable chemical products is an alternative to traditional processes based on petrochemical synthesis. The review focuses on the main approaches associated with the production of organic acids from glucose and cellulose as the components of renewable biomass. It covers a comparison of biotechnological approaches for the production of glycolic, glutaric, mesaconic, muconic, isobutyric, lactic, 3-hydroxypropionic, succinic, itaconic and adipic acids with catalytic approaches. It was shown that the biotechnological production of succinic and lactic acids has been applied on an industrial scale, and that a number of other organic acids can be produced using fermentation if more productive strains will be used.