Production of erythritol and mannitol by Yarrowia lipolytica yeast in media containing glycerol

Abstract

Glycerol is a by-product generated in large amounts during the production of biofuels. This study presents an alternative means of crude glycerol valorization through the production of erythritol and mannitol. In a shake-flasks experiment in a buffered medium, nine Yarrowia lipolytica strains were examined for polyols production. Three strains (A UV’1, A-15 and Wratislavia K1) were selected as promising producers of erythritol or/and mannitol and used in bioreactor batch cultures and fed-batch mode. Pure and biodiesel-derived crude glycerol media both supplemented (to 2.5 and 3.25 %) and not-supplemented with NaCl were applied. The best results for erythritol biosynthesis were achieved in medium with crude glycerol supplemented with 2.5 % NaCl. Wratislavia K1 strain produced up to 80.0 g l −1 erythritol with 0.49 g g −1 yield and productivity of 1.0 g l −1 h −1 . Erythritol biosynthesis by A UV’1 and A-15 strains was accompanied by the simultaneous production of mannitol (up to 27.6 g l −1 ). Extracellular as well as intracellular erythritol and mannitol ratios depended on the glycerol used and the presence of NaCl in the medium. The results from this study indicate that NaCl addition to the medium improves erythritol biosynthesis, and simultaneously inhibits mannitol formation.

Yarrowia lipolytica: Safety assessment of an oleaginous yeast with a great industrial potential

“…However, no trustworthy evidence is currently available on the history of commercial production, nor on the annual production volumes of citric acid derived from Y. lipolytica. The high potential of Y. lipolytica for organic acid production has been confirmed in the recent scientific literature not only for citric acid (Liu et al, 2013;Moeller et al, 2011;Rywinska et al, 2012), but also for isocitric, a-ketoglutaric, pyruvic, succinic and acetic acid (Chatzifragkou et al, 2011;Heretsch et al, 2008;Holz et al, 2011;Kamzolova et al, 2009Kamzolova et al, , 2012Otto et al, 2011Otto et al, , 2012 Yarrowia lipolytica has been chosen as production host for mannitol and erythritol (De Zeeuw & Tynan, 1973a, b;Tomaszewska et al, 2012). Since 2003, Baolingbao Biology Co., Ltd., from Shandong, China, produces erythritol with Y. lipolytica, for addition to foods as a nutritive sweetener, flavor enhancer, formulation aid, humectant, stabilizer and thickener, sequestrant and texturizer.…”

A two-stage fermentation process of erythritol production by yeast Y. lipolytica from molasses and glycerol

“…It was shown that the addition of NaCl into the medium inhibits mannitol production by Y. lipolytica (Tomaszewska et al, 2012).…”

Growth Restraint Action of 1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose on Gram-positive Bacteria

“…Similarly, the release of resulting AG is reported in the case of human cell 28) and S. cerevisiae. 9) The release to a medium of such polyol, i.e., glycerol by S. cerevisiae 29) and erythrytol by Yarrowia lypolytica 30) , are well known. In this study, E. coli was capable of converting a large quantity of exogenous AF to AG and metabolizing it.…”